Gilpin observer., 1899-04-13

Definite information has been re-
ceived in Denver, says the Republican,
regarding the recent discovery of rich
ore bodies near the summit of Sierra
Blanca, in the Sangre de Cristo range,
which promises now to become the
most important gold district found
since Cripple Creek.
]. NJ. Parfet, superintendent Of the
Bush-Moffat tunnel Of Cripple Creek,
has recently returned from the new
camp, where he went in the interest of
sion Company, a New York corpora
ton which has purchased controlling
interest in ten of the best claims in
the district, on the report Of his ex-
animation of the properties.
The reports made by Mr.. Parfet,
which are well supported by assay GER
tificates. are little short of marvellous,
and If the prospectors who are already
fiocking into the district succeed In ex-
tending the area of known mineraliza-
/tion there is little doubt that there will
be rush into the new fields during
the coming season.
For many years vague and unsatis-
factory reports have been current re-
garding rich ore found on the slopes of
Sierra Blanca. Wonderfully rich float
has been picked up in the wash near
the foot of the mountain and much In
terest has been excited from time to
time. But the country is rugged and
badly broken by frowning cliffs and
deep ravines and few people have
ceased to climb to the point where the
new bonanzas have been found. The
Winchell mine has been worked sever
al years on the eastern slope of the
mountain about one mile east of the
new discoveries, and has attained
depth of $50 feet. but the owners have
only recently found the rich ore dis
covered above them, their ores being
sulphides running between $40 and $50
per ton in gold.
The first discovery of the rich ore in
the new claims was made last August
in the Little May. The ore is new
form of tellurium called vandiestite,
after Professor Van Diest of this city,
who was the first to analyze the ore.
The pay streak is full of the tellurium
crystals and assays taken from the
streak have run from $50 to $4,000.
The pay streak is four inches wide on
one side of n 10-foot vein. The aver
age assay across the entire ten feet is
$51 gold per ton.
From shallow hole-one from
which Mr.. Parfet says that a man can
jump out-about thirty pounds of ore
from the pay streak was taken. The
best and largest specimens We're sent
to New York and the balance. mostly
debris and gangue. weighing 2O5
of this city and sold for S160. In the
Winchell mine at $50 feet the same ore
was found.
, Mr.. parfet says that the general ge-
, illogical formation is granite and
schistose material, heavily interrupted
with rphyries-andesite. birdseye
and other varieties. The mineraliza-
ton extends around the west, north
and east sides of the mountain. and In
one section of about one mile he count
ed more than fifty distinct veins plain
ly visible ON the surface. These veins
\ are above timber line and the shattered
debris has rolled down, leaving the
formation bare and solid. The richest
claims are practically on the summit
of the mountain and on the northwest
crn slope.
The veins can be readily traced. run
ming over the cliffs, and in one place
n tunnel of 24O feet will cut the vein at
the depth of more than GOO feet, ana
in many other places foot in depth
can be gained with every foot of hori-
Zontal. This feature and the entire
absence of debris and wash of every
mining purposes.
In all the claims owned by the com
pany veins have been opened, from
two to ten feet wide. and in each the
ore is of exceptional value, though no
development has been made beyond an
ordinary prospect hole. The company
purchased controlling interest In the
ten claims and two mill sites from the
original prOspectors for S1S,oOO cash.
Coupled with the purchase was an
agreement that the company should
expend not less than $4,000 In devel-
opment. The manager of the company
is David Jankower of New York. the
well known wholesale dealer in gems,
and his expert, Carey Wright, and an
other member of the company named
Burnham. are now on the ground max
ing arrangements for the commence
klnent of development
Another company of which w. c.
Wrisbus of st. Louis, owner of the
American Ncttie mine of Ouray. Is the
head, has secured control of thirty
Claims lower down the mountain and
has laid out n townsite called Wris-
berg. The company Is working TWEEN
ty men and has made u remarkably
GOOD showing In all Its claims. though
the ore Is not quite SO rich as In the
higher locations.
Eben Smith and ID. II. Mofrntt have
a man on the ground looking mp the
situation. and several parties from
Colorado Springs, Trinidad and Pueb-
10 have representatives on the ground.
Mr.. Parfet says that In all his exper-
ience he has never seen n new camp
in which the showing was so good In
such shallow workings. hardly hole
on the mountain being more than 10
feet deep.