Gilpin observer., 1915-01-28
MINING IN THE
CENTENNIAL STATE

r. D. George, in a letter to the
Denver Commercial under the caption
Mining in Colorado" offers many
good suggestions relative, not only to
mining, but to every branch of Colo
RADIOS industry, pertinent to the
farmer, the artisan and the mining
community at large. He follows
along lines advocated by the Obser-
Yer for the past year, and plainly
illustrates the Importance of our min
eral wealth, relative to the states
commercial success in other lines
OF product. He sets forth that were
We to summarize the different causes
leading to Colorado's present con-
dition, We would find the following
factors in a great measure respon-
sible:
L. ignorance and unfounded i'm
pressionS of the mineral resources
of the state.
z. Unbusinesslike methods in min
ing, such as ignorant and inexperi-
ence1 mana cement, ever n ana gemeIt t.
failure to use expert advice and di-
rection, building mills before the
true character of the ore is known,
and often before commercial ore is
| found
3. Indicating promotion, on the
part of the so-called boosters, and
investment in wildcat promotions.
4. The dog in the manger mining
| C?) men. These are men who own
prospects or mines OF merit, but who
are too lazy or shiftless to develop
them and too greedy to sell or
lease them on living terms. Their
chief occupation seems to be yearn-
ing about the "good old days., and
kicking about taxes. They are al
ways waiting for something to turn
up Many a prospect or small mine
stands idle, while the whole camp
stands idle and often condemned.
There are hundreds of these obsta-
cles in Colorado"
We have many Of this latter class
in Gilpin county, who value their
property among the thousands of
dollars when applied to for bond or
lease. but when preparing them for
the assessors roll, are of little val
ue. Mr.. George still further shows
loss to the agriculturist by the de-
crease in mining. We quote his Ian
guage:
1T is an amazing fact that the
state has talked much but done al
most nothing to develop her mineral
resources. She has fostered agricul-
ture, and built it up wonderfully, but
she has forgotten that agriculture
needs a home market which mining
could supply. The farmers of Colo
rado are losing millions of dollars
annually for the want of this home
market. They are selling their 1914
wheat crop of 100000 bushels, at
2S cents bushel less than the farm
ers of Iowa and Illinois are getting
for the same grades. On this wheat
crop alone Colorado farmers will lose
S2.52O,O 900. Only a few years ago
there was a home market in the min
ing counties for all the wheat raised
in the state and the Colorado farm
er got more for his grain than did
his brother of the prairie states.
Competing wheat had to pay the
freight to this state and must sell
here at a price equal to the price at
the place where 1t was raised plus
the freight to Denver. What is true
OF wheat Is equally true of many 9TH
er products of Colorado agriculture,
for In proportion 10 the supply from
the farms, the home market is be-
coming smaller every year. The Uni
ted States census reports show a
decrease OF population in practically
every metal mining county of the
state. In the ten years, from 1900
to 1910, the more important decreases
were as follows: Clear Creek 29 per
cent. Custer "a per cent, Dolores 43
per cent, Gilrin 3S per cent, Hills
dale 60 per cent, Lake 45 per cent.
Mineral So per cent. Ouray 26 per
cent. Park II per cent. Pitkin 80 per
cent. San Miguel 13 per cent. Sum
mit 27 per cent Teller 81 per cent"
At different times the Observer
has endeavored to set forth the i'm
portance to the Colorado farmer OF
the success of the mining industry
! We have sought to show them that
success in the mining industry spells
success to them. Were our noun
tains densly populated with miner.