The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-24

For the year 1898, the Colorado state
board of mines show that there was
taken from the Leadville mines $4.117-
539.4S in silver, and $1,304, S03.72 in lead,
or 1-3 of the entire output of Colorado
in that year During the same year
$685., 247.48 in copper, or IL the total
yield of the state, was taken from the
Leadville mines, and $2,073, 0S5.64 in gold,
which next to that of Cripple Creek,
was the largest production of any dis
trict in Colorado. During 1898 Cripple
Creek produced $15,000,000 in gold. Dur
ing January last, Cripple Creek pro-
duced s1,500,000 in gold"
What is the difference between Lead
vile and Cripple Creek mining?"
cat Cripple Creek, the only valuable
mineral found is gold Some of the ore
there is worth from $4,000 to $4,000 per
ton, but the average value throughout
that district is about $40 a ton. The
veins are different from those at Lead
vile, being what are termed assure
veins. These are found at various
depths, but seldom more than $50 feet
below the surface. Cripple Greek is
what is commonly termed a poor mans
camp, the miners there not being COM
PEELED to pump water, which is one Of
the expensive luxuries % at many
places. A miner with plenty of muscle
and provisions frequently makes a
strike at Cripple Creek by his own I'M
assisted exertions. 1t Is a known fact
that Cripple Creek, since it was dis
covered in 1898, has made more gem
timely wealthy men, with fortunes
ranging from 100000 to many millions
| than any other mining camp in the
world except Leadville. The Cripple
Creek ores are what are commonly
termed refractory, and have to be
smelted with other ores containing lead
and iron, or treated by the cyanide or
chlorinatiOn processes, there being mills
for that purpose at Florence-30 miles
away, on the Arkansas river, at Colo
RADIO City, near Colorado Springs-as
we'll as a number in the district itself
These mills can each handle from 100
| to 500 tons of ore daily. In no case are
they owned by persons engaged in
mining, but are generally controlled by
corporations who attend strictly to the
treatment of ores. thus preventing all
feeling of competition with the miner.
All ore produced at Cripple Creek is
sold in the same way as at Leadville.
Returning to the Leadville district
there were produced in 1898 500. 400 tons
of ore, giving employment to about 1000
men. There are three railroads running
to Leadville, two of which are trunk
lines, the Colorado Midland and the
Denver & Rio Grande, passing through
there on the way across the continent
These roads often find it difficult to fur
nish enough cars to transport the i'm
mense output of ore to the market
There is a perfect network of local
branch railroads running to the shaft
houses of the principal mines through
out the district, so that the orc Is
dumped directly into the cars without
re-handling"
Having been actually engaged in min
ing at Leadville since 1879, and being
| familiar with other mining camps in
the western country, my knowledge and
experience have convinced me that it is
far better to mine in that section where
the values are thoroughly proven and
demonstrated, beyond question, and
where the greatest mining engineers
and mineralogists believe in looking for
the precious metals. II is far better to
mine in such a district, with railroad