Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-01-02
RICO, PHoENlx-LIkE,
lie RISEN AGAIN.
One of the Largest Mining Companies
in Colorado to Reclaim the
Great Camp.

Rico has emerged from its lethar-
gic condition of several years and will
at once become one of the most ac-
tive silver producing camps in the
west, with fair production OF gold
to hold up the per ton value. The
only thing which could have been
done to make this change In Rico has
been done within the past few days.
A great company with five million
dollars capital now has under owner
ship and controls that vast territory
on Dolores mountain with consider
able mining area With three mil
lions set aside for development of the
wonderful mineral area, one of the
largest mining enterprises in Ameri-
ca can be consummated within a few
years. The great number of miners
which this company will find 1t nee
cessary to employ in the development
of its properties will give Rico new
life and greater Importance than it
has enjoyed during the palmiest days
of silver mining.
The new company has secured for
its territory all of the Dolores noun
tain section, the underground of the
town of Rico by '9S deed, all the
ground from Newman hill to the Do
lores river, and down to the cemetery,
a portion of the north slope of Ex-
pectation mountain, the south slope of
Niger Baby hill, and part of the
Atlantic Cable territory, as well as
four hundred acres of coal land north
OF Rico, at an altitude of nearly nine
thousand feet.
The product of this coal vein of
about % inches was mined twenty
years ago and sold in Rico. At that
time 1t was difficult to mine twenty
five inch measure and haul it over a
very bad mountain road eight miles
at a price which would make 1t a
practical product of fuel. 1t is said
that for steaming purposes. no other
coal is superior, and 1t is likely that
the new company will at once set
about to recover its own steaming
coal.
While the new company will have
some very expensive sinking to do.
to secure greater depth than the pres
ent lower levels of the extensive un-
derground workings, It's future de
velopment will be most comprehen-
sive. Every modern equipment that
will economiZe mining which money
can secure will be employed.
The progress of depth on the Rico
mines has proven most satisfactory
throughout the district, and until no
about all the depth that has ben pos
sible to obtain by tunnel has been
mined. The new company will not
be inconvenienced or delayed for
want of capital to sink and handle
any quantity of water which may be
encountered by shaft.
The most gratifying result Of depth
generally at Rico has been increasing
values of gold Should this contin-
ne on down to the depths which three
million dollars can obtain. Rico will
cease to be classified as a silver
camp.
Rico's greater mining has not yet
been even dreamed Of Among the
districts which have been first mined
for years for only the shipping or
smelling products, none have had
larger quantity OF neglected milling
ores left to work over at the dump
and stope. Rico Is Just getting
ready to take up the economy of mill
ing and the recovery of its millions
in the low grade ores.
Rico will not have to stand longer
on the narrow plane of production
which has merely sustained the sem
blance of q mining camps life by
the modest efforts OF leasers at the
Enterprise or in some other place
where a little shipping ore could be
recovered. The district is now pre-
pared to compete with all other sill
yer producing camps for that distinc-
tion which may be earned by the best
and the fleetest.
This will be glad news all over Col
orado and all through the mining
world. for who has not at some time
been at Rico long enough to enlist
| interest in the wonderful ore bodies
which have already yielded millions
in gold and silver?
| Next in Importance in the Rico dis-
trict is the enterprise of d. Swick-
heimer. who is developing the Well
| ington group OF one hundred acres
and shipping a little ore to get 1t
out OF the way. Within few months
this enterprise Will be one OF the larg-
est in the San Juan. The interest
which will be excited In Rico during
the coming year will lead to further
prospecting of territory in Dolores
county which has but been scratched
over. The north and east of tele-
scope mountain and the Horse Gulch
country. as we'll as half prospectcd
Expectation mountain. win be made
| busy scenes by the nrOsnectOr durfuf