Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-08-24
MINES AND ROADS
OF THE LA PlATAS


pricking up their ears and moving
with the energy Of a well fed and
sroomed horse on a frosty morning
There is more hurry and hustle in
these places now than for a gear OF
more. Appearances around the Neg
lected help to betray the evident fact
that deal has been made which as
snres the more extensive development
of the mine. 1t has been great old
gold producer, 1t had TO be to stand
the vast expenditures 1t has paid in
its short career as a producer HAY
ing the worst road ever conceived or
built in the Rocky mountains it had
to pay more than double what any
other mine in the state has paid for
transportation since the period OF
standardization and desultory indus.
try begun in prospecting and mining.
But from all the reliable sources of
information obtainable it appears that
the Neglected is a greater gold mine
now than when production begun, be.
cause its values and extent of ore
are known and proven by depth and
extent OF exploration in drifting along
the vein
Yes, things look good in the Orc
Fino- junction country. A trip yes
terday of forty miles, from Durango
through the country and return, over
the new road and back over the old
around the horn tragedy which has
killed more stock and broke more
men than any other mountain route
suggested that had roads been built
twenty years ago, the country would
be advanced forty years beyond it's
present situation.
Ii is true that the new road is but
half made, and 1t is as true that tif.
teen years ago a good road could have
been built along the old trail for the
same money expended in climbing ev-
cry hill and ducking into every gulcn
between Durango and Gaines creek.
The new road from cyanide mill, up
Flagler's fork and following Gaines
creek to the Neglected is good work.
on about as good grade as it appears
possible to obtain on that route. Sew
eral thousand dollars will be required
TO widen the road, particularly along
the cliffs and lodges where the rock
work will be heavy, before hauling
heavy loads. AS is is it is the finest
pack trail in Colorado Much money
is needed to fix the main Junction
creek part of the road. as this is the
worst on the entire route; boulder
beds, iiagging wheels and shifting
vehicles, lack OF bridges, dragging
a
out, winding closely to bluffs. alto
gether impracticable for hauling.
Since the last heavy aims have
washed it out, leaving cutters and
rocks. hills and hollows, any mule
that ever saw the old road would lie
down and die rather than grind his
shoes and hoofs off trying to 60
hundred yards.
But in the new road there is
promise OF improved conditions which
Will help the mine producer who is
up against 1t oftener than anybody
else on earth
The sound of the blast was heard
all over the country yesterday, and
everybody is getting ready to take
step with the Negected. Supplies are
going in and prospectors and miners
are gathering up their tools, sharpen
ing drills and fixing camp. Barry Sui
nvan is working his property in the
mouth of Walls gulch; Charlie Car
roll has resumed work on his 6OO-foot
Porcupine tunnel; Frank Wilkerson
is prosecuting on a Junction proper
~ owned by Durango syndicate:
Pat Nash Is getting ready to resume
work on his group; Emery Brown and
partners are working several of their
properties; Ed Van Endert. who has
been working the Democrat several
months is grinding along and will
soon have big force at work, as soon
as he drives twenty feet further on
the lower level TO intersect the vein.
w. A. Parshall has put in suppliess to
start work on the Portland and Con
cordia and expects soon to have the
Mammoth group working; other de
velopment enterprises are starting up
and the section will soon be more
than its former self.
One may go ever so many times in.
10 section and still learn something
by going once more. if inclined to
study conditions. Yesterday strik-
ing similarity of ores in the different
vein structures was noticed more
than before. by reason of passing rap
idly from one system to another. on
that line of study instead of being
employed on some other line. 1t is
fact that every opening made on
veins In this section proves ore of
the same general character as that
opened in the opening OF the Neglect
ed mine, and some Of these openings
several, have the same character in
the detail which the Neglected had,
at least down to a depth of 80 feet
and its several prospect holes. None
are more like the Neglected than the
Slide
In crossing north to south. across
the systems, veins occur so rapidly,
so closely together. that property
owners there many of them are un-
able TO discern whether property
fifteen hundred feet away is on one