The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-11-30
Stephens Mako, Renl~.


the pen Of Claude Sachs, editor OF -rt
Mining Investor, criticising the ra-,
ageulent and method Of Develop
decided upon by the Metropolitan " \.
ing. Milling. Tunnel and Iransr "a.
zion company. and especially their tun.
mel enterprise.
II you viii permit me 70 reply ,0 -ne
unYarranted criticism by stating feqg
facts IN connection | shall apprec a te
it, as believe the columns Of yg1r
paper are not intended to be use vo
the detriment of any honestly conduit
ed mining enterprise in this district.
About two years ago the Crit. ~
who is director and large stockholaer
in the Centurion Gold Mining compazF,
owning the Centurion tunnel and group
Of claims just west Of the Metropol tan
property, made overtures to the Off
GERS Of the Metropolitan comparv 70
try and induce the latter to cont lie
driving the Centurion tunnel to the
Metropolitan property, asking 81 yJJ
have five per cent. of all of the ore
| taken out in driving the tunnel. Had
the Metropolitan company taken at-
4 vantage Of this generous f?) offer. t
would have been obliged to drive the
4 Centurion tunnel through ten ella MS
owned by the Centurion and lyng
ahead of the breast of the tunne 10
reach the one vein owned by the Me-
ropolitan. The fact that the latter
company has a number of other ella ms
which could be reached by continu ng 2
the tunnel was not taken into consiGg r
alton. By continuing the Centur.uH
tunnel as suggested, 1t would cut the
Metropolitan vein at the northwest
corner of the claim at the lowest polrt
below the apex. or at a depth of 6J
feet. As the Metropolitan shaft is a.
ready nearly 500 feet deep, it can rese-
lily be seen that this depth would n1t
be of any great advantage in work
the property.
The fact that the Metropolitan con-
pany refused to accept or entertain M,
Sachs proposition gave that critieal
gentleman case of sour grapes The
Centurion property has been idle since
that time, am of the opinion that
Critic" must be a stockholder in the
Rockford tunnel from the tone of his
article
Representatives of the Rockford tun-
mel had an interview last winter with
our people and made proposition that
if We would put up S25, 900 they wou.d
drive the Rockford tunnel to intessec-
ton with the Metropolitan vein, whteh
would be reached at great depth. Tn
proposition of the Rockford people was
investigated and it was ascertain
that the Rockford would cut the vein =
depth of 700 feet, and that as it
would be necessary to drive the Rock
ford through nine veins, the den ands
were exorbitant. These are the reas-
ons why Critic decides We ar vast
ing our money.
/ Our company gave careful cons. .iera-
( tion to both of these preposterous prop
/ ositions. and having in the meaatime
acquired by location a group # ten
contiguous claims north of the Metro
poGtan, none of which would be bene-
fitted by the Centurion or Rockford
/ tunnels, it was decided to drive a tun-
mel for the development of the entire
properties of the company. The site
selected was near the north end lines
I of the group, and besides developing
4 the ten claims owned by the company,
( the tunnel now being driven will inter-
sect the Metropolitan vein at depth
of 900 feet.
] A contract has already been signed
I for driving the greater part Of the dis
tance, and the work is well under way
The tunnel will be driven despite the
objections of the Critic" or the op-
inions of any other pen and ink miners.
The officers and directors of the Met
ropolitan company know what they are
spending their money for, and they are
amply able to drive half dozen SINH
liar tunnels if they chose. but are not
compelled to pay any fancy bonuses to
Critic" or any of his crowd. The
Centurion tunnel and the Rockford
tunnel are both good enterprises, but
the Interior motives of Critic are
patent.
As matter of fact the officers of
the Metropolitan tunnel company look
with favor upon the Stanley roadway
tunnel as being the more desirable
thoroughfare by which to reach their
Metropolitan vein but this tunnel. too.
would not be of the slightest benefit to
/ the ten valuable claims the company
owns on East Donaldson mountain,