Semi-weekly herald., 1911-07-31
Special to The Herald.

SILVERTON, July 29.-Some little
activity has been displayed in San
Juan county during the past month
in the way of new operations, pros
pecting and new discoveries.
Early in the month the camp was
visited by representatives of two zinc
companies and the amount of zinc
ere that is exposed met with the
hearty approval of both of them. The
character Of the zinc present as rosin
zinc or sphalerite is particularly en-
couraging to the establishment of ex-
tensive operations. The main sec
tions visited were the Animas Forks
Mineral Point area and the Eureka
Minnie gulch area. There are several
mills operating in these areas now and
although the concentration is being
done on ores that are particularly free
from iron and copper sulphides, the
results obtained have demonstrated
what is possible to be done on the
average zinc ore of the county.
The Vermillion mill is making zinc
product of 40 percent zinc per-
cent iron, per cent copper and per
cent lead, carrying some gold and
silver 1t is also putting out 60
Go per cent lead product.
The Old Green Mountain mill in
Cunningham gulch is also putting out
FUN prnJnctc rThair MIN, r.aJ,,a+
carries 80 per cent zinc, 1S per cent
lead, per cent copper, 12 per cent
iron, II ounces in silver and 20 ounces
in gold. Their zinc product is evident
ly an excellent middling product for
electrostatic separation. Their first
class product will run 65 per cent
lead.
The Silver Ledge mill near Chat
tanooga is nearing completion in the
installation of additional machinery
and will be operating again in a very
few days. W. z. Kinney, formerly
manager Of the Gold King mine is
general manager. The ore reserves
in the mine are large and everything
is in readiness for continuous opera
tion on the greatly increased capacity
The ore of the Silver Ledge is lead
and zinc sulphide in a tale gangue
carrying 1912 ounces in silver and
some gold. 1t is amenable to an ex-
cellent separation on Whitley tables.
Two products were made last year,
one as per cent zinc product and the
other 10 per cent lead Extraction
and separation slightly better will
be made in the new mill.
Very recently John T. Milliken has
investigated the cyaniding possibilities
of the San Juan section. There have
been several successful tests reported
on the ores of the Esmeralda, Inter
section and Buffalo Boy properties.
A modern testing plant has been
erected at the assay office of Root and
Norton and three successful tests
have been made with it to date One
on ores of Ice Lake basin showed saw
ing of 92 per cent of the gold and
sc per cent of the silver on an $11
average ore. Another was made on
an Eastern range ore carrying "A
ounces in gold and ounces in silver.
The extraction was 93 per cent of the
total values. The operators of the
county have been assured that there
will be a custom cyanide plant es-
tablished near Silverton in a short
time.
That San Juan county is the Grip
pie Creek of twelve years ago is the
statement made by a Cripple Creek
operator within the last few days. 1t
is significant that the eyes of gold
operators are turning this way. The
attractions are present in the rich
gold ores of the La Plata mountains
and Bear creek, and the silver glance
ores of the Eastern range.
The Little Maud property has been
sold to Cripple Creek company
through E. J. Riley. In Maggie gulch
near the Maud the Intersection is
operating under new lease and has
rich ore in three different places in
quantity.
There has not been time in twen-
ty years when prospecting has been
engaged in so actively. A party Of
prospectors and engineers have just
completed the trip from Silverton to