Gilpin observer., 1905-09-07
NEWS FROM The MINES and MILLS
w. e. Curtis on Leadville and Colo
RADIO Mining Development.

w. e. Curtis on LeadviIle and Colo
RADIO Mining Development.
Leadville was supposed to be "a
dead camp" but turns out to be very
live one. and from all appearances has
millions upon millions of money left In
the vaults where Mother Earth has
madden her treasures, writes w. E. Cur
tbs to the Chicago Record-Herald. 1t
| is asserted that single body of ore
| las feet thick has been found here, inl-
mediately under the city and covering
an area OF thirty acres. This ore Is
| now producing a profit of $4,000 a
day. Last year 100000 tons of ore was
mined at Leadville, paying an average
| OF $14 ton, which is considered low
grade, but when found in quantity is
more profitable than high-grade ores,
because it gives steady work and pays
regular dividends.
In twenty-five years Leadville has
produced $316,523,627. The output for
1904 was $11.219,113, which is only
about million dollars less than the
average production for the quarter of
century since the carbonates that
made SO many people rich were first
discovered. The ores that are being
worked to-day, however, would have
been rejected twenty years ago; in
deed, 1t would have been useless to
have tried to work them. Science,
therefore, is responsible for making
Leadville a permanent camp. Since
the high-grade carbonates were ex-
hausted years have been spent in
searching for processes by which the
low-grade ores could be handled at
profit, and SO complete and thorough
are the results that the future pros
perity of Leadville depends entirely
upon ores that would have been con-
sidered worthless in 1879.
Discovery of Low-Grade Ore.
Indeed, 1t is triumph of science all
around. John F. Campion, rich Den
ver operator, and one of the owners of
the Little Johnny" mine, became con-
vinced some years ago that Leadville
was underlaid with stratum of low
grade ore. He went after it and found
| it 500 feet below the surface of the
| streets of the city. Others followed
him, and shafts have been sunk and
diamond drills sent through the upper
| levels, until it has been demonstrated
that body of carbonate 145 feet thick
lies below, covering an area of thirty
acres under the city. 1t is impossible
| for any one to estimate the value of
this discovery. 1t is simply meal
culable, and although the cost of min
| ing is considerable, the profits are
large.
The Little Johnny" mine has al
ready paid more than s10,000,000 and
is still yielding large revenues. None
but the owners can tell how much.
The property belongs to John F. Cam
pion, j. ]. Brown. Trimble & Hunter
and their associates at Leadville and
Denver. They are Willing to admit that
| the Little Johnny" is a wonder among
| big mines, but if they should mention
the amount of money they are getting
out of it probably it would not be ac-
curate, because great secrecy sur
rounds all mining operations nova
| days. Whenever a mine is successful
| it is always the object of blackmail
| and litigation. Leeches and buZZards
go for it. Mining camps have more
| than their share of adventurers and
| busted operators, who find it easy to
get up evidence to sustain any aban-
/ doned or imaginary claim. Every inch
| of surface in old camps like Leadville
has been located over and over again
and then abandoned; and it is easy for
anybody to revive an old claim upon a
property which has finally proven sue
| Ccoslul utH, dSdiu, muCH Ol tUt
property is leased and the lessees do
not care to have the owners know the
amount of their profits.
Most Profitable Mines.
There is a decided difference of opin-
ion as 10 the mines that paid the most
money at Leadville. 1t is frequent
and interesting topic of discussion, but
the Robert Z. Lee, the Iron mine.
Small Hopes, the Evening Star, Little
| Pittsburg and the Chrysolite were
probably the most profitable Little
Pittsburg was the first big mine, and 1t
| belonged to the late Senator Tabor.
1t probably paid somewhere between
$5,0VO,O00 and $6.0OO,O00.
| The Robert e. Lee paid more for the
time 1t was running than any other. 1t
held an enormous deposit of chloride
of silver, eighty per cent. pure, and
s180,000 was taken out of 1t in single
day. The Iron mine was very differ
ent. 1t was a steady producer and
probably more money has been taken
out of 1t than from any other mine in
the world, except few in Mexico,
South America and South Africa. II
paid somewhere from $15,00O,00O to
500, 100000 and was owned by l.. u.
Letter of Chicago and BILLY" Stevens
of Detroit
The Little Chief, which belonged to
John V. and c. b. Farwell of Chicago,
paid $4.o00.000 or $5,000,000: the
| Chrysolite, which belonged to Tabor,
paid quite as much; Small Hopes.
| owned by James G. Blaine, Stephen b.
Elkins, Richard C. Kerens, paid be-
tween $7,000,000 and sS.000,000. while
the Evening Star which for time be-
longed to Ferdinand Ward of New
York and afterward to David II. Moi.
fat of Denver, yielded $10,000,000 or
more. Every one of these famous old
mines is now being worked for iron
| and occasionally the operators strike