The Monte Vista journal., 1897-09-25


he could hoist ore the moment he
found 1t. without waiting to enlarge
at later day. His argument carried
the day. ana few more entered the
company and agreed to stand by John
son Tor 1000 feet. anyway.
Johnson returned to Silver Cliff.
staked on the ground and started to
work. lie employed scvcnty-iive min
CTS nuiit u permanent shaft house, or
usru AIR drills. put up an engine
pant rentiia'ing apparatus, pump.
chDie' mine machinery. rails, ties. ore
ears ana two magnificent steel cages.
iheh he marked out II tioublc-com-
lmrtment working shaft, and. turning
10 ms three forcmcn. said.
want the shaft driven straight
INTO the ground. Twenty-Five men
ceed.'
How long shall we work." one of
them asked.
Until We strike ore
wen 90 through to China and not
find any"
Very well. to China we shall go.
then" 49,
steam was raised and the Gcyscr
smart was started
rms was In the fall of 1855 The
erect was electrical. Men came from
ai ~, over Colorado to see the property.
ne driiis We're grinding away through
tne rock, with absolutely not a trncc
Oh ore In sight. The first 100 feet in
uepth was gained. and permanent
,,.ipcfihg was placed In the shaft.
heh .D feet had been passed
tni"uSh Johnson was approached one
KNOW II he would be justified lin
building house for his family 10 live
III. lie did not care to build and then
have the mine close down and lose
his investment. johnson replied:
Build your house. my man. And
as long as we are 5000 feet of this
side OF the bottom of the mountains
you need have no fear II you attend
to yonr business"
so 1t was that the little settlement
grew up about the mine. Stores np-
peared. the community prospered,
stages made daily trips and each
Hhohth the workmcn We're paid with
regularity that was astonishing.
Maii was delivered daily. the force OF
men WAS gradually increased and the
rock coming from the mine was so
distributed as to form the approach.
ing grade for II railroad. .Iohnson's
nerve simply took the breath AWAY
from the slow-coing Inhabitants of
the CliH. Down, down the big shaft
Went. two steel cages passing each
other night and day. month after
lhoiith. one year. two years, three
-FOUR, five years. And then on the
closing of the Indian minis to the
coinage OF silver In 1Sse;. johnson was
summoned to Boston. Would IL pny
now! Yes. 1t would: for II his theory
was correct. they would quarry out
the silver when they struck II, The
silver Cliners were nervoux, But
johnson returned smiling and assured
the men that they We're going right
INTO the mountain and must hurry.
johnson thinks he Is right over the
mouth OF the volcano. AT 100 feet he
ran two levels. exploring for ore. He
was disappointed. Every 100 feet
he ran two levels. In the five years
the mine has worked to date. over
firc miles OF underground levels and
driits have been rouged out.
All known geological conditions were
passei through. Great slabs Of gran
u" ~" feet long were cut lcngtiiwisc.
In other places the ground WIS 5, soft
were placed In the shaft to keen the
ground from creeping In. The dc.
vciopmcnt work was perfect. For the
first 800 feet the cages fail, the sleeves
| do not strike the guides.
Three years ago an ore body was
opened. II was a great feeder OF silver.
bearing mineral. The Silver CllfIcrs
We're paralyzeh with as,onshmcn,.
Men We're set To work To follow the
feeder. hut the big shaft kept sink
ing steadily. More than 900 feet the
wofkmcn followed the ZIP OF the vein,
around curious corners and through
strange formations, downward. down,
wari. Sometimes the ore WIS poor.
sometimes rich. Inquiry at the mine
wins useless. The man who talked was
dischnrxsi. II was private enter
prise. The business Of the mine con
crrned nobody except those immcSll-
AtcIy Interested In Its DEVELOPMENT.
TWO hundred tliounsind dollars worth
OF ore wns inkcn out and sold In the
public market and the money put back
In the mine. A year ago there was
| tremendous excitement when ono OF
fhe miners thought lie lad penetrated
The hanging wall. Later what looked
llk" the foot wall was encountered.
Johnson was happy and everybody was
excited. hut they were not In the lIy.
Ing rock yet. 4 few feet farther and
the SHAFT sank into more conglomcratc
, aud now such discoveries scarcely nt-
tract notice.
Tho mine today has reached depth
or LIMO feet. nnd men arr sim follow.
Ing the feeder.
The company has expended So.tO0,.
ssss. Including the amount spent In pros.
Wcilng work. and San1.UO0 taken out
of tho mine has been put back Into 4,
In tho form Of development work.
which i1akcs n total cost 10 date of
92.:sOOD.
Johnson expects the feeder to lead
him 20 Tie mouth of the old crater.
When he rcnsl,es II and determines Its
depth he will sink his shaft aud stopc
out tho ground. nnd ns he has u great
working shnft hc viii lose no time
Whatever In getting the orc 10 tho sur.
FACE. He expects 10 llft II. not hy tho
lsotini. hut by the ton-llicrnily by the
ton.
Recently mining men from MI over
thr country have examined tho Ocy.
s~r. and have agreed that II IN proper.
ly named. II Johnson's theory holds
eoosi the company might win. II II
tlors. al1 agreed tho greatest mine the
world ever saw will in oucncd-grrnt.
cr. probably. than all tho mines In
| America to-day pnt together. II Il
falls. tho company iosr~. with no poS-
sltAW way ~ getting hack n cent. Mnny
tpeotblr arr inrllnrt1 To tiir theory Of