The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-03-23
MINING aIsToRY RECALLED
By MATTE L. MILLER


In the report of the Commissioner
of Mines, 1897, we note the following
which is of interest to the residents
of this section today and especially
since there has been some excitement
in the Washington Gulch district the
past year.
The early history of this section is
replete with thrilling incidents. Capt.
Gunnison, for whom the county was
named, met his death at the hands Of
the Indians in the fall of 1858, while
in charge of an engineering corps
surveying a favorable route across
the mountains to the far west.
In 1861 gold was discovered on Tay-
lor river in what has since been
known as the Tin Cup district, the
name arising from the character Of
utensil used to determine the pres
ence of gold. Almost simultaneous
with this was the discovery of gold
in Washington gulch, in the northern
part of the county.
In Washington gulch, the gold found
was coarse" and yielded large re-
turns. The amount removed must
have been considerable, but the value
is unattainable. One of the pioneers
of this gulch says: "As long as it
lasted it was the richest in the terri
tory. Five to ten ounces was an av-
erage days work, but | had one pan
of dirt that gave me S7S in gold.
Twenty-Five to $50 to pan was not
at all uncommon"
The report also contains the fol-
lowing regarding this section of the
county, and which may interest those
who have mining claims in this dis
trict:
The northwest portion of the coun-
ty, in what is known as the Ruby,
Poverty Gulch, Brush Creek, Elk
Mountain, Washington Gulch, and
Spring Creek mining districts, has,
during the past season, experienced a
very marked revival over the collapse
common to the section since 1898.
This territory was the scene of the
greatest excitement in 1SS0-81, both
: on account of the number of veins
and the varied character of the ores
found
The Ruby district, noted and named
for its fine dark and red ruby silver
ores, has discovered constantly in
creasing gold values in some of the
I leading contact veins. Some of the
noted mines of this county are locat-
ed near Irwin and their values thor
| oughly demonstrated by years of pro-
duction. In Poverty guich number
of old properties have been reopened.
The veins here are in assures and
carry high grade silver ores. The
Important new enterprise is tunnel
projected on one of the large veins
to be driven through Cascade noun
tain. This will not only demonstrate
ore bodies at that depth, but furnish
means for transporting ores from the
numerous cross veins.
Each of the districts in this section
have distinctive merit, and have dur
| 'hs Tie past year, Deen exploited
more Systematically than for many
| years past. The values in ores pro-
duced are mainly in lead, silver and
copper, and as whole may be classed
as large bodies of low grade ores.
| What is classed as low grade ore in
this section would in many others be
termed high grade ores, the difference
being due to distance from market
and lack of transportation and in the
end the report states: In coal, iron,
and building stone, Gunnison county
is second to none in the state. The
marble beds are of exceptionally fine
uelity and are being extensively
worked