Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-04-28
Mining Notes.

In all OF 1S0G the Ophir district. San
Miguel county. shipped 1913 carloads OF
ore. In 1897 the total shipments
reached i51 ears. For the first quarter
of the present year. with many prop
critics delayed by rough weather and
some OF the mills waiting for the
streams to thnw. the shipments reach
1sS carloads. NIL high grade ore and
concentrates. the years gain over 1897
will reach 80 per cent.
The work of turning the Holden liz
iviation plant into an up-to-date con-
centrator Is about completed by the
Aspen Concentrating Company. and
within n day or two the plant will be
In constant operation day and night.
The first test gave results highly salts
factory. The crushing is done by two
ten-stnmp batteries. An equal number
Of stamps are at the present time
standing idle. but It is the intention to
Increase the table capacity of the mill
at an early date. and put these extra
stamps in operation.
The Smuggler- Union Mining Com
pnny at Telluride Is taking out some OF
the richest gold ore ever seen in the
camp. Fully one-half the weight of
the samples that have been exhibited
Il
rich ore was uncovered some two or
three weeks ago on the north end of
the Smuggler. ut a depth of more than
1000 feet. 1t is in the nature of n
streak of white quartz about three
inches In width thoroughly impregnat-
ed with free gold. 1t Is not leaf gold.
and the mineral Is remarkable for its
weight. So far as can be learned the
| streak us yet gives no Indication of
| becoming exhausted. and the pertinac-
ity with which 1t continues is one of
| the most surprising as well as crafty
Ing features. Three shipments OF the
rich stuff have been made by express.
| but the aggregate number of pounds
they represented cannot be learned.
Below the water line. and at 900 feet
beneath the surface. Cripple Creek has
produced the richest body OF gold ore
ever opened. 1t is In the already noted
Portland. The new chute was found
by n cross-cut run east from the Anna
Lee drift about 800 feet north of the
big chimney, and Is known us vein No.
In the development work In the
ground opened by the former manager,
J. ii. Mckenzie. and lies In Hidden
Treasure ground, about $50 feet east
| of, and parallel with the main vein of
| 'hN va saahus shsshyS SOOH JuInDpu
up into the hundreds of ounces and the
work continued. Up to the present
time the drift has run 75 feet on the
chute, and the breast is still in ore. A
tivc-foot ore body In three seams: one
of disintegrated rock that partakes
of the character OF sand quartz. and
lies on the foot wall from ten to sixteen
inches In width. and is of fabulous
richness. Against this comes n senm
Of iluortc-stained quartz that carries
nll through 1t great blotchcs and cubea
of sylvanite. similar to the rich .tufr
of the Orizaba, and from eight tn
twelve inches in width; on the hanging
wall side lies between two and thron
feet of ore that is shipped mt from two
to five ounces, as taken In the worl, of
stripping the higher grade seams
Either of these seams would be enourb
to make an ordinary bonanza. Sneci.
mems of large size show to be nenrIv
half gold. nnd almost every piece of tho
rock In the carload that Is being nro.
pared would make n handsome cnbino,
specimen. Assays are superfl,ious. bu,
the nsunl mine samples taken dniiy
range In the unusual figures of from
$1,000 TO $4,000 ton.