Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-10-22
have Good THING
EASTERN CAPITALISTS OBTAIN A MINE
WITH GOOD ORE RESERVES.
IDLE FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS
HELEN GROUP IN VIRGINIA CANON
WILL HAVE HOSTING PLANT.

AhNoi Potahioh PaBeiS WSfC hASt
day with the secretary of state, organizing
the Signal Mines and Tunnel company,
with a capitalization of 1000. 900. The
officers for the first year are as follows:
J. NJ Marsh, Springfield, Mass. presi-
dent and treasurer; W. L. Harmon, Den
yer, secretary; II, NJ. Stratton. Wahoo.
Neb.; DR.. Paul Hullhorst, Chicago, and
Edward Benton, Fremont, Neb., direct
ors. The company is organized to oper-
ate the Helen group of claims in Virginia
canon. adjoining the Crystal and New
Year mines. The Helen is the western
extension of the Seaton, Kangaroo and
Metropolitan mines, and where the de-
velopment work has been done there is a
junction with the continuation of the
Victor and other lodes. There is little
as the Stanley and Edgar veins. The
Helen is developed by shaft and also by
tunnel. the mouth Of which is level
with the Virginia canon wagon road.
The tunnel cuts the shaft at a depth of
sixty feet from the surface. Below the
tunnel level the shaft is 100 feet deep,
with the levels driven east I75 feet each,
in which very little stopping was done by
the former operators.
The mine has not been worked for over
time the shaft is filed with water tc the
tunnel level. 1t is said that there is four
feet of milling ore in the lower levels
which will run from SIS to $40 per ton,
and that in the early days the mill ore
was hauled up Virginia canon over to
Willis gulch in Gilpin county where It
was miiled at profit The smelling ore
also was hauled to Black Hawk and gave
returns Of over sIoo per ton net. notwith-
standing the exorbitant smelling charges
of that period. The west drift from the
shaft at the tunnel level is driven
in country rock, and the entire hang
ing wall, which should be the
foot wall, is ore of a splendid milling
grade and contains good streak of
smelling ore. The width of the vein at
this point is not known, but from appear
ance it must be four or five feet. The
writer took large sample from I4-inch
streak Of copper-iron ore from the hang
ing foot-wall and received the following
assay: o 10 OF. gold, GA or. silver. or
value Of s54. 20 per ton; For eighty feet
along the drift ore is exposed which
would not pay to ship twenty years ago,
but which may be handled at a good
profit under the present low smelling
rates.
A large chamber will be made IN the
tunnel where il cuts the shaft and hoist
ing plant with capacity for sinking 500
feet will be installed. A black smith shop
at the tunnel entrance was erected this
week, and the company. which has ample
capital will push the work of renovating
what was at one time an abandoned mine
The company can take out ore immedi-
ately. but 1t is not the policy of the man
agemeni, as they will first clean out the
drifts and ascertain the condition of the
ore reserves. As soon as possible the
shaft will be sunk and additional levels
driven, and at the same time the tunnel
will be driven to reach the Lucy claim
1t is strange that mine with the show
ing of the Helen should have laid idle for
so many years. with the amount of ore it
has in sight. The old shaft house locst-
ed . short ways south of the Crystal
dump, was torn down many years ago and
the tunnel was driven because there was
no more dumping ground without filling
in the wagon road, building a long trestle
or cribbing.
The dump itself is filled with ore that
will pay to ship by screening out the
coarse pieces of rock. The Helen is an
exceptionally fine property, and the out
put will add materially in tonnage and
value to the production of the district
within the next few months. While many
thousands Of dollars are usually spent in
in making . mine, the company Is fortun-
ate in having mine already made, and
one which with the development conten-
plated is certain to become a heavy pro-
ducer.
The company was organized and 6nan.
ced by ]. NJ. Marsh, ofSpring6eld, Mass,
. gentleman who has had large mining
experience in New Mexico and Arizona,
and who is quick to recognize . good
thing in the way Of mining proposition.
He has engaged Scott Griswold, an ex-
in this county, a. manager of the pgop-
erty, which is an assurance that the prnct-
ical operations Of the company will be in
competent hands. Az many men ~ can
be worked advautageously will be put to
work, and II will be but . abort time
until We will be able to chronicle the
initial shipment from this property, fol-
lowed by steady Gov Of ore, which vail
bene6t the owners, the district. the mills,