Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-04-19
THE LA BELLE GOLD FIELDS
Development Work Has Continued
Steadily Throughout the En-
tire Winter.
The Outlook Most Promising for La
Belle and All the Camps of West
ern Colfax and Eastern Taos
Counties.

tain as ever that she will carry off th
honors as the banner camp of the terri
tory within few months for the larges
production of gold.
The winter from which we are jus
emerging has been very severe for thi
locality, but nevertheless development
has continued steadily on large number
of claims. Notable arseng these is the
Midnight which three shifts have worked
steadily since the early part of last July
This property is owned by an Ohio com
pany who purchased it last season and il
one of the most valuable in the district
The large two compartmentsh shaft is down
ITS feet and over 300 feet of drifts running
from this in each direction along the vein
have disclosed vein averaging over five
feet in width all of which is milling ore
and averages about $35 per ton, while oc.
casional rich streaks assay over $275 per
ton. Over 10000 tons of the $35 ore is
now blocked ont and in a short time
the company intends to put in so ton
mill. A six horse power steam hoist has
been in operation since the first of Jan.
uary.
The Edison has recently been purchased
by another Ohio company. On this there
is over 1900 feet of development work,
consisting mostly of tunnels and drifts
with few connecting winze between the
levels. The ore is hematite similar to
that of the Midnight, and of about the
same value. The purchasing parties paid
$25,O0O for the property and will at once
put in mill. In connection with this
mine are large ore bins, capacity 10000
cubic feet and these are now full and a
large amount of ore is piled upon the
dump.
The Denmark. owned by Trinidad,
Colo, company, has 500 feet of tunnels
and wines and large amount of 800 ore.
The Colorado Tunnel, owned by the
Colorado Tunnel M. & M. company now
in 200 feet, is being driven to cut two or
three valuable veins covered by claims
owned by the company is one of the best
pieces of property in the district; though
no ore is yet in sight, it will within the
next 300 feet, cut at least two veins of
known value and at great depth.
Two shifts are at work ION this.
Two shifts are also at work on the Mem
phis, owned by Wichita, Kas., company
together with six other claims. Work
175 feet, values from very
low to as high as $2S8.
The Boston Gold Mining company have
a group of six patented claims and work
aggregating 800 feet. The main shaft on
the Hamilton is 100 feet deep and another
50 feet, both disclosing large veins of ore
running from SIS to $35 per ton.
Work will be resumed in few days on
the What Is 1t, one of the finest sulphide
claims in the district. The large IS foot
shaft opens to view vein seven feet
wide, two and half feet Of which is
pay streak of sulphide running 1886 in
gold from one to ten ounces in silver and
a large per cent iron, some lead, the ore
being very metallic.
The Climax from which assays of $2,-
600 have been obtained and mill runs
from $40 to $50 has done development of
over 400 feet. It is useless to enumerate
farther. To one unacqualnted with the
the statements regarding the
thousands of feet of work that has been
done here in the past three years seems
preposterous and is usually discredited.
But 1T must be remembered that there are
no less than 16 stock companies carrying
ON operations with principal Office here
at La Belle and great many individual
prospectors backed by outside capital.
Since the little town boom two years ago
nothing has been done to attract atten-
tion of any except men of means, but La
Belle has been good steady business 10.
cation and work has never ceased on a
number of claims during that time. The
results are very satisfactory. Immense
bodies of low and medium grade ores
have been opened up and in short time
at least three mills will be constructed.
The number of extra buildings erected
two years ago has been sufficient up to
the present time, but this spring the
hammer and saw is again in
the chorus.
La Belle has three hotels, two stores,
three saloons, and other necessary estab-
lishments all of which como in with the
first excitement and still remain and
carry on profitable business.