Evening star., 1900-06-08
WOMEN WHO OPERATE MINES.
Many of Them Growing Rich IN
various Diggings in Colorado.


Many of Them Growing Rich In
various Diggings in Colorado.
Correspondence of the Chicago Record
Recently a number of mines in this state
Colorado have passed into the hands OF
women operators and are being worked at
a profit. Other women have made STUDY
Of mining have invested their money IN
prospects or leased locations and are reap
ing rich financial rewards in consequence
of their shrewdness and Judgment The
success of the pioneers in this new field mas
inspired others with a desire to take part in
the hunt for gold which is going on IN Colo
RADIO.
Not all OF the women who have taken up
mining engage in the actual work which
goes on in shaft tunnel. In fact, very
few of them have the strength for this
employment. but they are even more profit
ably employed in figuring on the purchase
of supplies. marketing the ores and looking
after the finances of every department
There is one woman in the San Juan mining
district who goes even further than the
most of her sex. She puts on overalls and
Jumper" and when occasion requires goes
into the workings of her extensive mine
and bosses the men who are working
with pick. shovel and tram car or who are
employed in the concentrating mill. Her
mine, which is the celebrated Camp
Bird. owned by Thomas F. Walsh. Is one
Of the greatest producing gold mines in the
state and has been made so largely through
her enterprise.
Empire a little mining town in Clear
Creek county. is the headquarters of three
progressive women miners. Two of these
are from BoSton-Misses Mary and Edith
Tracy. They were formerly stenographers
and came to Colorado two seasons ago on
a pleasure trip. They took the famous ex-
cursion trip over the Georgetown loop.
which is the heart of the Clear Creek min
ing country. and became interested in the
subject of mining. Instead of returning to
Denver with the rest Of the excursionists
they remained some time at Empire and
made a thorough study Of the district.
They knew nothing of actual mining. but
they learned readily and concluded that
little capital might be invested in some of
the properties that were lying Idle. They
went back TO Boston and secured some
funds with which TO reinforce their own
savings They decided not to intrust the
money to a manager but had a little cabin
erected on a claim which they secured from
Its owner under a bond and lease. The
property had been only slightly worked and
the girls went ahead and bought mill for
concentration and machinery for driving
the shaft to depth of several hundred
feet. They were at the mine early and
late. and they made their prospect pay al
most from the start The ore is low grade
but by concentration and careful system
of working the owners have netted good
profit for several months and are now in a
fair way to make their fortunes.
;
gone into mining even more thoroughly
Her name is Mrs Atwood. and she owns
and manages the Atlantic mine, a few miles
from Empire. Mrs. Atwood at times dons
suit of jeans and goes down into the
mine to see what the men doing and
how the timbering and blasting pro-
crossing. She knows every technical detail
OF the business. and is. besides, an author
ity on ores. having made a study of the
subject. Recently the concentrators were
found TO be unsatisfactory. She ordered
the whole lot thrown out and superintended
the buying and placing of entire new
outfit. which is now doing satisfactory
work. She lives at the hotel in Empire and
goes to and from her work just like any
mine superintendent IN the county. She
has wealth as the result of her shrewdness
and application
Not alone is actual mining appealing to
women as an occupation, but prospecting
and promoting are included. Not long ago
an eastern school teacher went to Arizona
for her health. While there she picked up
many specimens of the country rock. She
had made special study of geology at
school. and with this knowledge to aid
her she became satisfied that there was
some valuable copperland lying unclaimed in
the district She spent several weeks pros
p'cting and had assays made that bore out
her idea. She took up several claims and
then went east to dispose of them. Her
report tailed with the reports Of the ex-
perts who were sent out to examine the
properties in the interests of the capitalists
whom she had approached. Her claims
the properties are shipping today.
In III" Cripple Creek district many of the
largest and best-paying mines are owned by
women. In most of these cases however
the women have come into possession
through the death of the original owners
They occasionally visit the properties but
a a rue the actual work of overseeing the
mines is left TO men. 1t is not unusual for
A woman to take the affairs of a mine IN
her own hands for a time. however and
to conduct them successfully
There is nothing in mine that
bars women from taking 1t up said an
od-time prospector and miner, speaking OF
the changes that are coming over Rocky
mountain mining. In the early days n
woman who would attempt to prospect or
operate mine would be looked upon as
crazy, but now il seems the most natural
thing in the world. All mine operating re-
quires Is money. nerve and a special study
or the subject, to say nothing of a fund Of
common sense. The last quality Is best of
all The biggest producing mines have
been made out OF properties that other
people have given up as valueless That is
old adage that one person can see as far
Into rock as another holds as good today
as II did years ago. before there were so
many mining experts in the field Women
who put their money into prospect can
let all the work under contract and II they
are shrewd figurers can have It done cheap
ly. II they want expert opinions they can
be hired. and general idea of ores and
mining machinery is about all the equip
ment any woman needs. aside from capital
TO enter the mining field on an equal foot
Ing with men,"
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