Gilpin observer., 1909-12-30
RADio-AcTIvITY OF oILPIN ORE.
This Section Accredited With the
Production of the Rare Metal
Second In Rank.

rank. The School of Mines, of Col
den, in experiments on uranium ores
"a fund for which has been furnish
ed by Thomas F. Walsh, the million
aire mining man, late owner and now
a big stockholder in the Camp Bird
mine-places Gilpin county in a posi-
rion second to the best source OF
this valuable and very rare mineral.
Excerps from a report on this in
teresting subject are well worth quot
ing inasnuch as this section comes
in for a very laudatory description
of the mines that produce it. Very
important, too, Is the fact that the
product, of value, comes from sec
tion indicative of great possibilities
because the three or four properties
are grouped in one neighborhood,
making source of supply assured
should the mines open up into true
uranium propositions.
Dana Is quoted as follows concern
ing the constituents and character
istics of the mineral.He says: 1T oc-
ours usually massive or botryoidal;
crystallizes in the isometric system;
crystals are rare. Fracture conchoidal
to uneven, brittle; Hardness, 5.5;
Specific gravity of crystals, 9. to 81,
OF the massive from GA to 9. Lustre,
sub-metallic to greasy or pitch-like
and duh. Color, grayish, greenish,
brownish, velvet-black. Streak, brown
ish-black, grayish, olive-green; it is
Opaque. Composition: A uranate of
uranyl, containing lead, usually thor
ium or chromium, and often metals
of the lanthanum group. 1t contains
nitrogen from traces up to &c per
cent, also some calcium oxide and
water. Iron oxide is present as an
impurity. No definite formula can be
given"
There, that understood, the inter-
ested will gladly turn to the account
given to the properties of this sec
ton producing the ore containing the
rare and Elusive stuff.
ASIDE from Carnotite." the article
reads, 1.-The source of uranium in the
United States is the mineral urani-
mite or pitchblende." Then follows
something about the worth of urani-
mite: Pure uraninite is worth about
$500 per pound for the uranium it
contains, but is not produced yet in
large quantities in the United States.
Good specimens sell at S1.00 per OF.
Bohemian uraninite is at present the
principal source of this mineral" The
Bohemian product taking first
rank, with old Gilpin a close second,
with the probabilities of the latter
soon outstripping the former.
A United States report of the min
eral resources of the United States,
published in 1904, refers to uraninite
and says eft occurs in the Flat Rock
mica mines near Spruce Pine, Mite
hell county, North Carolina, and in
Gilpin county, Colorado" Other loca-
lities where it has been discovered in
smaller quantities are given by Dana.
"The Gilpin county uranite occurs
mine, and is reported to have been
found in the German mine and in the
Alps mine. All four of these mines
are on Quartz hill in the Central City
Mining District. They are all old
patented claims. which were taken up
and worked for the gold-bearing py-
rite veins extending through them.
The Wood, Kirk and Alps mines are
on the side of the hill toward Leav-
enworth gulch, while the German
mine. which is lying idle, is over the
crest Of the hill toward Nevadaville.
"These claims are all nearly in line
from north to south and are on near
ly vertical parallel veins which
strike about Is degrees north Of east
1.-The veins are fissure veins cut
ting through the GRANTEES and schists
of this region. In the Wood mine the
vein can be distinctly followed
throughout. though at places it pin
ches to a mere streak. and at others
shows foot or more Of sulphides.
mainly pyrite. The uraninite occurs
as black. somewhat greasy streak,
and at others shows foot or more
Of sulphides, mainly pyrites. The
uraninite occurs as a black, some
what greasy streak. or as several
streaks from fraction Of an inch
to several inches in width in the
pyrite vein. These streaks consist of
fairly pure uraninite, are hard and
have a smooth surface. 1t was first
observed in the vein at the east side