Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-07-30
COLD THERE SURE.
CAMP SKATER ON THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE A PERMANENT CAMP.
MOUNTAIN COVERED BY LOCATIONS
NEW COMPANIES WITH CAPITAL WILL
UNCOVER ITS HIDDEN WEALTH.


news of new mining camp is usually
received, and the ususl number of people
VINO cannot see good in anything, Camp
Shsffer continues to draw mining men
from all parts of the state, and is still
creating great interest for so young
camp. 1t is not to be expected tha,
men may go into the new camp and find
float of fabulous value and lodes in place
with shipping ore exposed. and wagon
roads already built, for no mining camp
ever became a camp of any consequence,
without the expenditure OF considerable
capital to uncover its wealth. which is
always hidden. Richer float by far, can
be found on the mountains of the Cont
mental divide above Empire. than was
ever found in the Cripple Greek district.
And the difference between the old camp
and the new is. that to build wagon roads
it is necessary to blast out the solid gran
lite. while in the Cripple Greek district,
there are bu, few protruding rocks. and it
was possible to drive team over almost
any part Of the district before the rail
roads were built. The influx of pros
pectors still continues, and it is inpos
sible to say how many there are in the
new section. Those who have but recent
ly returned say that for miles aud miles
on and over the range NAV be met both
the old-timer and the tenderfoot on all
parts of the mountain sides. II IS so
a IN. niffaIn an
say from his samples running several
hundred dollars ton. that the matte.
creates no attention whatever. An aver
age of the assays received from ~ sam
Piles, excluding the highest and the lowest
samples. was $s2 per ton, which is extra
ordinary. Camp Shaffer 10 not poor
mans camp. He canno, so to such an
isolated section of the country to properly
develop into mines. the prospects, no
matter how rich they NAV be. All that
he can do is to open the veins sufficiently
to show the man with capital where he
may realize good interest on his invest
ment by making a mine out of his pros
pect.
lDtft ave tuo>C AhN
eoveries now being made by saying that
ore was discovered there many years ago.
which admitted. does not lessen the value
of the present find. In the early '7os old
man Daily and others prospected in that
region ald found wonderfully rich float,
but Georgetown was the center of excite
ment at that time and the rich finds out
side were given no further attention.
What is called the Mad Greek district ex
tends from the north fork of South Clear
Greek north and east on and over the
Cont mental divide including the head of
Vasquez creek in Grand county. Camp
Shaffar is located near Jones pass on the
divide, and it may be definitely stated
that it is absolutely known that the new
Moffat railroad can be reached from
Camp Shaffer by building seven miles OF
wagon road in canon, the grade OF
which is but little greater than our Chi
cago creek. II has been stated that the
! railroad would be IS miles from the dis
trict, which statement is made without
knowing the location, nor the final route
to be followed by the Moffat railroad.
Considerable interest and activity is
now apparent on Red mountain. which
is located at the head of the north branch
of South Clear Creek, and which can be
reached by wagon road, being about
s miles west and north of Empire.
Red mountain is so called from the fact
that the entire mountain is a hrey-red in
color, and stands out in marked contrast
with the balance of the mountain range
in that section of the divide. The
mountain itself is composed of quartz
porphyry, which is supposed to obtain its
color from the iron stain which it con-
taius. The vein formation of the noun
tain as explained by an old prosPector
is that the veins radiate from the center
very much like the spokes Of wagon
wheel.
The Butler Mountain Gold Miring
company, which has been operating IN
that section for some years, has but re-
Gently installed new plant Of machin-
cry. They have found large quantities
of native silver, and have a most excel
lent showing in all their workings.
The Helen Harold is another company
that has been pushing development work.
They have tunnel driven on one OF the
veins. in which there is splendid show
ing. and they have also shipped some ore.
VIM. Young, the pioneer of that sec
|. tion who has been operating for the past
kwenty years, has been shipping ore that