Semi-weekly herald., 1913-08-25

corresponding month of 1912, gives
pleasant and convincing evidence that
the "San Juan Empire" is yet on the
map with its varied and extensive
mineral resources, including gold, cop
per, silver, lead, vanadium, carnotite
and uranium, the last three only partly
exploited-just enough to excite the
attention of intelligent and well-di-
rected capital.
Allowing an average of seven tons
into one, which was the rate in 1911,
the concentrated and smelling ores
shipped from the Silverton depot in
July represented an output of 22,65O
tons from the mines. From Telluride
station 2,475 tons of concentrate were
shipped, representing at least 1926
tons of raw material produced AS
Telluride station handles two-thirds
of the shipments from San Miguel,
the county at large should be credit
ed with producing 23,O97 tons of raw
ore in July, which is doubtless a hand
some gain over 1912, when the modern
plants were doing less work This is
exclusive of the uranium, .vanadium
and carnotite ores, which are shipped
from Placerville to the eastern states,
and to Germany, France and England
for the radium contents that may be
extracted.
In San Miguel county two up-to-
date treatment plants for the handling
of low and medium grade ores are
nearing completion, and will add ma
tcrially to the concentrate shipments
in the final quarter of the year.
Concentrate shipments for July
from the Ouray depot equaled 1888
tons, or the result of 10,766 tons of
raw material The famous Camp Bird,
Wanakah, Atlas and Revenue groups
are the chief producers. The Barstow
mine in the Red Mountain district
lifted about 1850 tons in July, which
was reduced to concentrates at the
Barstow mill (725 tons into one) and
shipped to the smelters by way of
Silverton, that being the present rail-
road connection. This gives Ouray
credit for 1876 tons of raw ore in
July, to which should be added about
$500 tons from the Montrose copper
gold vein owned by the Tomboy Gold
Mines company of Telluride, and, of
course, treated at the Tomboy plant.
The Brown Mountain smelter. own
ed by Denver capital and located at
Ouray, expects to commence opera
tions about Sept l.. 1t will furnish a
local cash market for low and medium
grade ores of the gold-copper class,
too low in value to bear the cost of
railroad transportation to the smelters
at Denver, Salida, Pueblo or Durango.
The "blowing in" of this plant means
the profitable operation of large
number of the smaller mines and
leases which are idle at present, as
they cannot be worked on the basis
of the nigh grades only.
Creede and Rico are largely affect
ed by the quotations on zinc and lead
which have notably advanced in the
past two weeks, especially since Sen
ator Stone of Missouri was mainly
instrumental in adding so per cent to
the zinc and lead tariff rates in the
pending tariff bill, as it left the house
or representatives.
In the La Plata and Hinsdale dis
tricts the output of ore is much heav-
ier than it was in the season Of 1912,
while the interest of outside but need
ed capital is correspondingly in
creased.
The renewed activity in the San
Juan Empire" is the best test that the
ore is there and that all that is needed
is economic treatment to convert it
into bullion. The mining industry,
which has been allowed to slumber for
some time, is showing marked signs
of awakening, and with the discovery
of new processes of treatment, which
are increasing, must assuredly take
it's assigned place as the leader of the
enterprises of the state.-Denver
NewS