The sun., 1897-05-17
TUNNEL SITE DECISION.
1T EXCTTEs LIVELY INTEREST IN
CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT

fren washington to tho Yukon DiEGinEr
DENVER, May 12-The decision Of the Unitet
States Supreme Court in the Rco-Aspen tunne
site controversy has created sensation ut Grip
pie Creek. This decision gives remarkable ad
vantagos to tunnel site locations, and In th
Cripple Creek district Is expressly valuable be
cause OF tho peculiar conditions there. Tho en-
tire camp is trnvorscd by tunnel sites projected
in every direction. many of which wcrc located
early in tho history of tho camp. Hundreds o
new veins have been opened since on many lode
claims by digging and trenching. These veini
are all blind" and were not known to exist
until found. Now, according to the Supreme
Court decision, all such vons, when found 10
extend within tho territory covered by tunnel
alto locations. revert to tho owners OF such tun
mel Sites who shall have tho right to extract the
ore, and there will be no end Of litigation arising
out Of the claims Of tunnel site owners accord
iDgly.
A case in point may DO cited. Tho Chicago
and Cripple Creek tunnel, In Poverty Gulch, was
located in 1892. and work has been done upon II
regularly ever since. A few months ago the
tunnel people uncovered a vein which they claim
Is the rich C. o. d. vein, for which the French
people paid $3.50. 900 In 1895. Tho tunnel COM
pany will now apply In the courts for possession
OF that vein. as provided by the Tunnel Site law.
The Victor Company has decided to pay a
quarterly dividend. instead of q monthly one.
the next one being in July. Other big mines are
passing dividends and making retrenchments.
New chutes are being discovered and the camp
has considerable activity. though Its boom
growth has ceased.
The Illinois Steel Company of Chicago has in
creased its order for manganese ore from Lead
willie to l5O tons per day.
At Creede the Commodore in March sent out
1000 tons Of high-grade silver orc. and in April
about 5000 tons.
The Sun and Moon nine at Idaho Springs con-
tinues to attract attention because Of rich
strikes made at a depth of $40 feet. The streak
which had shown lead values changed to copper
ore. and now there is well-defned streak of
both lead and copper-carrying gold. Shipments
will be made Of three grades of sorted ore.
The problem of unwatering the big downtown
mines in Leadville is no light undertaking. Con-
tracts have been let for tho building of four tan
dem pumps having each a capacity OF 900 gal
Ions minute. Bailing tanks will also be used,
being let down on the large hoists and with
drawn when filed. To prepare this machinery
will require two months. and then it will take
two or three months to draw Off the water.
As soon as the water Is out of the way at least
600 men will be put to work in the drained area,
and the tonnage Of ore will approximate 800
tons daily.
rich strike is reported in the Commodore
Foote, near Ouray. The vein is fifteen inches
wide, bearing native silver and chlorides. The
new strike in the Custom, on Red Mountain,
proves to be wonderful find. The miners are
now working in the new ore body, which is
twelve feet wide and runs about $40 to the ton.
CALIFORNIA.
Los ANGELES, May s.-There is a great dis
mantling of derricks in the northern part of the
ill to- 81, Il
strike nothing but salt water. From this It ap-
pears that the belt of petroleum sand pinchos
out in that vicinity.
Natural gas has been found within the city
limits Of Sacramento. Tho placer mines near
El Dorado are all doing well. Good pay dirt has
been found by Pache and Bush The owners of
the Martin placer are preparing TO work 1t on
large scale, and in the Bessella mine everything
is ready for the working of an extensive deposit.
The San FEsHsise9 which has bonded
has struck the pay chute at the end Of q tunnel
225 feet in length, and the mines are showing up
The Nevada County Electric Power Company
will be ready IN week or two to begin work on
bed. Tho company has located four miles Of
the river bod. and by diyerting the waters into
hs Sa mnes
contain many millions Of dollars as much e the
the river has been worked by Chinese under lease
and although they did not work to bedrock and
they $ still RIi found It pTetSbls 10 Inc company
Quite a mining boom has been started in the
mountains north Of San Jacinto, Riverside
county. There are continued finds Of free-mill-
ing gold ore that runs from $40 to $12 per ton,
rock. 'A'i' ''''l " 70 l"'S' e0"t'''''' 0i 'n'
AT. the Afterthought mine. on North Cow
Creek. Shasta county a six-foot ledge has been
found of rich base ore, carrying 20 per cent. in
copper, together with good values IN gold and
makes 1t difticult to reduce The smeter at this
mine Is to be reopened at once.
hS fa MSoR ns 5s: a4 .sn sS
hsepps
81 sght the Il I shs Ga Is 70 be bBs'puk pus
down TO a depth Of 700 feet.
NEVADA.
VIRGINIA CrrY, May 8.-The Exploration Com.
pany OF London Is reported to have secured an
option on the DE Lamar mi4e which has lately
ending last December showed that ths gross
profit Of 3 little over sioo. 900. '' WAN = A''
From Hale Norcross roose ground in the Bruins
which gave per ton battery sample assay OF
&l7 In gold and l8ie ounces Of silver.
mines near T Hamilton for shpment aSrinS Spi OF this
summer.
WASHINGTON.
SEATTLE. May s.-The Corona Company, whose
properties are located on Troublesome Creek,
Snohomish county, has obtained capital SUN.
cient 70 begin Development on June L The as
says give returns of from $50 to 81 900 in gold,
silver. and copper.
Work will be resumed next week on the Trout
Creek properties Of Merchant and Townsend,
which embrace forty claims including mill sites
The surface showing I is the largest Of any group
ore from five to forty feet In width.
All the mines In Monte Cristo district have In
creased their working force during the past
month. and there is demand for experienced and
the Mystery and Pride has Increased to over
1000 tons a week.
ALASKA.
SEATTLE. May ga small party of miners will
try TO demonstrate the ,practicability of an
overland route from Washington to the head
waters of the Yukon, and have outfitted at
Ellensburg this week. The estimated distance
te about 800 miles. and 1t is calculated that
thirty miles day can be made; The country is
a bunch grass or prairie region, affording an
abundance Of feed for animals, while fish are
plentiful IN all the streams and deer and elk
can be had for the taking. The entire outfit for
four men, including pack animals riding horses.