Gilpin observer., 1907-10-24
mining CONDITIONS
SHOW IMPROVEMENT
Bates Hunter Being Placed in Shape for Operation
County to be Worked by E. H. Teats-Develop-
Progressing and LeAsers Making
Better Than Wages

The home pool, consisting of George
Oldweiler and other experienced mining
men, working the Justice mine in Lake
district, are taking out ore and are max
ing steady shipments. They are drift
ing in the 220-foot level and have been
cleaning out and retimbering the 500
and 57O-foot levels preparatory to drift
ing. This work is about finished and
drifting in these levels will start at
once. The ore that is being shipped is
of milling and smelling variety and is
of fair grade. The Justice is equipped
with fine plant of machinery and is in
shape for heavy and profitable opera
tions. The mine is 700 feet deep and
there is hardly drop of water to con-
tend with, which means a big saving to
the pool handling the proposition.
The main casting of the big electric
plunger pump in the 15O0-foot station of
the Old Town mine, broke Friday of
last week. For time it was thought
that it might be necessary to close down
the mine temporarily, but Master Me-
chanic Jack Signorette managed to re-
pair the break in about three hours
time. Work therefore was not sus-
pended for minute.
A fire broke out in an air shaft at the
o. X. mine last Saturday evening at
about 9 o'clock. 1t was not necessary
to call out the fire department but sew
eral citizens volunteered to fight the
flames and bucket brigade was FORM
ed. The fire was caused by hot cinders
being dumped too close to the collar of
the shaft. The shaft house Of the o.
X. is located about seventy feet from
the air shaft which burned and there
was very little danger of this building
catching afire.
The Virginia mine in Chase gulch has
been closed down temporarily for a
couple of weeks awaiting the arrival of
large pump. This piece of machinery
is expected any day. AS soon as the
pump arrives sinking will be started
and the bottom levels will be run. The
Virginia is over $50 feet in depth and
makes about 80 barrels of water every
"a hours.
The Empire Gold & Copper company.
operating the old Aduddell property, is
drifting in the 300-foot level east. A
crosscut is being run from the 400.
Stopping is being carried on in the 400
and east and west in the 300. Miners
are unable to get to 500 bottom levels
on account of gas, but as soon as the
weather gets cooler work will be COM
menced in these. These levels were
abandoned three months ago on account
of the bad air and at that time some
good looking ore was in sight.
Bockfinger & Co. of Russell Gulch,
who have lease in the 1100-foot level
of the Old Town, made another ship
ment this week. There were fourteen
tons of iron in the lot, the assay values
of which went 800 gold, ounces silver
and $40 per cent copper. This is the
best grade of ore the pool has yet taken
out with the exception of one shipment,
which went over 500 to the ton. Steady
shipments are being made from the HOO
and if the quality of the stuff holds out
Bockfnger and his associates will soon
be in position to lend F. Augustus
Heinze, the copper magnate who was
so hard hit in Wall street last week,
enough money to enable him to recoup
his losses.
The Russell pool, leasing the Russell
mine in Graham gulch, are drifting in
the 2OO-foot level from the Old Town
and are prosecuting to the West Pc
wabic. Ore is being taken out Of the
upraise from the 200. A test run Of
this was made few days ago and the
results were good-in fact, better than
expected.
Pennsylvania people, working the
Eldorado mine in Spring gulch have
about completed sinking the lift of 100
feet. They still have 20 feet to sink
and with the two shifts now working
it is expected that the work will be
finished within two weeks. This will
make the depth Of the shaft between
275 and 800 feet. Drifting will be
started east and west as soon as the de-
sired depth has been reached. Indica-
tions are that nice body Of ore will be
struck in the west bottom drift. A
good find has already been made in the
2O0-foot level, fifty feet west Of the
shaft. Shipments arc being made from
-,