The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-08
CRIPPLE CREEK THINS OUT
This is the Report of Bruce Keenan,, Form
erly of Wichita.

erly of Wichita.
Cripple Creek, Colo, April 7.-(Special
espOndence.) 1.-The city of Cripple
Creek is still building. The National
hotel at the corner Of Fourth and Ben
nett avenues, will be a four-story struc-
ture with a basement, erected az a cost
of about 100000, including lots. The
cost of eXcavating for this building is
$4,000, which, at the lowest depth is so
feet. There is in course of construc-
ton other brick buildings TO the value
of 100000, Taken all in all Cripple
Greek still has the appearance Of a live
city, though il must be conceded that
the streets and in the hotels have per-
ceptibly thinned. This may be partly
accounted for by the fact that many PEG
pie are prospecting in the hills and the
number of new rooming and boarding
houses has tended TO scatter the crowds
somewhat from the hotel Hobbies.
The production of the mines as COM
pared with the same month of last year
shows an increase, but compared with
November and December of last year
there is a falling off. The number OF
leases expiring with the end Of the
year made it the business and interest
of the lessees 10 ship out all the ore they
possibly could before their leases ex-
pred, hence the large output for the
closing months of last year. The own
ers in taking charge find ii necessary 10
put in improved machinery to do de-
velopment work preparatory 10 work
ing the mines on a larger scale. All
this promises we'll for the future, but
it temporarily binders production.
While the claim that this is the richest
Gold nj on w J, &c N
geration. the camp is a good one and in
years to come Will be producing more
gold than in the years 1885.
To compare this camp with Johannes
burg is out OF the question. Johannes
burg will produce 40 to 80 millions of
gold this year. practically four times
what this camp viii produce. johann
nesburg has 10000 population while the
population Of this camp viii not exceed
$4,000 or 10000 This is a great camp,
and mining Is in its infancy. No mine
has yet reached a depth Of 900 feet, and
II the theory is correct that richness
comes with depth il is plain that the
deepest mines have only fairly entered
upon the mining work before them. Add
70 this large list of mines that have
just found pay ore and the still larger
list Of prospects" that may develop in
70 mines and the statement that the
mining industry is just in its infancy
goes without question.
Mr.. Stratton has shut down work on
his property for the reason. as he claims.
he cant stand the transportation and re-
duction mill charges. As Il stands
these charges average more than SIS
per ton, 50 that ore running S15 or less
per ton must be thrown upon the dump
a total loss. II is Mr.. Stra tons idea
that when he gets his $4,000 mill COM
pletei he can work ore as low as s. per
ton: that he VIII not only save 50 TO SO
per ton on the ore he now ships but that
he VIII utilize a vast body Of low grade
ore that is az present thrown away.
The low grade ore proposition is far
reaching. Il IS the working Of the low
grade ores that makes the Johannes
burg camp Of 50 great value Z s. ore
can be successfully handled n this cam9
II IS possible 10 see the production en-
large till il reaches s. millions o~ more
per annurn. II has SIN another fea-
ture IN addition 70 the mines i VIII
add vast number of mill men 70 swell
the population OF this district and ada
% its general business. AL hall 20 the
working Of low grade ore and the era. OF
local reduction mills,
The stock market sin keeps pulling
the oldest and shrewdest. N-tw5 -he-a- !
ing the prediction that the bottom has
been reached and that the tendency VIZ,
ba upward. the market loses. Frs. one
cause and another : given Tor -ha srump
with solemn aRnouncsne1 % the e- J
theory. but the end does not seem We.
10 be reached. The stubborn fact %
matter = that The stock markets fur
nish the most ielus!ve avenues or
small investors 10 Eet an interest n
mining ventures Wherefore -lovs-
ands II dollars went into This form Il
investment with ~ inves- Ea-s1l o.5e-
than market reports - ms r-eat
demand for stocks sweIie5 ,aa r-ic- the
market grew upon wha- = was re5 III
the whole thing lettering from rs vs--
height. While the prices weI- w ones
profits wee a Satisfactory -1-<s7f- 2
For the safety II his investment. Nv
and by Il VAS discovered that -he price
OF approved stocks were as hizh :: 10,