Gilpin observer., 1901-07-11
COMMUNICATED.
"If competition be the life of trade,
Then surely must monopoly be its death

when the smoke first rose from the rudc
chimney of his cabin there was hardly
similar sign of white miners habita-
tion between it and tie mioing camps
beyond the far Sierras OF California.
Such was the birth of infant industry in
s59, since nurtured and strengthened
~ its own vigor and by its own volitlon,
without the aid of capital beyond that
which has been taken from the ground
itself, always self-sustainirg and self
supporting, until to-day the infant of 80
is reflected in the healthy bloom of
proud, vigorous and robust manhood,
known all over the civilized globe as
"TEe Little Kingdom of Gilpin" with its
meagre six miles square of territory, with
its recorded production of over one hun.
dred and twenty millions in gold at an
average depth of hardly 200 feet, a record
that positively and absolutely proclaims
it to all the world as the richest gold
producing area on top of Gods footstool
Beyond cavil she has proven the bulk
and the values of her surface deposits
"a
are permanent, generally richer, and
practically inexhauslible has been
proven by every deep working mine
within her boundaries, and is also beirg
daily verified by the cutting of her veins
| at still greater depths by the numerous
deep tunnel propositions in their active
development work.
Since the miners pick first uncovered
gold in this state Colorado has produced
some two hundred and twenty. three
millions of dollars, Of which our own
"Little Gipin" has contributed, from
hardly six miles square OF territory, n ore
than half that we know Of THIS is her
re ,ord, and rightfully we a,c proud o: it
she has had some sensational strikes
but no spasmodic booms, but always
steady, sure production OF good values
day after day, week in and week out,
for over forty years; but in our self-con-
tlined feeling CT Independence and Sc
curity there is danger. To-day we have
the source of supply and can control it,
but with the greedy NAV of the trust
octopus already swallowing up our mills,
concentrators and smelters and acquiring
our desirable mines lies our danger, and
surely we have righteous cause for alarm
for our future. The American Smelling
and Refining company, organized in the
spring Of 1900, has already absorbed
many of the principal refining and min
ing companies iu this state, and without
doubt controls the principal minirg and
investment companies, as its agents, and
who are daily adding to the trusts lists
of mines. That the trust will mine, and
is making every effort to control it's
source of supply, can be understood by
its daily absorption and control OF many
of the larger and producing mines most
desirable in smelling mixtures.
The advance guard of the octopus
has already invaded Gilpin and Clear
creek counties. Some of the fruits of
competition are already taken from US
and taste of monopoly is handed out
to us through the order of the trust com.
manding the closing of all but one of
our sampling works in Black Hawk.
Our mill men can also read the hand
writing on the wall through the danger
GUS but momentary non profitable (?) re.
duction Of smelling charges offered by
the new Golden smelter, soon to be
started up, which | regret may later find
itself in single-handed combat with the
trust.
| To-day Gilpin and Clear Creek coun-
ties can control its source of production,
without which the trust cannot thrive or
exist within our borders "The smeter
trust will mine" Then why not the
mines smelt? Are the mine owners and
operators OF Gilpin and Clear Creek
counties alive to this trust menace?
Ought not they to combine to meet tho
trusts intended invasion, to avert war
by being organized aud prepare for il?
BY eliminating competition and the
doing away with the middleman, by
strict economy in production by the con.
trolling of the low salaries and wages OF
its employees and workmen can accrue
only to the benefit Of the owners and
large sllaried managers OF the trust. Its
tendencies are to narrow the field OF en-.
ploymont, and for our young men in par
ticuar; throw out Of employment the
older men who have given perhaps the
best days Of their lives TO their voca-
tions; discourages individual ambition in
the younger element by wiping out op-
portunity and incentive for advance.
ment; creating many evils by denying
opportunity of benefits, and only en-
courages personal dependency and servi-
tude