Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-06-24
INVESTS IN MINES.
Ex-CongreSSman SomerS Becomes
Interested in the San Juan
Connpany'S Properties.

After a visit to the gold fields of Colo
-ado and careful inspection Of the ter
ritory, ex-Congressman Peter J. Somers
has become financially interested in the
properties of the San Juan Gold Mining
company of Milwaukee, which are To-
Gated at Saw Pit, in the San Juan sec
ton of the Centennial state. And also
as q result of his visit and reports, other
prominent Milwaukeeans will become in
terested with Mr.. Somers, who this af
ternOOn informed ]. .. Buckley of his
decision to invest. Mr.. SOmers was seen
during the day and asked as to what he
thought of the Milwaukee interests at
Saw Pit. Among other things he said:
Il would like to have it understood
thar | am not, and never have been, a
specUlator, and / should not desire
friends of mine to invest in Colorado
gold mines or elsewhere simply upon
what might say in an interview, with
out at least coming to talk with me first.
The truth is, however, that the Saw Pit
properties have never been represented
by Mr.. Buckley and others as being half
as great and promising as | am now
convinced they are. AS Il result of my
visit there | have become interested with
Mr.. Keller, the Buckley brothers and
other gentlemen, in the wonderful mines
| visited. | am convinced that the San
% uitH country is the greatest SOlu Helu
today in Colorado, and that. of course
means in the world. The property held
by the Milwaukee company was selected
by Richard Keller, formerly of Wiscon-
sin, and today regarded as the best min
ing assayiSt and expert in that section,
a man who has had extended personal
experience in that line of business and
whose assays are taken by shippers and
the SmelterS as being so accurate that
carload Of
promptly paid for upon delivery at the
SmelterS at the actual value shown by
his report. In this way, the mining COM
panies received pay for every carload of
ore the very day it reached the smelter,
if they so desire. The Little Annie is
the most productive, now. of the Mil
waukee company's properties and it is
in active operation. Three shifts of men
are employed in this mine and there is
Il tunnel in it extending over 200 feet
into the mountain. The large blanket
vein which runs for many miles through
this section will shortly be reached and
the very richest of ore taken out, rs the
blanket vein, which is only found in this
section and at Leadville. has thus far
proven to be the richest kind of ore.
The ore thus far taken out runs in
value from $500 to S1100 a carload and
lots of it is being mined by the Milwau-
lee company. Certainly the half has
never yet been claimed for this section
and for the property in which Milwau-
keeans are interested. was greatly sur
prised at the evidences | found of the
extent and richness of the ore that is
being taken out by this company, as
we'll as in the entire Saw Pit country.
The district is about twenty years old
as an ore field, but owing to the fact
that until the recent construction Of Il
railroad through the section the original
owners were compelled to pack their
rich finds for a distance of 200 miles on
mules. they were finally compelled to
give it up and thereby forfeited all in
terest in the richest gold district in the
world"
The Milwaukee company is now thor
oughly organized and is disposing of the
last portion of its shares.-Evening Wis
cOnSin