The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-03

MINER WITH NERVE.
Any man who undertakes to go to the
CtondyAe, pledgins all he owns and I'LL
dertak:ng great hardships on the chance
of making Il strike, is supposed to have
nerve, but IL he wants 10 know what
true nerve IL he should be familiar with
the history OF the Geyser and its hackers.
For ten years the owners OF this prop
erty have kept . large force Of men at
work and are still digging away into the
bowels of the earth near Silver Cliff,
Colo. buoyed mp only by faith in
theory. They spent sl5a.oss and took out
one small noduie OF silver worth 81. A
tunnel had been driven 30 feet into rock,
and so sure were the owners OF securing
g bonanza that they had the tunnel made
fifty feet wide and eight fee, high, SO
body was struck.
In all the romance of mining there Is
scarcely a story more remarkable than
this.
About 1886 two hunters picked UP some
specimens OF silver, almost pure, about
staked the ground and from the grass
roots TOOK out a fortune every few feet.
Two hundred thousand dollars worth of
The white metal was taken out Of the
ground. which was then becoming known
far ard wide as Silver Cliff. A railroad
was built. telegraph wires were strung.
and a town grew up. Then, in the words
of writer who described the scenes, in
the twinkling or an eye almost the
ore gave out. The mine proved to be a
pocket surrounded by volcanic mud. Men
prospecteG in every direction around it.
but without making any fresh discovery.
Miles o: trenches and bitches were dug
and the hills were explored with drifts
and tunnels In the vain search for the
lost lead. About ten years ago Caleb II.
Johnson. a mining man of reputation.
made an examination of the locality and
came 10 the conclusion from the geologi-
cal conditions that the Silver Cliff pocket
came from a distance; tina, 1t was hurled
from the earth though the red-hot
throat OF volcano in active eruption
ages ago; that it passed into the air.
described long arc TO the south, settled
in the warm oozy volcanic mud and was
covered. and SO remained for centuries
until discovered by the hunters.
What has followed since then Is so re-
markabie as an instance of credullty that
II IL were publishcd on less reliable au-
thority than that of the New York Sun it
wcrld scarcely he believed. johnson per-
suadcd .estors in Boston that the crater
had buried itself. but that If they could
once reach the mouth Of the volcano It's
walls would be found coated with silver.
He said they might have to go mile into
the ground. 1t might take millions of dol
lars. but IL they were successful they
would take silver out by the ton. He was
given credit for saoooso. But since that
time s., 100 GO has been spent In this NAM
| moth work of prospecting. but only $780,
| go worth Of silver has been taken out,
and even tina; was turned back again into
the work OF exploration.
| When the Indian mints were closed TO
the coinage OF silver In 1888. the men who
were putting up the money sent for John
son 10 Boston and asked him If he still
though; the mine could be made to pay.
| He replied that il would, because IL his
| theory was correct they wo,,,a quarry,
our the silver when they x,r,,cl, :, roh,.
+ son thinks he Is righ. over me mouth ~
| the old volcano nov, I'M, aur,,, ,ha -,
nine y.ers A. every hundred fss, ba nas
run two levels making oy.r a,.a. .,t,as ~
| levels and drifts. bur wi,hou, reaching the
| buried crater.
The mine has reached acnth ~ GO
| feet. hu; tA!s forms no dis,oor,so,r,,t .,
a man who rad calculated that g, nigh, 10
necessary to go 4yo or 3 r.a fse. nayors IA
| reached The lode. Ia an fbe vs,rs ,f this
| persistent search the only s,oo,,rss,,r.,
sign encountered VAS one eao,,, ,brao
| wears ago Then \ feeder ~..,f,,.- .,,,-..
| Was struck Fey over g ,,.>..-,.s g..
werkmen we're directed - e,ra,. .hts
/