Gilpin observer., 1906-08-09

During July the Newhouse tunnel
was driven ahead 275 feet. The com.
pany has just received an electric loco
motive which will be put into use at
once. This will enable the company to
haul out of the tunnel from twenty to
twenty-five tram cars of two aud'a hall
tons, capacity each instead of eleven
cars, as was done by the old motor.
NJ NJ Van Fleet, who has charge oil
surveying and plating the townsite oi
Spaulding in the new gold field of Gus
ter county, says there are now about
400 prospectors in the district, 200 ol
whom are camped on the Spaulding
ranch. Most of them are from Cripple
Creek and Leadville and are practical
miners. The majority has taken up
claims and are doing assessment work
The production of zinc in the year
1905 amounted to 203,S49 short tons
according to a report prepared by Mr.
Charles Kirchoff and published by the
United States Geological Survey. This
is an increase of 17,147 short tons over
the production of 1904. The produc.
ton of zinc has more than doubled
since 1897, when it amounted to 99.'
$50 tons. The principal increase in
production has taken place in the east
ern and southern states.
All danger of a strike in the mines
of the Tonopah district has been avert
ed by the action of the miners, who
voted to accept the operators scale OF
eight hours day and n minimum
wage of 81. The settlement is COM
promise. The mine owners, who have
been insisting on nine-hour day for
surface men, agreed to eight hours on
condition that the miners sign an
agreement not to ask for further con-
cessions for three years.
Mining at Alma, says Denver Re-
publican correspondent, is showing
much more than the usual summer
briskness and shipments of ore will,
from the present time, fully double
those of last year, as was predicted.
This will record a steady gain of 100
per cent. in shipments of ore to smelt-
ers, each year over its predecessor, for
three years, which is believed is the
best proportionate record of any pro-
ducing camp in the state.
The output of ore for the entire
Black Hills for July was 159,3O0 tons,
exclusive of the sands treated by the
Homestake company in re-treatment
after having been subjected to the
quicksilver plates. The amount Of
sands treated is placed at 4,60G tons,
every thirty-six hours, or $4,000 tons
month, making the grand total 252,-
300 tons for the month. These figures
apply exclusively to gold ores, as no
other ores are treated in the hills at
present.
Prospects for striking oil or gas in
paying quantities near the mouth of
the Royal Gorge by the Western OIL
and Water Company are growing
brighter every day, according to late
report. Both oil and gas have been
encountered in small quantities, al
though a depth of only 265 feet has
been reached. From the start all indi-
cation have been good and have in
creased with the depth of the well At
least n tablespoonful of oil is brought
to the surface every time the bucket
is hoisted from the well. Gas also has
been noticeable for several days and
the company feels sure of striking 1t
in paying quantities soon. A short
time ago considerable excitement was
caused by the discovery of oil at the
surface OF the earth at the mouth OF
the gorge near the Hot Springs hotel,
and this led to the organization OF the
company and the sinking of wells on
each side OF the river near this point.
In 1865 n party OF explorers passing
through Canon City claim to have dis.
covered oil at the surface at this point.