History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 39

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

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THE DUNKIN.

The east side of Fryer Hill has wonderfully improved of late, and no property on the hill has shown more marked improvement than has the Dunkin. The Dunkin Silver Mining Company is a New York corporation, of which Mr. H. H. Stotesbury is President, and the stock has been held principally by legitimate investors who believe in the value of the property and are willing to await its develop- ment and receive their profits from the legiti- mate productions of the mine, rather than from manipulation of the stock. Located as the property is, in the center of Fryer Hill, with the Climax, Amie, Little Pittsburg and Chrysolite directly to the west, while on the east are the Matchless, Robert E. Lee, Hiber- nia and others, the owners were in no great hurry to drive the mine and so possibly to ex- haust it, but sought rather to legitimately develop the mine and make a permanent thing of the investment. Mr. H. A. Ford, the pres- ent Manager, is entirely devoted to the inter-

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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.

ests of his company and through prudent management and careful examination and the development of the mine, has opened out some very extensive ore bodies. He has enabled the company to pay regular dividends monthly and accumulate a substantial reserve fund, and has also placed in reserve in the mine far greater amounts of ore than were ever before known to exist. Over the main shaft is a good shaft and ore house, with a good steam hoister. The main present work- ings of the mine are south from the main shaft.

THE MATCHLESS.

The story of this mine is one of those car- bonate fairy tales, which set the brain on fire and brought the world to the feet of Lead- ville. Like most of the great mines about Leadville, it was first discovered by poor men, and in course of time fell into the hands of Tim Foley, the well known mining operator, A. P. Moore and T. B. Wilgus. By them a considerable amount of ore was taken out, but not enough to indicate the wonderful wealth afterward developed. In September, 1879, Hon. H. A. W. Tabor purchased the property for $117,000. The settlement of several pending law-suits cost Mr. Tabor some $30,000 more, and none of his fortunate investments have made him a better return. The mine is located on the east end of Fryer Hill, adjoin- ing the Robert E. Lee, Hibernia, and Big Pittsburg, all of which have developed into bonanzas. At the time of Mr. Tabor's purchase there were three shafts on the claim, 150, 140 and 200 feet deep respect- ively, the No. 1 shaft near the center of the claim, being the only one that promised any- thing for the future, it showing a small vein of Galena ore at a depth of 140 feet. Mr. Tabor immediately commenced work on this shaft, putting up a new engine and good machinery. At the depth of 150 feet, a drift was started to the west to connect with the Dun- kin workings in order to get better air and in hopes of finding mineral, and the sinking of the shaft also continued until it reached the depth of 250 feet, when the water rushed in in such bodies that further sinking was aban- doned. For several months the work on this shaft did not give very promising results,

although more than enough ore was mined to pay all expenses. In March, 1880, work was suspended until July 15 of the same year, when with Lou C. Leonard as Manager, and Thomas Smithem as Superintendent, a full force of men was put to work, and the work of running drifts west and south continued. Shortly after starting up this time, large bod- ies of ore were found, and the Matchless was placed among the dividend-paying mines of the camp. In September, 1880, Mr. Tabor decided to more fully develop this property, and accordingly a new shaft was started near the south end of the claim, near the corner of the Lee, Hibernia and Big Pittsburg proper- ties. At the depth of 150 feet a very rich body of chloride and horn silver ore was found. This shaft was named the Leonard shaft, after Manager Leonard, under whose supervision the work was prosecuted. A large and complete shaft-house and machin- ery was at once placed over this shaft, and since that time each month's work has shown larger and richer bodies of ore, until at the present time the ore bodies in sight cannot help but run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. No mine in Leadville ever had the showing that the Matchless has to-day. Owing to the prices charged by the smelters for treating ores, the No. 1 shaft was shut down January 1, 1881. Although there is to-day shown in the workings from this shaft thousands of tons of ore, Mr. Tak or thinks that it can be more profitably worked several months from now. The croakers who said that the Matchless was "Tabor's mistake," were disappointed to know that the purchase price and all expenses had been wiped out long ago, and that for several months Mar- ager Leonard, with a force of only twenty-five men, has been paying Mr. Tabor a net prof t of over $2,000 per day, with the entire expenses less than $4,000 per month. The manager says that with the present facilities he could pay a net profit of $150,000 per month for the next five months. One lot of ore shipped recently gave returns of 10,000 ounces of silver to the ton. The mine is shipping at present about 350 tons per month, and with the above results. There is at pres- ent only about 2,000 feet of drifts, shafts,

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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.

stopes, winzes, etc., in the entire workings of the property. The Matchless is not a full claim, there being but four and forty-three one-hundredths acres in it, but the immense ore bodies now in sight, and the exceeding richness of the ore, makes it impossible to even estimate the wealth that will be taken from this property. The Matchless is Gov. Tabor's pride, and is proving to be the great- est bonanza ever known in the history of Leadville.

THE ROBERT E. LEE.

The history of the Robert E. Lee mine has been an eventful one. When work was first begun upon it, many declared the territory beyond the mineral belt and for many months it seemed the prophecy would be verified. When, however, ore was found, it was of such unprecedented value that the mine at once took the stand of the richest mine in Lead- ville, and probably in the world, and the developments proved upon the property has established the correctness of the claim made for the mine.

On the 14th of January, 1880, there was taken from this mine in the short space of seventeen hours, ore to the value of $118,500. During the month of January, 1880, the pro- duction, or rather the net value of the ore sold, amounted to over $300,000.

At this time, the owners of the mine had realized large fortunes from their investment and a conservative course was adopted, to fully develop and open the mine, not with a view to immediate profit, but to secure the greatest benefits in the end. Extensive sur- face improvements have since been completed and the mine has been developed to a large extent. No stoping of ore has been done since January, 1880, and the ore that has been mined has simply come from develop- ment drifts. The improvements being com- pleted, it is one of the largest and most com- plete in the mining camp. The building is 100 feet in length by about fifty in width, and is well built and conveniently arranged. The machinery first put up was found inad- equate for the proper working of the mine, and it has been replaced by a double engine, each of twenty-five horse power. Through the two divisions of the shaft, buckets are now

kept constantly in motion. The new office building, barn and the large building to be used as a crushing and sampling works, are also among the new improvements. The new shaft, one of the finest in the camp, 200 feet in depth, has also been sunk since any stoping has been done in the mine. In addition to all this work, which has steadily been prose- cuted during the year, and while only drifts have been run in the mine, a thorough system of re-timbering has been in progress in the mine. The old workings have been thoroughly re-timbered, and the new work is most sub- stantially secured.

The mine, during the year 1880, not only paid for all these expenses and improvements, but has also divided nearly a million dollars among its stockholders. The mine has been incorporated into a stock company but the original owners, or rather the owners who have owned the mine during its entire suc- cessful career, own all the stock and no stock is offered or can be bought.

While these profits have been realized the mine to-day stands developed to a great extent, and it is safe to say has a far greater amount of ore now in sight, not among the probabili- ties, but of the certainties, blocked out and known to exist of a far greater sum than has heretofore come from the mine. To' go through the mine and see the vast pillars of ore left standing, to examine the various drifts all run in ore, to see how little has been taken out in comparison with the bulk left behind, and further, to find ore in all direc- tions from the shaft, must convince any one that the Robert E. Lee is the treasure vault of Fryer Hill, and when that is said, it means the richest spot ever discovered in silver min- ing in the world.

South from the shaft and west some consid- erable stoping has been done, but this was prosecuted when the company was in need of funds to meet payments on the mine, and is all of importance that has ever been done on the mine.

Here, along to the west and under the south end of the shaft building, the im- mensely rich streak of ore was encountered that made the mine famous. This rich chlo- ride streak was by no means exhausted, and

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how much more remains at this point is yet undetermined.

Starting above the old workings seventy feet from the Hibernia line, a drift is being run south, parallel with that line. This drift is in twenty-five feet, and here has the most wonderful discovery ever yet made in the Lee been developed. A former drift was run beneath this, and running out of ore was abandoned. A chloride streak was found in this, running over 10,000 ounces to the ton, which has widened as the drift progresses. Now in the face of the drift, and for several feet back on both sides of the drift, a body of chloride ore, almost pure silver, in fact, is exposed. It is increasing in width and purity each foot it is extended. This chloride ore shows a value of from $10,000 to $20,000 to the ton, and if the developments prove it to extend any considerable distance the value of the mine is utterly incalculable. The vein is also very wide, and outside the richest streak is a number of feet of ore that yield hundreds of ounces to the ton.

Continuing to the Hibernia line, a drift is found running south along this line a dis- tance of forty feet. Through this drift is a body of chloride clay, which is the same as extends into the Hibernia and has been the rich ore of the mine. This rich streak of clay returns from 500 to 700 ounces to the ton. Between this drift and the one seventy feet to the east, thirty-five feet from each, another short drift has been run south. This shows a continuance of the clay streak as well as an immense ore body. Here the vein is eighteen feet in thickness. Through this portion of the ground of the mine, then, it is clearly shown that immense wealth has been developed and has been but slightly touched. A drift on the upper level also extends east fifty feet to the main drift, and this also has developed great bodies of high grade mineral. A drift also extends north on the Hibernia line, to the point of intersection with the Lee, Hibernia and the Matchless. This drift is in iron, but an upraise shows the ore body to be above. Directly north from the main shaft, toward the Matchless, a new drift has also been started and is in twenty-five feet, that is to be one of the main levels.

In the brief description of the workings above given, all the drifts and cross-cuts are by no means given, but enough is mentioned to give a general idea to one versed in mining. A point that impresses one in visiting the mine, is the fact that ore seems to exist in all parts of the mine. To the east, south, west, and partly toward the north, every drift has developed ore bodies.

HIBERNIA CONSOLIDATION.

The Hibernia consolidation consists of the Hibernia, May Queen and Surprise claims, joining the Robert E. Lee and on the south side of Fryer Hill. The property extends across Dry Stray Horse Gulch on to Yankee Hill and adjoins the Denver City. The prop- erty came into prominence in the summer of 1880, by the discovery of a good body of rich chloride ore and connection was made with the Lee workings and drifts also extended to the Matchless line, where the workings of the two properties have since joined. The prop- erty has been worked very successfully. In November, 1880, a new shaft on the Surprise claim, belonging to the consolidation and located on the south side of the gulch, reached a large body of rich chloride ore. This was the first discovery of good smelting ore on that side of the gulch and it has created a great renewal of confidence in mining. The ore body was worked out in a few months, and the expectations in regard to its immediate future not having been realized, caused a serious decline in its stock which did great injury not only to the mine itself, but to mining interests generally. There is no reason for doubting, however, that the mine will prove profitable to its owners, though, like many other valuable properties in this camp, it has been crippled by overstocking and stock speculations.

LITTLE SLIVER.

Just east and adjoning the Robert E. Lee is the Little Sliver. The ore bodies explored in the Lee, which have been followed to the east almost to the Sliver line, renders it cer- tain that a continuation will be found in the lines of the Sliver territory. In fact many of the best mining men are open in expressing

HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.

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the opinion that the Little Sliver will prove the richest mine in the camp. A shaft was first sunk on the south side of Dry Stray Horse, but water became so troublesome, this was abandoned and a new shaft was started on the north side near the office of the Robert E. Lee. A small shaft-house with a steam hoister were put up and the shaft sunk to over 200 feet when water again became too plentiful to control. The company then resolved to prepare for action and at once laid out plans on an extensive scale that have since been completed. The plant of machin- ery and buildings have no superior in the camp. There is a large nine-inch Cornish pump, and a double engine, one to run the pump and the other for hoisting. The Sliver promises to be one of the most productive in Leadville. Thus, as the productive district extends, the future prospects become brighter, and permanency as well as prosperity is guar- anteed.

YPSILANTI.

On the south side of Fryer Hill, near Stray Horse, is the Ypsilanti. Some good pockets of ore have been found in this claim and some shipments made. There has been a conflict of title between this property and the Olga that has interfered with development.

THE OLGA.

Near Stray Horse and between Fryer and Carbonate Hills, is the Olga. The mine has a shaft that has reached contact at 135 feet and some ore has been taken out. The prop- erty is being developed.

BIG PITTSBURG.

There are four shafts on the Big Pittsburg property, and there are four claims belonging to the company. In the Stray Horse shaft, ore was struck and some shipments made when the shaft caved in and no work has since been done on that portion of the prop- erty.

The Joe Bates shaft has produced consider- able ore, but owing to the fact of the shaft being very small and not in safe condition, a new shaft was last summer started from the surface near by.

This has not yet reached the ore body.

On the Big Pittsburg claim itself, there are two shafts, neither of which has reached ore. One shaft is at the extreme north end of the claim and but a few feet from the shaft of the Hibernia. Good indications were here found and contact cut, but after drifting about for a time and finding no mineral, the company became discouraged and abandoned work. The fourth and most important shaft is the Keene, located on the south side of Dry Stray Horse. This is a well-built.and well-timbered shaft and is 200 feet deep. Mineral has not yet been reached in it.

The recent discovery of rich ore in the Surprise and Denver City, on the south side of the gulch adjoining the property of the Big Pittsburg Company, wonderfully enhances the probable value of the latter property and will probably induce the company to make re- newed efforts to develop the mines.

VIRGINUS.

The Virginus Mine belongs to the Fryer Hill Mining Company. It is located on the north slope of Fryer Hill and joins the Cli- max. Two shafts are sunk upon it, both down to mineral. The ore is mostly iron with streaks of carbonates, and although much of it has been shipped, the grade is generally quite low. It is believed, however, from its location that valuable and extensive ore bod- ies will be found in the mine.

IRON MINE.

The Iron Mine is looked upon as the great- est of all the permanent mines about Lead- ville. It was among the first properties located, and when W. H. Stevens took up the claims he aimed to take the apex of the vein for a long distance and thus secure the entire property above. This course created a great deal of controversy, as the question of follow- ing mineral on latteral veins was sharply con- tested, and, in fact, has never yet been fully decided. The Iron Mine property, however, aside from this issue, is of great extent and immense value, and the recent compromise made, whereby the Luella and Tucson claims, located above on the hill, were added to the Iron possessions, has formed the most impor- tant consolidation that exists about Leadville,

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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.

while negotiations are now pending for the adding of several more important claims and the forming of a consolidation that will prove almost inexhaustible in extent. The property was worked for some months by Stevens & Wood, when the interest of the latter was purchased by Mr. Leiter, of the firm of Field & Leiter, Chicago, and then worked by the firm of Stevens & Leiter, until the Iron Silver Mining Company was organized.

When the Iron Mining Company was organ- ized and commenced operations on the great group of mines comprising the property of the company, the surface improvements then com- pleted were very primitive compared with the wonderful and substantial improvements since put up. "Mr. W. S. Keyes, appointed the Gen- eral Manager, at once selected Paul J. Cullen, one of the ablest mining captains of the State, to assume the chief control of the property. Underground improvements have been made that cannot be appreciated except by a per- sonal visit, and even then a thorough knowl- edge of the workings at the beginning must be known to see how great the change has been. Upraises and chutes have been put in, and the ore body explored, until one becomes bewildered in examining the numerous cuts through the mine, and it seems that the ore bodies are entirely inexbaustible. Over a mile of iron tracks has been laid in the mine.

From the workings of the north incline, an elevated trestle-work extends north a distance of 400 feet to the great ore house just com- pleted, and over which a track is laid, so that the cars extend direct from the mine. This trestle-work is about twenty-five feet from the ground. About midway of the distance to the ore house, an immense ore platform has been constructed below, on which is being ac- cumulated thousands of tons of third-class ore.

This ore at present does not yield much of a profit to treat, principally on account of the low price of lead, but it is believed in the future will be of immense value. .

The ore house is the finest in the State. It is 30x120 feet in size, and the bins are twenty- five feet high. From the south, the track coming from the south incline enters the center of the building above the bins, and the track from the large new incline enters

from the east, the two tracks connecting, and both connect to the timbering department, so that timbers and supplies are conveyed to either incline without leaving the track.

Should the consolidation of other claims now proposed be effected, the supply of ore will last for years, perhaps for ages, and, with the proposed new machinery, an output can be produced that will far exceed any produc- tion heretofore known in Leadville.

This great mine, now one of the largest in the world, acquires much of its reputation, from the fact that it was located by Mr. Ste- vens, the original, or one of the original, dis- coverers of the value of carbonates. It has been enormously productive, and has made all who have been connected with the owner- ship wealthy.

SILVER CORD COMBINATION.

One of the most extensive properties on Iron Hill, or, in fact, about Leadville, is the Silver Cord Combinaton. It consists of seven locations, known as the Cleora, Silver Cord, Delta, Silver Wave, Eagle, Minnie Lee and Willard Lodes, comprising about sixty acres in all. There are shafts on all the claims-in fact, several on some of them, but the two principal shafts are those of the Cleora and Silver Cord. The former is 328 feet deep, and the latter 380 feet in depth. The property would have been much more extensively devel- oped but from the fact that it has been tied up to a great extent by injunctions granted at the suit of both the Silver Wave and Iron Mines. At one time last summer, a Receiver was appointed to take charge of the property. These suits were finally dismissed, and for a few months past, the company has been at liberty to work the property-a privilege that has been acted upon vigorously. There is a main drift extending from the Cleora shaft to the Silver Cord shaft. It commences at the bottom of the former shaft, and connects with the latter at the depth of 360 feet, the difference in depth in the two shafts being on account of the dip of the hill.

The principal workings in the mine at pres- ent, and from where the greatest amount of ore is being produced, is to the east of the Silver Cord shaft. There large bodies of sand

JEGrant.

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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.

carbonates are found. The east shaft starts at a depth of 340 feet, but the vein, pitching in that direction, an incline is first followed, and then a winze sunk. From the bottom of this winze a drift has since been run back to the bottom of the shaft, which greatly facilitates working. The mine is putting out a large amount of ore, averaging at present probably from forty to fifty tons per day. . The prop- erty is owned by a stock company, owned principally in Philadelphia.

On the Silver Wave, the workings have been prosecuted through an incline 200 feet in length, with drifts extending here and there as seemed most convenient. This incline is thoroughly timbered and planked up inside from the top to the bottom. Levels have been run at regular intervals, and the mine worked in a systematic manner. Over the mouth of the incline has been built a large shaft-house, 30x56 feet, with an engine room partitioned off, in which is a fifteen-horse power engine. Down the incline is an iron track, extending to the ore rooms and the dump pile for the waste, and the cars coming from the incline connect with tracks extend- ing to the ore room and dump.

1MES.

The shaft on the Imes has reached a depth of 400 feet. A new engine has recently been put up on the mine, and the shaft-house has been repaired. The shaft starts with an in- cline toward the north, and extends 140 feet, and from that is continued straight down. At the depth of 140 feet, a drift extends to the east thirty feet. The shaft follows down a seam of ore its entire distance, and some fine-looking ore is piled on the dump. It is mostly iron, although some of it carries a fair percentage of galena, and assays in silver have been had of upward of fifty ounces.

THE SMUGGLER.

The Smuggler is the property of George T. Clark and J. H. Dudley. It is on Iron Hill, above the location of the Iron Silver Mining Company. There are two shafts upon it, and extensive drifting has been done. The mine has produced many hundred tons of good quality of ore. Lately, there has been no

work done on the property, owing to an in- junction put upon the workings by Stevens & Leiter, of the Iron Mine, who claimed the Smuggler as a continuation of the Iron prop- erty, because they held the apex of the vein. After an exhaustive trial and argument before a jury in the United States Court at Denver, in May, the case resulted in a com- plete victory for the Smuggler.

STAR OF HOPE.

The Star of Hope lode, located east of the Smuggler, has a shaft forty feet in depth, has struck iron, and is drifting upon it. The drift is about twenty-five feet, and is being con- tinued.

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 39

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080