The daily sentinel., 1902-05-12
THUNDER MOUNTAIN NO. 2.
Delta County All Excitement Over
Gold Discoveries. .-.hotchkiss
the Central Point.

The discovery OF gold in the crystal
creek region OF Delta county is causing
considerable excitement just at the pres
ent time. While doubtless half the
stories are highly exaggerated on ac-
count OF the excitement, yet there is
probably more or less truth in tho fact
that there are valuable mineral bodies
which lie within the reach Of the people
Of that county il they only 60 after it.
The following communication from
Clarence b. Martin, editor OF the North
Fork Times at Hotchkiss, and thor
oughly reliable young man, will be Of in
terest to those who have been watching
the progress of the various mining camps
in the state and tho information can be
relied upon as being absolutely correct.
1t would certainly be very great thing
for Delta county il the prospects should
they are easy of ACCESS and could be
mined with very little expense. They
would also be contributive to the Grand
junction smelter.
Hotchkiss Colo, May H. 1902.
Editor sentinel.
Grand Junction, Colo.
Dear Sir.-Crystal creek and tn coun-
Try in the vicinity OF Black mesa is now
the talk OF Delta county and il half Of
the stories which are leaking out can be
believed in regard to the recent gold
strike in that viciRity there is good
grounds for excitement.
While some of the stories brought
down by recent arrivals from the new
camp seem to have been touched by the
glow of an oriental imagination, yet it is
undoubtedly true that this section is
traversed by many strong mineral-bear
ing veins, some OF which are very rich.
1T has been known for years that placer
gold could be found in large enough
quantities for the ordinary prospector to
make wages by panning at almost any
point along the Gunnison river in the
who have been prospecting in this coun-
try for years are of the opinion that they
have found the mother lode.
Last evening Charles l.. Pike of the
First National Bank received returns
from few samples which he recently
sent to the Ogden Assay Company at
Denver. They run very high in gold,
one in particular showing 221a ounces OF
gold and ounces OF silver to the ton.
The place where the above was found
is about 80 miles south Of Hotchkiss and
on the north side OF the Black mesa.
The formation is q brownish quartz in
terspersed with yellow tale which seems
to carry the real value.
Excitement is running high and busi-
ness men have been leaving town at all
hours Of tho night in order to get in on
the ground floor. The snow there is
about all gone and the high ridges are
bare.
The Black mesa is a high and wide
strip Of mountain country lying between
the North Fork valley and the Black
canon below Gunnson and is practically
continuation OF the Elk mountains ex'
tending west to the Black canon Of the
Gunnison.
Tho nes5est and most practicable route
to Crystal creek is by way OF Hotchkiss.
as this is the nearest outfitting point and
has the only good and we'll travelled
wagon road into that section,
A message received this morning by
the North Fork Times states that over
100 claims have already been staked and
that proepectors are arriving almost ev-
srv hour. G. q. Martin.
Double the Deaths by Flame.