Gilpin observer., 1907-09-12
NEWS FROM The MINES and MILLS
The Connecting Link.

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Capt James T. Smith in Rocky Noun
tain News.
Until large consumers and the
United Metals Selling Company, which
controls the American and English
markets. have amicably adjusted the
contract price OF copper. uncertainty
is certain to prevail with regard to cop
per enterprises of the newer class and
more especially those in which depen-
dence is placed upon low-grade ores.
Under the stimulus OF high prices In
the copper market activity at the man.
ufacturing plants and In electrical en-
terprises-which consume copper-to-
gether with the admitted absence OF
large copper reserves at home Or
abroad, interest in the red metal has
been phenomenally active. giving birth
to large companies In Utah and Ne
vada. based upon ores which yield an
average of three per cent copper.
The permanent effect Of the new ad-
justment of prices now being arranged
in New York and London, Is as yet to
be seen, but the closing down of the
Ross copper smelter and mines in the
Silverton district shows that close
margin companies must sail near to
the shore" until the market situation
is fully cleared up. 1t may also be as
sumed that work will not be rushed
upon some OF the recent promotions in
Utah and Nevada. Supply contracts
mostly expired on the LIST OF Septem-
ber. Manufacturers in Connecticut and
other parts OF the East have been run
ming their plant four days each week
with one shift of workmen, which con-
trasts rather forcibly with the double
shifts of the past three years. Under
the hindrance of dear money electrical
improvements are also held back, the
decreased demand for copper reactine
on the market already inclined to
weakness.
Under these discouraging circum-
stances, and with southern, western
and eastern capitalists as factors in
the case, resumption of work on a wide
and systematic scale is announced In
the only district In Colorado where
mining is proposed on a copper basis.
with gold, silver and iron-and pos
sibly lead-as incidental by-products.
The district, known as Bear Creek, Is
located about eight miles west and
SOuluWe5l VI lie LOW ii VI cSi-
ferson county 1t is practically the
uniting link between the Idaho Springs
and the West Creek districts, the latter
being the northern extension of the IA
nous Cripple Creek ore belt. Three
distinct ore veins, mostly of low-grade
ores, extend across the southern end
of Jefferson county. Since 1877, when
the Malachite copper-gold mines were
located by a Golden company. this re-
gion has been favored with more or
less development, none OF 1t, however.
on a permanent plan, but having in
Wow mostly the exploitation OF "pock-
cts" and "stringers." Hence the COM
panies now interested In the district
find considerable development of a
struggling and uncertain nature, which
must be radically corrected before the
mines can be classed as regular ship
pers to the Argo and Canon City plants
where preliminary tests have resulted
favorably.
The ore shipped from Morrison to
Canon City carried sufficient iron to
class 1t as fluxing ore, which made
the charge for treatment merely nomi-
nal. In the Argo shipments as high as
eleven per cent copper was developed.
with $3.50 gold and some silver in the
ores. Given normal conditions in the
copper market, together with cheap
mining-say $1.00 to $3.50 per ton-and
fair transportation rates, generouf prof.
its are assured in the Bear Greek dis
trict. where the veins are well marked
on the surface and increase in size and
certainy as depth is gained by tunnels
or shafts.
The Malachite company-the pioneer
of this region-was owned by Boston
parties in 1877. The company's smei-
ter, about fifty tons per day in capacity.
was located In Golden, with Wilmot II.
Chapman as manager. Mining was ex-
pensive in that period, while the meth
DDS OF ore treatment were much more
present time. Under these conditions
the Malachite did not pay and the plant
at Golden was allowed to break up.
The present Malachite Copper Mining
ant Smelling Copper is backed by
North Carolina and New York parties.
It's locations are eight miles northwest
of Morrison, near Bear creek and ad-
Joining the locations of the F. NJ. & ID.
Company. The shaft on the latter Is
down 1862 feet and has gone through
eleven feet of ore running better than
nine per cent. In copper, $3.50 gold and
some silver to the ton. One shipment
from the F.. M. & d. shaft to the Argo
smelter returned fourteen per cent In
copper. A canon city shipment revealed
81 per cent. copper. with sufficient
iron In the ore to pay for cost OF treat
ment.