Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1916-11-16
FORMER |NF[UENT|AL CITIZEN
PRAISES G|LP|N COUNTY

The following is an extract from
the pen OF Frank C. Young. who be-
came wealthy from the product OF
Gilpin county mines, and one OF the
directors of the First National bank
OF Central City:
am glad to respond to your re-
quest Cor a brief report CT conditions
in Gilpin county. 1t has been seldom
Of late years, that it had hearing
or been forturnte enough to attract
attention,-no doubt partly because
Of the overshadowing character of
conditions and results in other nun
ing fields, such as Cripple Creek,
Leadville. etc. People new to the
country are not only unfamiliar with
the old camp, but are, to great de-
gree, even ignorant of its existence.
They certainly know little of its his
tory, which begin years and ysars
before any OF these other and now
famous camps We're born. 1t seems
trite at this late day to call atten-
tion to the fact that Gilpin, with
it's county seat of Central City. en-
braces the site Of the original gold
discoveries of 5s years ngo = the
Gregory Digging which electrif es
the whole country and started the
emigration to tie pixies Peak" re-
gion which has resulted in this pres
ent state of Colorado with its million
people;-and yet every once in a
while some chance paragraph in a
metropolitan newspaper is SO boldly
inaccurate as to emphasize the nec-
essity of correction.
The chance visitor to Central City
to6sy will find neat and cleanqy
kept mountain town. with pleasant
looking homes ON the hillsides, school
buildings, churches, etc.,-but will
wonder at the general quiet, the alb
sence of traffic on the streets, End
stacks in the mine and mill build
ings visible IN al directions. Yet
wdhhin a radius of three miles OF
rhis bank building he records show
THAT the mines underlying the town
and the surrounding hills fpve add
ed $150,000, 900 to the worlds stock
OF precious metals mostly gold
since the historic day in May, 1859,
when Gregory panned out his first
streak of gold from the hill that
has ever since borne his name. The
histories will give you the story in
detail-there is net space for it here.
What / do wish to say Is, that there
10 no question among those conver-
SAINT with the district that there are
still scores OF millions more that
could be produced w.thin the same
boundaries If the proper capital could
be obtained for tie work ot develop
mept and production but for some
unexplainable reason, Capital stands
aloof. The most striking example of
this EXISTS in one group embracing
some OF the most famous of the old
producersca1l connected either ma
turally or by workings, whose conn
bined yield in years gone by is con-
servatlveQy stated at 25 millions. This
corporate aggregation has been in
the courts for number Of years,
and advertised time hitter time for
sale, to settle claims which, with
taxes and COSTS added, would not re-
quine over 100000 to Mquidate-and
Witch. with 100000 added for work.
ing capital could again be brought
into productive shape. There is per-
haps no exactly similar case in any
other mining reg on in the whole
state. not such an opportunity for a
certain generous return. There are
hundreds OF cases in which capital
cam be employed to advantage in ag-
greeates as small rs $4,000 and up
to $4,000. In the further develop
ment OF properties which were long
ago opened to depths varying from