Gilpin observer., 1908-05-28
$4,000 War Dance ORE
Richest Ore Ever Struck Gpn County Taken From an
Old Mine Long Abandoned- is Wide and
Strong-Steady Shipments to be Made--For-
tune in Sight for the Operators.

A strike, which by all odds is the
richest ever made in the county, has
been made in the War Dance mine, be-
tween Willis and Russell gulches, re-
Gently leased by a local pool composed
of C. o. Richards, Neil Mckay, Rue
and Chas. Manhire, Michael and John
Klais. The find was made in the 140-
level west of the shaft. The vein is
eight inches wide and in the center of
this is two-inch streak that runs
1854, 900 to the ton. Average samples of
the eight inches run from 500 to LOO
ounces gold per ton, or from 500 to
500, 900 per ton. The character of the
ore is flourspar mixed with iron and
copper sulphides carrying tellurides of
gold.
Three or four pounds of the ore from
the two-inch streak was roasted and
was literally covered with beads of gold
when taken from the furnace. The lot
made twenty or more samples and all
| week there has been a constant string
of people into the Standard Assay Of
fee where the specimens are on display,
admiring the gold covered rock.
Never before in the history of the camp
had anything like it been seen. No
mining camp in the state had ever
produced ore of such great richness. A
piece of the rock weighing eight ounces
was roasted and after $8.4 worth of
gold had run off there still remained
S12. 90 worth on the rock. Assays of
the ore taken Monday-that is, every
thing below the high grade-went ILL 20
ounces gold and 10 ounces silver or
81, 234 to the ton in gold and silver.
The fabulously rich ore was struck in
the west level about eight feet from
the shaft. This level has just been
started within the past two weeks.
East of the shaft, where ore of high
grade was first encountered, was the
only part of the mine that was opened
up when the pool commenced work.
From the east level shipment of 16
tons was made to the Argo smelter
Monday. 1t sampled about 40 ounces
to the ton, first class, the second run
ming 10 ounces to the ton.
Richards & Co., have been working
the War Dance since the first of March.
Their object in leasing the property
was to work it for gray copper which
was known to exist in the mine in early
days in large quantities. 1t was just
by accident that the rich ore they are
now mining was assayed and the values
learned. The gray copper that was
mined in the War Dance at one time
carried big values and went as high as
$500 and $500 to the ton. The streak OF
this was either lost or played out as the
parties who worked the mine last were
unable to find pay ore. Seven years
ago B. j. Smith and VIM. Couch did
considerable work in the property. II
is doubtful if they broke any of the ore
that Richards & Co., are now mining.
They may have panned some and get
ting no color concluded it was no good
Perhaps they shipped some to the mills
and as the ore will not mill thought il
| IloI WoI III tuSI lliilS W pOtACA Will ~
In the 14O-foot level east there are
: three distinct veins. Smith drove the
level about 25 feet and then drifted or
one of these short distance. Of the
three veins he followed the poorest. He
did some stopping and 20 feet from the
shaft sunk winze hundred feet deep
Had he done as the present lessees are
doing, drove the level east instead Of
drifting away from it he would have
gotten the good ore.'
!, Beside the main shaft on the Wal
Dance, former operators drove one
forty feet south, going down depth o.
60 feet and then making connection
with the main shaft. This shaft mus
have been sunk by parties who wer'
mining gray copper. There does no
appear to be any vein matter either il
the shaft or the level run from it. TIL,
shaft and connection furnish good cir
culation in the lower workings ant
, serves useful purpose to the presen
: operators.
From what can be learned through in
, quiry, the War Dance was discovers
, about 80 years ago by A. G. Elliott. H
worked the mine for a time, taking
from four-foot streak Of gray coppe
between $25, 900 and $4,000. After h
quit it was idle Is years until Smit
/ took hold.
0 Richards & Co., will drive both cas-
l. and west at the l40-foot point and ir
: tend to sink the shaft so feet to stop
|. on the ore in the 140-foot level. The
have iuat comnleted the erection of