The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-20
RICH IN COLD
Stakeholder of the Isabella
Mine Talks of 1t.
Is Amazingly Stocked With
Precious Metals
OF A HIGH GRADE.
Net Profit of Two Cars of Ore
Was SIS, 629.
Earning 100000 a Month and
80 600 0O0 i'm Siphf

Chicago. Feb. 2O.-Ralph c. Otis of
this city was one of the fortunate in
vestors in stock OF the Isabella mine
shortly before the great find Of gold
was made last December. Mr.. Otis has
returned from Cripple Creek, in the
neighborhood OF which he has spent
several weeks, and reports that the Isa-
bella mine is fully as rich as 1t mas
been reported.
The Isabella properties, according to
Mr.. Otis account, cover 1913 acres, and
are in the northeastern part of the Grip
pie Greek district, about a mile away
from STATIONS Independence mine.
They include sixteen or more claims.
The original workings were in a shaft
in the Buena Vista claim, from which
the first dividends were paid. After
the ore chute here gave out a number
of other shafts were sunk, and low
grade ore giving small profits is still
being taken from as many as twenty
different shafts.
1t was on the claim known as Lee,
however, that the rich ore has been
found. Here work was begun four
years ago, and many miles of drifts
were followed. Plenty of ore was open
ed up here, but it was all of low grade
Still the shaft was sunk deeper until
it had reached a, depth of 500 feet. On
the ninth level it was that the first very
rich find was made. Working on a
cross level 600 to 500 feet from the Lee
shaft, the miners struck a. vein parallel
well on the Buena Vista calm. The ore
promised we'll, and almost before they
knew it they found the bonanza ore,
as it is called.
The next step was to run cross tun-
nels from other levels toward this same
vein. This was done from the fifth and
from the seventh levels, and work on a
cross tunnel from a still lower level, the
tenth, is now under way.
The figures which Mr.. Otis gives of
the quality and amount of the ore at
the different levels are as follows: On
the ninth level 800 feet below the sur
face the ore deposit was 400 feet lOnG
and about six feet wide. The richest
part of it was about $50 feet long and
one and one-half feet wide. The general
run of the deposit was worth about $10O
a ton, but large sections of it were
worth from $4,000 to $4,000 a. ton. Ore
bearing as high as 1000 ounces of gold
to the ton was found. The ore on the
bottom of this level assayed 40 to 60
ounces, indicating that the deposit con-
tinued rich below.
On the seventh level the vein was
about six feet wide. From u to Is inch
es of it assayed ten ounces of gold to
the ton $4,000, and the rest assayed
three and one-half to four ounces. On
the fifth level values were seen to be
continuous in much the same proper
ton. Work on the tenth level is now
This description indicates that. there is
very rich ore in the mine, and that it is
at least 400 feet high by from 100 to 400
feet wide and six feet thick. 1t may be
much larger. than this. If 1t grows richer
the deeper it goes the fortune of the mine
owners cannot be estimated Already
there is ore enough in sight for several
years work
What the ore is worth can be shown by
the profits from the first two car loads
shipped out, and they did not contain the
richest ore by any means One or &c Gar, ship
and the gold averaged 40 ounces to the ton;
Another car, with 1O9,0OO pounds, averaged
81 ounces. The total expense OF the Two
cars was $529 and the net profit was $SS,
GO The ore was so rich that the sample
people took fright and ran it through
second time to be sure that they were
right in their valuation
Speaking of the mine Mr.. Otis said:
"A conservative estimate of the gold in
sight is g. 900 900. In places it will run
from 800, coo to 100000 to the ton, but of
course such values are not found in car
load lots. If the tests on the tenth level
prove as rich as those higher up there
will be ore enough in sight to last three
or four years working, and the ore chute
will be safely the richest ever found in
America. The ore can be taken out easily.
necessary to do it, The ore is Of rich
reddish yellow color, and for the most
part is oxidized, despite its depth. The
mine is now earning 100000 a month net.
It has declared a quarterly dividend for