USA > Colorado > Boulder County > History and production of the gold fields of Boulder County, Colorado > Part 2
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On a hot summer day in July of 1875 a "tenderfoot," a "Dutchman" fresh from the old country, arrived at Camp Salina. He trudged weari- ly up a hill with pick and shovel over his shoulders until he met two prospectors resting from their labors. "Shentlemen," he said, "can you tell me where I can find a gold mine?" "Do you see that tree, pointing up the hill to a tall pine," one prospector said, as he winked at his part- ner, "you will find a gold mine under it. He failed to see the wink, thanked the prospectors, and started for the tree with that gullible as- surance, typical of the "tenderfoot." When Henry Meyring stuck his pick into the grass roots at the foot of the pine tree, he struck rich pay dirt and a lead which he named the Melvina. The reddish dirt when assayed ran into the thousands and the good luck of the "tenderfoot" was on every one's lips. From July to November the mine produced over a hundred thousand dollars and practically its entire production of a million dollars has been taken out above the 250-foot level. The follow- ing statement of its early history is taken from Fossett's Book on Colo- rado at page 399:
"The richest and most famous mine in the locality is the Melvina, located on Melvina hill, between Gold Run and Four Mile. * It * was discovered in July 1875, or at least the first work was done upon it then. The first month gave a yield of about $8,600, of which nearly $8,000 was profit. It has been worked steadily, and has given the lar- gest proportionate profit of any mine of which there is any record the wide world over. The yield of February last was $15,800 and the ex- pense about $800. In nearly every monthly shipment, lots of ore has been sold to the amount of five hundred pounds that yielded at the rate of $4,000 to $14,000 and over, per ton! Altogether the mine produced up to October 1, 1876, ore that sold at the smelting works for $84,600- this for a period of fifteen months, with a force of eight men. The mine is now over two hundred feet deep, and is one of the wonders even of this land of marvelous veins and golden pockets. The yield of October is said to have been better than any previous month and to have approached $20,000!"
THE INGRAM.
The Ingram was named after its locater and is one of the best divi- dend payers of the camp. It has been worked continuously for the last ten years and it is the deepest mine in the county from a geological standpoint, although the workings are only 700 feet deep. It has a rec- ord of a million to its credit to date, and is on a permanent dividend basis.
14
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
THE EMANCIPATION.
This property is the largest producer of the camp, having a splen- did record of one and one quarter millions of dollars. It has been oper- ated continuously for the past fifteen years and much of its production has been paid out in dividends.
THE VICTORIA.
This property is one of the oldest ones in the county and has a repu- tation for having produced approximately three quarters of a million dollars. It operated under the leasing system.
THE RICHMOND.
This property is an extension of the famous Ingram mine and has to its credit a production of $350,000. It is a regular shipper to the smelters and with development will rival its famous neighbor.
HOME SWEET HOME AND LITTLE JOHNNY.
The production of these two properties now' amounts to one hun- dred and twenty-five thousand dollars, while they have only been oper- ated in a small way the owner of them has realized handsome dividends from the property operated under a leasing system. The Home Sweet Home has produced seventy-five thousand dollars within 75 feet of the surface, in fabulously rich ore. This is a record which would do credit to the greatest gold fields of this county.
THE WOOD MOUNTAIN.
This is another Boulder County dividend payer which has been op- erated night and day for many years. It is situated at Wall Street, west of Salina on the border line of the Sugar Loaf and Gold Hill Districts. It is now producing many thousand dollars monthly above expenses and has a record of over three hundred thousand dollars.
THE LUCKY STAR.
This is a neighbor to the Wood Mountain property located several hundred feet above it and has already produced eighty thousand dollars in high grade ore. It is paying monthly dividends to its owners and will probably continue to do so indefinitely.
Among the other mines of the district with good records many of which are regular shippers, may be mentioned the following:
The Tambourine (working) .$250,000
The Golden Eagle (working) 125,000
The Gillard 100,000
15
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
The Valley Forge (working) .
75,000
The Baron (working)
50,000
The Belle (working)
50,000
The Gold Smith Maid 50,000
The Mineral Point.
50,000
The Mineral Point
50,000
The Nova Scotia.
25,000
The Little Fred
30,000
The Gardiner
50,000
The Nancy Group
75,000
The Emerson
80,000
The Forrest
65,000
The Ogalalish
70,000
NOTE :- The data concerning the gold production of the mines of Salina has been obtained from the following sources: Fossett's Book .on Colorado 399-405; C. L. Dignowity, 440 West End Eve., New York; W. B. Teters, George W. Teal, Abraham Kent, John A. Teagarden, W. V. Le Veque, W. E. Wilson, S. G. Knott, R. A. Duncan, all of Boulder, Colo- rado. The production of the Lucky Star is absolutely correct.
SUNSHINE
Gold Production over $4,000,000.
The Sunshine district lies just East of Salina and is one of the largest tellurium camps of the county. Its altitude is 6,500 feet above sea level and it is only a few miles distant from the City of Boulder and the plains. The first gold discoveries were made in this camp in 1864 by D. C. Patterson a prospector while hunting for deer. The blossom rock of an outcropping ledge attracted his attention and led to the discovery of a rich tellurium vein, which he named the Sunshine and caused an ev- citement of large proportion. The total gold production of the mines included in this camp is approximately four and one quarter millions divided as follows.
The American $1,000,000
The Inter Ocean (shipping). 1,000,000
The White Crow and Osceola (shipping) 750,000
The Tilly Butsell (working) 250,000
The Monongahela 100,000
The Miama 40,000
The Grand View (shipping) 200,000
The Nile Lesperandum.
175,000
16
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
The Phil. Sheridan. 75,000
The Poorman (shipping) 100,000
The Pride of the Mountains, the Gold Medal and Jenghinz Kahn. 500,000
The Pilot (shipping) 20,000
Of these properties the American is perhaps the most notable which was discovered in May 1874 and produced a hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars in twenty months time.
The Poorman mine lies only two miles due west of the City of Boulder on the Poorman Hill and although it is within the very foot hills, it is a splendid gold producer. Forty-eight pounds recently ship- ped from this mine brought $17.25 per pound and 22 tons of ore return- ed $400.00 per ton just as it was shot down.
NOTE-For production of above mines we refer to J. A. Clemmer, W. B. Teters, A. E. Healy and W. J. Williams, all of Boulder, Colorado. and Fossett's book on Colorado, chapter 37.
GOLD HILL
Gold Production $5,600,000.
This is the oldest mining camp in the County and one of the oldest in the State, the first gold discoveries being made at this point in 1860, in the Horsefall mine from which property two hundred thousand dollars was mined from purely surface workings in 1860-61 and 62.
Here is also situated the famous Slide Mine, with the splendid record of Two and one-half million dollars to date. It has the deepest workings of any mine in the county, the shaft now being down 1,500 feet The mine has been worked continuously since its discovery in 1872, and has paid to its various owners large fortunes. The Slide is cut by the famous Corning tunnel at a depth of one thousand feet which drains and develops this as well as the principal Gold Hill mines. The Corning tunnel was the first large tunnel project attempted in this section of Colorado, hav- ing been started in 1872.
The total gold production of the camp including the Slide is over five millions as follows :
Slide (shipper)
$2,500,000
Prussian (shipper) 600,000
Horsefall 400,000
Cash (shipper) . 400,000
Cold Spring 400,000
Red Cloud.
300,000
I7
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
Hoosier (silver)
300,000
St. Joe.
250,000
Alan McKee
250,000
Black Cloud
$125,000
Soss
75,000
Total
$5,600,000
Of this list the Red Cloud is famed for the first discovery of tellurium in Colorado.
The Cash was discovered about 1875 and has been worked in a small way continuously for thirty-five years. It is one of the best dividend payers of the district today. In common with all the mines of the tellu- rium belt its deposits of low grade ore are its greatest assets.
The Cold Spring is a mine worthy of mention because of its pro- duction of high grade ore. Forman Whitcomb, former owner of this property, shipped a few tons of high grade ore from the Cold Spring to the Centennial exposition and sold it for $52,000. A similar shipment of sixteen tons of the smelters at Omaha, Nebraska, returned $96,000.
ROWENA
Gold Production $1,550,000.
Just east of Gold Hill on the Left Hand is situated the Mining Camp of the best paying properties in the County and a record of over a million and a half to the credit of its owners.
The two properties most active in this district are the American Star, with a record of $300,000 and the Gold Nuggett with a production of $250,000. Both properties are heavy shippers and paying dividends at regular periods.
The other mines of the district with their production are:
The Gray Eagle. $400,000
The Mountain Chief. 150,000
Little Alice 300,000
Carl Gardiner 100,000
Tippecanoe
50,000
As to the correct production of the mines of Gold Hill and Rowena the following among many other references are given: Fossett's Book on Colorado, chapter 37; W. B. Teters, George W. Teal, Lon R. Johnston, W. B. Le Vequa, John Pugh and M. F. Leech, all of Boulder, Colorado.
18
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
CENTRAL MINING DISTRICT
Gold Production over $5,250,000.
The Central Mining District lies north and west of the Gold Hill district and embraces the northern end of the tellurium belt as well as the northern end of the gold fields of the county. Its mines have been pro- ducing steadily since the year seventy-five until they have reached over five and one quarter millions, divided between the camps of Jamestown, Springdale and Ballarat. The typical feature of the various mines is the fabulous value of the high grade ores.
JAMESTOWN Gold Production $2,275,000.
The first mine discovered in this camp was the John Jay, the follow- ing early history of this property is taken from Fossett's book on Colo- rado on page 403 from which we excerpt as follows:
"In 1875, a few men began to prospect this sec- tion for telluride lodes. Among them was A. J. Van Deren, who had once been a wealthy citizen of Central, and Edward Fuller, a very lucky prospector, who had made a dozen sales of his discoveries at different times. They found a lode on the 15th day of October, which Van Deren named the John Jay. It paid wonderfully from the 'grass roots.' They pre-empted 1,500 feet, as all discoveries are entitled to do by the laws of 1872. Van Deren bought Fuller's interest for $10,000 and paid it in two months from the prospect hole and open cut driven on the vein. The pay vein has been from two to three feet wide in some places. At others no ore was obtainable. There are well defined slicken- side walls as far as workings extend, 125 feet. The lots of ore sold have varied in value from $110 up to $1,800 per ton. What is remarkable, is the great size of the vein for a telluride lode. From six to six- teen men have been employed on the lode, and the total yield since its discovery, October, 1875, is said to have been $40,000."
The total production of the mine to date is ascertained from the best sources available, to be $350,000, all of which has been taken from purely surface workings, the deepest of which do not extend to the 200 foot
19
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
level the property is operated under the leasing system and is one of the steady shippers of the district.
GOLDEN AGE.
The greatest mine in the Jamestown camp is the Golden Age, with a production estimated at a million and a half dollars. The owners of this property have actual returns for $1,100,000 and they estimate that over 25 per cent. of the total production of the mine has been stolen by the miners, it being next to impossible to establish a system to prevent theft of the rich ore. In this connection it may be said that this is a con- dition which prevails throughout the tellurium belt.
Other mines of the camp with a splendid production are the Wano with, $250,000 to its credit, the Longfellow with $125,000 and the In- vincible with $50,000.
Within the past few months immense deposits of gold lead-fluorine ore, the fluorine predominating, have been discovered in this camp. This is the first discovery of this kind in Boulder County and is the only de- posit of fluorine in the State so far as can be learned.
SPRINGDALE
Gold, Production $650,000.
The great mines of this camp are the Rip Van Dam with the splen- did record of $400,000. The Grand Central and Big Blossom with a pro- duction estimated at a quarter of a million. The Rip Van Dam is noted for having made the largest shipment of high grade gold ore ever made in the county, 1700 pounds extracted from this mine while it was under the management of M. F. Leach some twenty years ago having sold at the Boulder Sampler for $27,000.
BALLARAT Gold Production $2,500,000.
This camp is several miles north of Jamestown and is situated in the extreme north end of the gold fields of Boulder County.
The great Smuggler mine was discovered here early in 1876, and has a gold production not excelled by any other mine in the Tellurium belt, it being conservatively estimated at two and one half million dollars The property has been operated almost entirely since the day of its dis- covery under the leasing system. Its discovery and early history is graphically described in Fossett's history of Colorado at page 40, as fol- lows :
20
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
In April, Charles Mullen, who had experienced all kinds of fortune in mining, and had once represented a southern country in legislature be -- gan to prospect near the western limit of tellurium land. In Miners' par- lance he was "dead broke." He found a lode which he named the Smug- gler, and the first assay, and the size of the vein caused him to believe it to be "the biggest thing in the mountains." He has not had reason to change his opinion, since. While the ore compares in value with that of the best lodes, the vein is the largest yet found carrying Telluride ores. Within a few months from the date of discovery, eighteen tons of ore were sold; two tons returning $11,000 per ton, and eight tons $650.00 per ton. The average was enormously high. No complete statement has been received of the mine's production, but it is said to be between $30,- 000 and $50,000.
Note :- The following references are given as to the correctness of the figures for the mines of Jamestown, Ballarat and Springdale. Mr. Ward, manager of the Smuggler mine at Ballarat, M. F. Leach, J. Alden Brown, A. J. Van Deren and W. B. Teeters, all of Boulder.
THE WARD MINING DISTRICT
(Gold Production $6,230,000.)
This district embraces the great sulphide belt of Boulder county and lies close to the Continental Divide, the altitude of the mines being over ten thousand feet. It is one of the oldest districts in the county, gold being discovered here in 1860, shortly after the discoveries made at Gold Hill. For more than 40 years this camp has been a steady pro- ducer of gold. Most of the great mines of the district are located upon or about the great Columbia, mother lode, which can be traced for many miles through, this section by its outcroppings. The first stamp mill ever brought to Colorado was built in Ward in the fall of 1805, just after the close of the Civil War. The mill had 30 stamps and was trans- ported from Grinnell, Iowa, by wagon, being four months on the road. It was operated incessantly for a period of ten years in connection with the famous Niwot and Columbia mines. The mines and gold production of the district are as follows:
Niwot and Columbia
$3,000,000
Utica
1,000,000
B. and M. 400,000
Struggler 250,000
Ward Rose
500,000
Madaline .
300,000
Milwaukee
250,000
,
21
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
Atlantic
200,000
Puzzzłer
80,000
Ruby
50,000
Pennsylvania
100,000.
Modoc
100,000
The Columbia, Niwot and Utica mines cover a large area on the famous lode. The record of the Utica is absolutely accurate; the record of the Columbia and Niwot is estimated from the best available sources of information. A 50 stamp mill was operated in connection with these two properties for a period of ten years, on milling ore, the high grade being shipped to the smelters. The Morning Star is notable for the fact that it is a free gold tellurium producer in the heart of the sulphide belt.
The finest equipped mines in Boulder county are also located in this district, being the properties of the Chicago and Colorado Mining com- pany, a close corporation, the stock of which is owned by Lyman J. Gage, former treasurer of the United States and his associates. For fif- teen years and over this company has been developing a magnificent es- tate of some two thousand acres, by means of a tunnel projected to cut the Utica and Columbia lode at a depth of two thousand feet. Already over two hundred thousand dollars has been expended in equipments, in- cluding an electric light plant, which lights miles of tunnels and drifts. Not a pound of ore has ever been mined from the property, the owners regarding the ore blocked ont as safe and remunerative as United States bonds.
For the gold production of the Ward District, see the mines of Colorado by Hollister, chapter 10, Fossett's book on Colorado, chapter 7; also George W. Teal, W. B. Teters, Millard F. Leech, R. A. Duncan.
THE TUNGSTEN BELT
Boulder county has the greatest tungsten belt in the world and fur- nishes not less than 50 per cent of the entire out-put in the United States. This belt as defined by the present producers is about ten miles square in the Grand Island and Sugar Loaf districts, but has been found in nearly every district in the county. Present conditions indicate that Tungsten mining may overshadow in extent, all other forms of mining.
It is impossible to give the amount of the past production, but it is conservatively estimated that over one half a million dollars worth of the ore is now being mined annually.
(From Eldora Record, Feb. 25th, 1904.)
It is not necessary in this article to go into details regarding the transition of the ore to metallic tungsten powder, in which form, when
22
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
introduced into melted steel, imparts to it a quality of toughness, coupled with hardness, which particularly adapts it for use in all edged tools, and for this purpose alone, practically all the tungsten produced is used.
At present about one half of the tungsten used in the United States comes from Boulder county, with the demand increasing faster than the supply. In other parts of the state tungsten ore has been found, but nowhere, so pure as in Boulder county ; most of it carrying so high a percentage of sulphur or other neutralizing elements as to render it worthless.
The characteristics of the tungsten ore bodies of the county, seem in no essential particular to differ from those of the gold bearing ores, or if any their continuation is a little more regular than the latter. At first it was feared that tungsten was a surface product but the deeper shafts disprove this theory, and it seems there is no reason to believe but what the ore chute extends to a depth at least as far as any ore of this value can be mined.
The use of tungsten for toughening steel has been known for many years but its use to any extent, until quite recently, has been restricted to patented or secret process, and only until the last few years has its use become common.
Prominent among the users, a steel company using perhaps, more tungsten than all other steel manufacturers in the United States, is the Firth Sterling Steel C'o. of Pittsburg, Pa. This firm alone in 1903, im- ported more than $100,000 worth of tungsten, in addition to all they purchased of American productions. Learning that a greater part of the American product was being obtained from Boulder county, the Firth Sterling Steel Co., organized from its board of directors the Wolf Tongue Mining Company and under the management of their chemist, Wm. Loach proceeded to acquire property and facilities for milling their own product in Boulder county.
This company is now operating four mines near Nederland employ- ing about 20 men; concentrating the output in a 20 stamp mill, em- ploying six men on a 12 hour shift; at present treating about 20 tons per day with a production of about 2,500 pounds of concentrates.
One other mill in the district, at the Boulder county mine, under the most able management of Mr. C. W. Lake treats about 20 tons per day from: their own mines.
Another tract is being operated by Mr. E. A. Nersheimer and East- ern associates, the ore being shipped to the Boyd mill at Boulder, which has been recently overhauled and refitted for the purpose, treating about 20 tons every twenty four hours
23
THE GOLD FIELDS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
Messrs. Stevens and Woods, of Denver, are working a tract on the Rogers patent and their output of about 10 tons per day is at present be- ing treated at the Big Five mill at Francis.
In Gorden Gulch, Mr. M. J. Jones has until the recent severe weather cut off the water supply, been operating a mill which treated about 20 tons per day, mined from the companies properties in the near vicinity.
It will be seen that the combined output of the mines and mills of the county, at the present time amounts to about 4 tons of concentrates every 24 hours, at the present price of tungsten worth about $1,500 or in nine years reaching the astounding figures of over one half million dollars.
A thorough investigation of the subject brings this conclusion, that practically all the tungsten produced at this time is used in making a certain kind of tool steel and for this purpose alone the demand is far greater than the supply; that no trust or combine exists in the Boulder district and that any man with money to operate and acquire property, will stand on equal footing with the present operators; that the miner owning a claim can take his ore to the mill and receive honest and fair returns for his product and can work and develop his claim if he will. That in short for the prospector, miner, operator, or capitalist, no more promising field exists in the State than the tungsten district of Boulder county.
THE GOLD-COPPER-SILVER BELT
Grand Island Mining District-Production in gold silver and copper $21,000,000.
The Grand Island mining district embraces that portion of Boulder county known as the Gold-Copper-Silver, belt. It joins the Sugar Loaf and Magnolia districts on the east and extends to the Fourth of July mine at the very top of the Continental Divide, and includes Arapahoe peak, one of the famous mountain peaks of Colorado. In area it is more than ten miles square and its altitude ranges from 900 to 1,300 feet above sea level. In the western part of the district lies the center of the great Tungsten fields.
Grand Island is the banner mining district of Boulder county from every stand point. Here has occurred, what is known to geology, as the second upheaval of the mountains. The veins are very large and strong and consequently the ore bodies here are large continuous and rich and capable of large production.
Located in the section are the far famed Caribou silver mines, on
DIAGRAM OF THE KLONDYKE TUNNEL
DRIVEN TO DRAIN AND DEVELOP A MINERAL AREA ON ARAPAHOE PEAK MORE THAN A MILE IN LENGTH BY MORE THAN HALF A MILE IN WIDTH, WHICH, IT IS ESTIMATED, WILL CUT NOT LESS THAN TEN LINEAL MILES OF MINERAL-BEARING VEINS AT A DEPTH RANGING FROM 250 TO 1000 FEET AND EVEN GREATER
PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOLD CORPORATION
TUNNEL ENTRANCE
BOULDER COUNTY. COLORADO.
KEYSTONE TO SU
SUCCESSFUL
AINING :
LINING
DRAINAGE
ARAPA
ELOP
/
COPYRIGHT APPLIED FOR.
MONROE VEIN VEIN
POWER PLANT
KLONDYKE
TUNNEL
N FORK MIDDLE BOULDER CREEK
BASE OF CHITTENDEN MOUNTAIN
COMPLETED.
444
MAIN OFFICES BOULDER, COLO.
RANSPORTDAG COLORATION
COST.
VEI VEIN
TO TUNNEL 225 FEET.
NOTE:
THE FOURTH OF JULY DYKE IS ONE OF THE FAMOUS MINERAL DYKES OF COLORADO AND IS MENTIONED IN FOSSETT'S BOOK ON COLORADO, PAGE 389. A GREAT LEDGE OF ORE, MANY FEET WIDE, OUT-CROPS AT THIS POINT, ITS VALUE BEING $19.50 PER TON IN COPPER. $2.00 IN GOLD AND SISO IN SILVER. FROM A SHAFT 40 FEET DEEP, SUNK NEAR THIS POINT DURING THE EXCITEMENT FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY OF THE CARIBOU MINE IN 1870, ORE WAS TAKEN OUT OF SUCH HIGH VALUE THAT THE OWNERS OB- TAINED LARGE PROFITS AFTER TRANSPORTING THE ORE UPON THEIR BACKS AND OVER A PRECIPITOUS TRAIL TO CARIBOU FOR TREATMENT. ASSAYS FROM THE DUMP AT THIS SHAFT GIVE VALUES AS HIGH AS $500. PER TON IN EACH OF THE METALS, GOLD AND SILVER. THE KLONDYKE TUNNEL YYILL UNLOCK THIS GREAT TREASURE VAULT AT A DEPTH OF 1000 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE LONG BEFORE THE END OF THE PRESENT YEAR AND OPEN UP A STORE OF UNTOLD WEALTH FOR THE FORTUNATE OWNERS.
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