The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-07-30
IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO
1.-THE GEM city, By LAURA s. ~ DUyALL Denver
le, snow-capped all

grand and sublime, snow-capped all
the year.
Many canyons, wild, rugged and
beautiful, may be entered from Idaho
Springs. One of the best known is
Virginia Canyon between Idaho
Springs and Central City, with Belle
vue Mountain standing at its head.
The drive by auto is two and half
or three miles up the mountain and
then it is down grade to Central CITY.
The average grade of road is about
10 per cent all the way with 4 or 8
per cent in places, and in one spot
about 23 per cent. This is to be elm
mated shortly. This drive which is
safely taken by auto leads through the
mining district where are located
some of the oldest and best mines in
the state of Colorado. OF the several
important mines may be mentioned
the Gem Mine, which may be reached
by going through the Newhouse or
Argo Tunnel; the Sun and Moon,
Grown Point, F'rontenac in Gilpin
County, Topeka Old Town, Fairfield.
Calhoun and Leavenworth, near Cen
trail City. OF course, there are numer-
Gus other small mines.
The Argo Tunnel at Idaho Springs
has the longest mining tunnel in the
world. 1t was driven for no other
purpose except for developing the
mines 1t reaches five miles in
through solid rock, is connected with
the surface of the Gem shaft 2,20O feet
deep, and the Sun and Moon at $500
feet, and with the Saratoga Mine at
about 1000 feet.
Gold, silver, lead and copper is
q nc
four or five hundred men, while in
the past the number of men has
reached one thousand or more.
The discovery of the mines has
most always been on top. There has
been gulch and placer mining; the
creeks bear gold, and here it is said
that gold was first discovered in Colo
RADIO in 1858.
One day the writer, while out stroll
ing back of the Hot Springs Hotel, OBJ
served two men at distance bending
| over small stream with gold-pan,
washing for gold. 1t certainly put one
in mind of days since past when first
the discovery of gold was made. Diff
ferent processes are adopted for Sc
curing the precious metal. Quicks1l-
yer is used to take up the gold and
| forms a paste or putty. 1t is then put
over the fire, when the heat dries the
quicksilver and leaves the solid gold.
| The heat thus separates the parts. A
retort is used and the quicksilver then
returns to its original form. Also a
1 stamp mill separates the free gold
/ from the quartz. After the ore is
crushed it is screened and flows over
copper plate covered with quicksil-
yer. Here it stops and is then sepa
rated When smelted it goes through
fire, poured out like lava and the
metal separated and refined. Then
after being solidified it is taken to the
mint and sold.
The mining industry is still in its
1 infancy. There are vast areas of un
4 derground territory extending into
i Gilpin and Clear Greek counties.
Georgetown is strictly mining
camp; also Silver Plume, with the at
traction of great mountain scenery
and the famous Georgetown Loop
which was built in 1882 or 1883, at
I that time known as the most famous
/ feat of railroad engineering in the
/ country. AT the bridge where the
railroad crosses the lower track the
distance is 80 feet in height. The
railroad trip from Georgetown to Sill
sver Plume is a little over five miles
about one and a half miles. The G. &
| S. railroad makes this big drawing
card.
| Some of the biggest mines in the
4 country are located at Silver Plume,
where the railroad ends Here also
| the auto road ends. But there are
no less than three passes over the
mountains, namely, Jones Pass, Ar
1 gentine Pass and Loveland Pass. The
wagon road over Argentine Pass is
not used any more. There are also
numerous trails to be taken by sad
die animals. These trails lead to va
rious points of interest. That of the
Santa Fe leads to Santa Fe Mountain
Park, distance of four or five miles
from Idaho Springs. AT this height
/ the view is magnificent and a fine
j view Of the Continental Divide is OBJ
tanned. From this point one can see
Denver on clear day and through
good glasses can observe the street
cars running in Denver. Golden is
| also easily seen and some dozen or
more little lakes scattered about over
the prairie.
! One of the most remarkable auto
] trips to be taken when the road is