The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-02
WOMEN WHO OPERATE MINES.
Many of Them Growing Rich in Va
rious Dlggings in Colorado.

rious Diggings in Colorado.
Denver, Col, March 2O.-Recently 6
number of mines in this state have
passed into the hands of women opera
tors 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
reaping rich financial rewards in conse-
quence of their shrewdness and Judg-
ment. The success of the pioneers in
this new field has inspired others with
a desire to take part in the hunt for
gold which is going on in Colorado.
Not all of the women who have taken
up mining engage in the actual WORK
which goes on in shaft or tunnel, LII
fact very few of them have the strength
for this employment, but they are even
more profitably employed in figuring
on the purchase of supplies, marketing
the ores and looking after the finances
of every department. There is one wo-
man in the San Juan mining district
who goes even further than the most
of her sex. She puts on overalls and
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 concen-
trating mill Her mine, which Is near
the celebrated Camp Bird, owned by
Thomas r. Walsh, is one of the great
est 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 excursion trip
over the Georgetown loop, which is the
heart of the Clear Creek mining coun-
try, and became interested in the sub
ject of mining Instead of returning to
Denver with the rest Of the excursion
lists they remained some time at EN-
pire and made thorough study of the
district They knew nothing of actual
mining. but they learned readily and
concluded that little capital might be
4 invested III SOlIlp VI lllc pIoptl lies tldt
were lying idle They went back to
Boston and secured some funds with
which to re-enforce their own savings.
They decided not to- intrust the money
to a manager, but had little cabin
erected on a claim which they secured
from its owner under bond and lease.
The property had been only slightly
worked and the girls went ahead and
bought mill for concentration and ma
chinery for driving the shaft to depth
of several hundred feet They were at
the mine early and late and they made
their prospect pay almost from the
start. The ore is low grade, but by con-
centration and a careful system of
working the owners have netted good
profit for several months and are now
in fair way to make their fortunes,
In the same district is woman who
has gone into mining even more thor
oughly. Her name is Mrs, Atwood, and
she owns and manages the Atlantic
NINE a few miles from Empire. Mrs.
Atwood at times dons suit of jeans
and goes down into the mine to see
what the men are doing and how the
timbering and blasting is progressing.
business, and is besides, an authority
on ores, having made study of the
subject. Recently the concentrators
We're found to be unsatisfactory. She
ordered the whole lot thrown out and
superintended the buying and placing
of an entire new outfit which is now do
ing satisfactory work She lives at the
hotel in Empire and goes to and from
her work Just like any mine supern-
tendent in the county. She has wealth
as the result of her shrewdness and APP
plicatioc.
Not alone is actual mining appealing
to women as an occupation, but pros
pecting and promoting are included.
Not long ago an eastern school teacher
went to Arizona for her health While |
out there she picked up many speci-
mems of the country rock. She had
made a special study of geology at
school, and with this knowledge to aid |
her she became satisfied that there was
some valuavle copper land lying UNI
claimed in the district. She spent sew
era weeks prospecting, and had assays
made that bore out her idea. She took
up several claims, and then went east |
10 dispose OF lnen1. her report tailed |
with the reports of the experts who |
were sent out to examine the properties |
in the interests of the capitalists whom |
she had approached. Her claims were |
bought at a good figure, and some of |
tho properties are shipping to-day.
In the 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 as a rule the
actual work of overseeing the mines is
left to men. 1t is not unusual for
to take the affairs of a mine in
her own hands for time, however, and
to conduct them successfully
There is nothing in mine operating
that bars women from taking it up"
said an old time prospector and miner,
speaking of the changes that are COM
ing over Rocky Mountain mining. I'm
he early days a woman who would at
tempt to prospect or operate a mine
would be looked upon as crazy, but now
t seems the most natural thing in the
world. All mine operating requires is
money, nerve and special study of
he subject, to saw nothing of a fund of