Gilpin observer., 1905-07-27
"STORY OF
ROLLINSVILLE." F"
Early History of Northern
Gilpin Camp.

Colorado, appeared the following rela
tive to the Rollinsville section in the
northern part Of Gilpin county:
"The first important mining district
that will be developed by the building
Of the Moffat road is that rich region OF
which Rollinsville is the center.
"Rollinsville will soon be a name to
conjure with. No camp in Colorado has
had more romantic and checkered his
tory; none has more promising future
1t is not another Goldfed, with all the
fairy tales, fake finds and freuzied pro-
motions which have characterized that
misnamed village. Rather will it re-
semble Leadville and Cripple Creek, in
that it has the ore, and that, too in i'm
mense quantities. Can you say the same
thing for Goldfeld Competent mining
men answer in an emphatic negative.
Only the mining stock sharks dare con.
trovert them.
"Rollinsville, then, will not in any
sense be mushroom camp. When Gold
field with its attendant alterations, is
forgotten, the former will be one of the
leading mining towns OF Colorado.
"The Rollinsville district is not a
newly discovered one, but an old and
rich camp in which the free gold or oxi.
died ores OF the surface outcrop OF the
veins were worked forty years ago, but
when the sulphide or auriferous pyrite
zopa xrac aacbad Tho ,,o~L ;~<x. r,o.a 49,.
porarily abandoned, as there were no
mills and smelters and no means OF trans
portation in those days. Two or three
OF the richest OF these veins have been
worked at depth by various owners in a
more or less desultory way since then
notably, the Perigo and Gold Dirt, but,
as whole, the veins of this region have
remained undeveloped owing to lack Of
railway facilities to send out their smelt
ing ore and concentrates, and to bring
in their coal. machinery and supplies
But now all this has changed The
genius and perseverance Of David II
Moffat have triumphed over all natural
obstacles, and soon the boom OF the
blasts and the thunder OF the stamps
will sound again in this busy region OF
long ago.
"The history OF Rollinsville is highly
romantic and interesting one. Frank
Fossett, in his book on Colorado, pub
lished in 1880, has the following to say
VI the district:
Mining began there in 1850, and two
or three years later one Of the liveliest
camps in the territory was fairly estab
lished. Gamble Gulch was lined with
arastras, quartz mills, sluice boxes, cab
ins, stores and saloons, and almost every
body had money who operated claims in
that vicinity. The best days OF the set
tlement were from 1852 to 1864. when
some 500 votes were poled in that pre-.
cinct at the annual elections.
"'Some OF the quartz gave up the pre-
cious metal SO plentifully that little care
was taken in milling or saving il, and
the dumps and mill tailings were long
after found to be quite valuable. Sluices
and mill coppers were lined and coated
with gold, and dust enough could be
panned from the surface dirt to satisfy
the most avaricious prospector. Some
idea OF how loosely it was scattered
about may be formed from the fact that
when the camp began to break up a
miner obtained over $1,000 worth OF gold
by cleaning up the fireplace and dirt
floor OF deserted cabin where retorting
had been done occasionally.
"'In 1854 committee Of Gold Dirt
citizens, appointed for the purpose, ap.
proximated the yield OF the Gold Dirt
lode for the two preceding years at
s93O0O0. 10. A. Rollins had obtained
s25O0O0 from claim only thirty. three
and one. e.third feet long on the vein, and
Hollister & Co, 100000 from an adjoin-
ing claim Of equal size. Such produc.
tion from so little territory in so short
time has seldom, IL ever, been equaled
10 Colorado.
"'Ihe Perigo was worked by u score
Of different owners, and is said to have
yielded not far from 100000. Poor mill
ing caused more gold to be lost than was
saved. The superintendents came from
the east, and knew nothing Of mining
and cared less. Finally one mine after
another shut down, and the miners de-
parted for more inviting fields.'"
"One OF the early legends connected
with the Gold Dirt mine is that George
M. Pullman, in the COS, had tribute
Iitch," |. e., a lease on block OF ground,
Oh that mine, and formed his first idea
OF sleeping car from the tiers OF hunks
in a miners sleeping quarters, or bunk
house, as they are called.