The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-08
BRECKENRIDGE MINING DISTRICT
Camp Has Yielded About $2o,ooo,ooo;
Gold Dredging Now Principal Source
of Wealth.

Camp Has Yielded ABOUT S2O,OOO,OOOi
Gold Dredging Now Principal Source
of Wealth.
Breckenridge, like Leadville and many
other mining districts of Colorado, owes
the discovery Of its mineral wealth to
that wave Of westward emigration which
in 1859 surged toward Pixies Peak and
broke along the eastern flank of the
front range A detailed study of the
district was recently made by +. L,
Ransome and Il. S. Basin, biologists Of
the United States geological survey, and
the survey has just issued report on
the district by Mr.. Ransome. This re-
port covers an area of about As square
miles situated in Summit county, Col
orado, 90 miles southwest of Denver.
The rock formations of the Broken
ridge district differ from those Mt Lead
Vile and Tenmile in that the thick
body Of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks is
absent, formations OF later (Mesozoic)
age resting directly on q base of pre-
Cambrian rocks. During the ice age
there were two advances and retreats
OF glacial ice. The earlier glaciation is
NY AtiihNt EidNtAo "
what has been called hillside wash;
the later glacial deposits occupy the
bottoms Of the present valleys to a
depth of 25 to 80 feet and arc yield
ing an important amount of gold to
dredges each year.
The total gold production Of the dis
trict is estimated by Mr. Ransome at
somewhat less than $20,000000, derived
mostly from placers. Breckenridge in
the past has yielded ores Of varied
kinds and richness, from the native gold
Of Farncomb hill on the one hand to
the zinc ores OF the Country Boy mine
on the other Much of the output has
been partly oxidized argontiferous lead
ore, which, like the other ores and con.
centrates of the district, averages about
S25 ton in value. The deposits are
principally narrow assure filings laid
down through the agency of thermal
waters and gases either given off or
made effective by slowly cooling masses
of deeply buried igneous rock.
Ten Years Supply for Gold Dredging.
Mineralogieally the Breckenridge dis
trict, although noted for the occurrence
VI tlyhAuliiht hatift Hpiu ~ hhipi ~
and leafy aggregates Of remarkable deli.
eacy and beauty, is not of great or
varied interest. Mr. Ransome concludes
that the district does not give definite
promise of any general and permanent
revival of deep mining Pay ore has
been found only within about 400 feet
of the surface, so that the future de-
ponds largely on the discovery Of new
bodies. At present gold dredging is the
chief economic resource Of the district.
In 1909 four boats, with capacity of
10000 cubic yards in "a hours, were
operating on the low level graves An
area sufficient to perpetuate this indus
try for 10 or possibly Is years is avail
able, but in addition there still remains
much low grade bench gravel that may
some time be washed or dredged with
profit.
Mr.. Ransome's report is well illustrat
ed with photographs showing the to-
biography of this portion of Colorado,
and rock specimens. 1t contains num-
Der of maps including detailed geo
logic map of the district. The area
was surveyed in 1908 by Charles i.
Cooke and ID. F. G. Moor, topographic
engineers of the survey, and topo-
graphic map showing the mining claims
In the district is included in the report.
A copy of this report professional pa
per 75l may be obtained free upon APP
plieation to the director of the geologi-
cal survey, Washington, d. C.