Daily camera., 1897-08-21
SAN MIGUEL.
8,6O9
Population .............. 5000
Assessed valuation of prop
efty .PA,So4,o|s
Leading town or city. Telluride

Leading town or city,. Telluride
That the gross value Of the gold, sill
yer and lead output of San Miguel coun-
ty for 1897 will surpass by far that OF
1868, ,0O4, ,077-there is no doubt, If
the production Of the mines continues
the rest of the year as 1t has been up to
the present time. There is scarcely
strictly silver mine In operation in the
county today, properties that few
years ago were considered silver mines.
being not regarded as gold-silver prop
ositions, and worked more for the gold
values the ore carries than the silver.
Consequently the recent sudden decline
in the price Of silver has had no dis
astrous effect upon the operation OF
single mine in the district, and the peo-
pie view the situation calmly, without
any uneasiness whatever for the future.
knowing full well that the gold re-
sources Of San Miguel county are suf-
ficiently extensive to support camp
many times the size of Telluride If they
were developed. which Is only ques-
ton of a short period of time. Several
new, valuable gold producers, including
the Nellie, Canton and Shoemaker have
been added to San Miguels list so far
this season, and the probabilities are
several more fully as important acces-
sions will have been made before the
end Of the year. There are number OF
deep tunnels in progress in different
parts of the county which will cut the
veins they are directed for at stupen-
dous depths, and some of them, the
Mikado tunnel, being driven for west
ern extension of the Tom Boy, the Oph-
ir tunnel, having the Montana lead for
its objective point, and the Badger tun-
mel, at Ophir, are fast nearing compile
ton. AS these tunnels are finished gi-
gantic gold, and gold-silver properties
will be brought into existence. which
will require a half a century or more
to exhaust. The greatest tunnel enter
prise, however, is that projected by the
Meldrum Tunnel and Mining company,
which will be driven through the mount
aims from Ironton to Pandora. one mile
above Telluride, a distance of 24,2OO
feet, and cut hundreds Of veins at
depths ranging from 1900 to $500 feet.
1t Is now being bored from the 1ronton
side and the benefit that will result
from its completion not only to the
mining interests reached, but to the
town Of Telluride, is beyond the power
Of computation, but it is entirely with
in reason to believe that the mineral
output Of the district will be quadrupled
and the population Of the town increas-
ed to double it's present number, 5000.
If the present shipments are maintain
ed the Saw Pit district will very near
ly treble it's production of last year.
while in Ophir, there are more men
making good money this season than
ever before in the history Of that camp,
in consequence of the leasing system
which is in vogue on the largest and
richest producers. The ranchmen on
Hastings, Iron Springs, Wrghts and
other mesas in the western portion of
the county are growing bountiful crops
of all classes sof farm products which
will find a steady and remunerative
market in the mining camps of this dis
trict. The agricultural section adapted
to farming and stock raising Is eighteen
mile. wide by forty-four miles long and
contains 506,SS0 acres. The cattle in
dustry of the county is in a fiourishing
condition and the cattlemen are receiv-
ing the highest prices for their beef.
The mode of raising cattle in this coun-
ty has changed from what it was ten
years ago. Instead Of depending on
range feed the entire year, the owners
prepare feed with which to winter their
stock, thereby avoiding heavy losses
during the winter months. 1t Is estimat-
ed that there are about 10000 head of
cattle In the county.