History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 48

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791

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The Telluride Club, composed of business men and mine managers, was organ- ized in 1887, with the following charter members: J. H. Ernest Waters, R. F. Wrigley, Geo. S. Andrews, E. L. Davis, W. E. Wheeler, H. C. Lay and W. H. Gabbert. It has now a membership of fifty-two, with commodious and well-furnished apartments.

Banks .- The Bank of Telluride was established May 14th, 1889, with a paid up capital of $50,000; J. H. Ernest Waters, president; W. H. Gabbert, vice-president ; W. E. Wheeler, cashier, and J. L. Brown, assistant. The directors, in addition to the president and cashier, are Geo. L. Fisher, N. T. Mansfield, W. H. Gabbert and W. B. Van Atta. The First National was founded September 19th, 1890; Wm. Story, presi- dent, L. L. Nunn, vice-president; T. A. Davis, cashier ; Wm. Bird, assistant. The di- rectorate comprises the foregoing, with S. R. Fitzgerald, J. E. McClure, J. K. McCoy and C. E. McConnell.

The municipal government for 1891 was: Mayor, O. D. Downtain; clerk and re- corder, Charles S. Watson; treasurer, James McWilliams; trustees, W. C. Smith, Geo. S. McEwen, Geo. F. Rock, Waldo Fuller, Henry R. Goff and A. C. Hart; mar- shal, James Clark; police magistrate, A. Holmes.

The Press .- The Telluride "Journal" was started July Ist, 1881, by E. F. Curry, at San Miguel, but soon afterward removed to Telluride. Curry sold to the Journal Publishing company, Charles F. Painter, manager, and A. M. Reed, editor, a thor- oughly capable writer. The "Republican," formerly conducted by Gideon R. Prop- per, who was connected with a number of newspapers in the San Juan country, later passed into the hands of Mr. L. L. Nunn, and is now edited by Mr. E. D. Mckown.

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County Organization. - When the county was created, to set the machinery of government in motion, the following officers were appointed to serve until the next regular election: Clerk and recorder, Charles F. Painter; sheriff, James H. Bishop; county judge, George P. Costigan ; treasurer, O. C. Thomas; coroner, J. Irwin Cole- man; superintendent of schools, A. F. Billingsley; assessor, T. S. Mathis; surveyor, W. H. Trout; commissioners, Milton Evans, W. R. Stone and Geo. W. Goebel.

In November, 1883, the following were elected by the people: Clerk and re- corder, Charles F. Painter; county judge, Geo. P. Costigan; treasurer, F. R. Hamil- ton ; surveyor, Charles Blair; superintendent of schools, Geo. S. Andrews; assessor, T. S. Mathis; sheriff, C. E. Emery; coroner, W. F. Bogart; commissioners, John H. Mitchell, F. P. Morgenson and W. H. Nelson. At this election the vote upon the permanent location of the county seat resulted in a large majority for Telluride.

Ophir mining district is on the South Fork of the San Miguel, about sixteen miles from Telluride, near the headwaters of Howard's Fork, and was for some time known by the latter name. It was located and the first house built in 1878, though prospectors had entered the country and discovered mineral prior to that time. The first known explorers of that section were Lieutenant Howard and party, a detachment from the Baker expedition, whose name has been applied to that stream, Iloward's Fork, Howardsville, etc. It is said that a man named Linquist was the first to stake a claim on Howard's Fork, in 1875, and called it the Yellow Mountain. Many prospectors went there in 1876, and staked a number of locations, among them the Santa Cruz, Nettie and Crown Point. In that year Herman Nie- land built a log house there. He was cutting hay where Ophir now stands. A horde of miners flocked there in 1877, engaged in mining and took out considerable good ore, which was sent to Green's smelter at Silverton. Though the succeeding winter was long and unusually severe, seventeen men remained throughout the season. One of the claims, called the Osceola, gave very large returns in gold. In 1878 the Gold King was discovered, and the surface ores from this also proved of great value. It is said to have been discovered by Jack Munn, and that ten sacks of the quartz brought $5,000. In 1879 there were 400 to 500 miners in the camp. Soon afterward carbonates were discovered in Rico, and the crowd rushed over to that district. Dur- ing 1880-81 a number of mining companies were formed and much development work was done. Two stamp mills are now operated there upon gold ores. A plat of the town site was filed at Ouray, July ist, 1882. Ames is a small mining town, some three miles northwest of Ophir, on Howard's Fork.

Placerville, on the San Miguel, takes its title from the placer mines in its vicinity. Ilcre were the headquarters of the Keokuk Hydraulic Mining Co., the Mount Wil- son Placer Mining Co., the St. Louis and San Miguel Co. and the Philadelphia Cattle Co. On the west of Telluride, four miles below, are the Keystone placers. Down the river, near Placerville, are the gold placers, owned by eastern people, and managed by L. L. Nunn. The Mesa placers are in Paradox valley, Montezuma county. Pandora is another mining settlement, known also as Newport, three miles northeast of Telluride. Akler, Haskill, Trout Lake, Iloward, Lavender and Norwood, the latter in an agricultural section, are among the smaller settlements of the county.

The San Miguel "Journal" summarizes the output of marketable ores for 1800 at 422 carloads, of ten and one-half tons each, or 4,430 tons, the larger part from Marshall Basin, the most productive district in the county, which we will now con- sider.

The Sheridan vein, on which are located the Mendota, Smuggler and Union claims, was the first discovered in Marshall Basin. It was found by a prospector named John Fallon, in August, 1875. After a time (in 1878) he leased his discovery claim to John T. Donnellan and Wm. Everetts, who cut a drift 100 feet in length.

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The ore was profitable from the outcrop. At length Fallon bonded the - property to Messrs. Wild, Reid and Anderson of Ouray, who afterward sold it to parties in Milwaukee, Wis., from whom it was purchased by the present owners. The following incident is among the current reports and undoubtedly is substantially true. In July, 1876, Mr. J. B. Ingram happened to be in Marshall Basin on a prospecting expedition, and, while thus engaged, was impelled to measure the length of the Sheridan and Union claims, as they seemed to him rather in excess of the legal allowance of lineal feet. In this manner he discovered that each had taken five hundred feet too many. He therefore set his own stakes upon the intervening ground (1,056 feet), and called it the Smuggler, which subsequent de- velopment proved to be a mine of great value. It is a matter of record that the Sheridan lode is by far the most important in San Miguel county, containing large bodies of very rich ore, and though until 1890 worked under many disadvantages, has yielded satisfactory dividends. In this connection I cannot do better than follow the report of the state inspector of metalliferous mines, for 1890, wherein all the sahent points are fully set forth. From the surface, extending to a vertical depth of 1,100 feet, large masses of rich ore are found. The Sheridan, Smuggler and Mendota mines, known as the "Sheridan Group," were located in 1876. In 1883, through the efforts of Mr. J. H. Ernest Waters, the manager, a sale was effected to an English syndicate, mostly residents of China, and systematic develop- ment of the property entered upon. The vein is undoubtedly a true fissure, fully six feet wide, and persistent in both strike and dip. For 10,000 feet on its strike mine work is carried on with profitable results, while the greatest depth penetrated recently by the Sheridan tunnel, 1,000 feet below the outcrop, exposes a large and richly mineralized vein. The formation inclosing the vein is the normal eruptive rock commonly called trachyte, found extending over the entire San Juan region. The vein is silicious, the ores chiefly sulphide in character, lead, zinc, iron and copper, yielding gold and silver, gold predominating in valne. The underground development in this mine approximates four miles, including the cross-cut, and it may be stated that the work of extracting the ores from within the boundaries of these claims is just commenced, and, contrary to general rules, the expenses in the future per ton of ore extracted will be far less than when operating from the surface. But few can realize the immense expenditures necessary to carry on mining on so large a scale. Everything, ore, supplies, timbers, machinery, etc., owing to the inaccessibility of the region, had to be transported over a mountain trail and along the sides of rugged precipices, where the least mishap would cause destruction. The machinery plant requisite for its operation consists of seven engines, five boilers, two air compressors, nineteen drills, three pumps with cage, cable cars, skip, etc. For the last four years from 200 to 400 miners have been employed.

To further explore the vein, and also for the purpose of reducing expenses, a cross-cut tunnel was made from a point on Royal creek through the intervening mountain to intersect the vein at a depth of 1,000 feet. The distance from the mouth of the tunnel to the vein is 3.740 feet. To prepare for handling the prod- ucts, a tramway was built to the Pandora mill, 6,700 feet distant, and at a vertical height of 2,300 feet above the mill. This tramway is a double incline, and capable of moving 300 to 400 tons daily. To cross a deep gorge it was necessary to con- struct a suspension bridge 230 feet between towers, and a little further down a second gulch, or chasm, is spanned by a long trestle, and there a point in the ridge was tunneled a distance of 200 feet.

In connection with this rather stupendous enterprise, by far the most elaborate and costly of its kind in the Rocky Mountains, is the Pandora mill, where a part of the ores are treated. It was purchased, remodeled and equipped with its present

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machinery in 1888, and has been steadily running since that time on the second- class ores. Its capacity is 80 tons per day. The output of the mines to date (1890) has been about 50,000 tons, averaging over $50 per ton for the entire yield of first and second class combined.

Thus provided with all requisite conveniences for rapid and economical work- ing and delivery, with immense reserves exposed, and with the assurance of a con- tinuous ore body, this company began the year 1891 under the most gratifying prospects, in which railway transportation to all the principal markets furnishes an important auxiliary. There are several other valuable mines in Marshall Basin, but those mentioned are the most extensively developed. In the Gold King Basin, formerly known as Alta, there is a combination of seventeen claims, of which the Gold King lode, under lease to Mr. J. K. MeCoy, is the most prominent, and, as its name implies, produces gold. It has a 40-stamp mill near the mine entrance, which is operated by electric power, carried six miles from the South Fork of the San Miguel river, where two dynamos are run by a turbine wheel. The yield of this mine in four months of 1800 was nearly $200,000. For motive power, Mr. L. L. Nunn, the manager, employes the Westinghouse system with alternating currents of 3,000 volts. The dynamos develop 200-horse power, and it is said that Igo is delivered at the mill. The wires are carried the entire distance upon poles. I am informed by Mr. E. 1I. Teats, the superintendent, that the average yield of Gold King ore for 1890 was $28.00 per ton, mined and milled at less than $5.00 a ton, and that the average returns from 18,000 tons of gold ore milled in the district that year was $12.80 per ton.

Many good mines are not now productive owing to the scareity of milling facilities. The region about the San Miguel river contains immense masses of decomposed quartz which extend to great depths and can be easily and cheaply extracted. I was informed by Mr. Nunn, the largest operator in the district, that in one case these decompositions extended to a depth of 1,300 feet below the ontcrop, as demonstrated by an adit. In the gold mines of Gilpin county they are seldom found below 150 feet and in most cases are supplanted by iron pyrites at 100 feet. About Telluride there are enormous ledges of porous quartz contain- ing free gold in paying quantities, that rise fifty to one hundred feet above the face of the mountain. Judging by the various outcroppings, and by the results ob- tained from the limited number of such veins now opened, the San Miguel will soon become the largest producer of gold in the state. But to accomplish that end many large stamp mills must be erected in near proximity to the principal mines, so that the utmost economy of operation may be practiced. The lowest grade ores treated here are many times richer than those from which heavy dividends are paid in South Dakota and Alaska. From the best information I could gather, the gold ores about Telluride can be mined and milled at a cost of about two dollars a ton. when the vein is strong, and the ore can be conveyed to the reduction works by automatic tramways.

Bridal Veil Basin, one mile from Pandora, is at the head of Bridal Veil Park, where the stream whose name is strongly suggestive of weddings plunges over a perpendicular cliff two or three hundred feet high, and at the bottom breaks into clouds of spray (closely resembling that of Bear creek falls at the toll gate above Ouray), and in full view from the town of Pandora. There are many fissure veins of gokl, silver, copper and lead in this basin.

Though yet in the primary stages of development from causes which have been set forth in the foregoing pages, the mining industries of this county will make surprising advances henceforth. It is certainly a very great mining region, one of the best of which we have any knowledge.

The county officers for 1890-91 were: Clerk and recorder, Charles S. Watson;

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treasurer, James McWilliams; county judge, Wm. T. McGarvey; assessor, Wm. D. Rice; sheriff, James A. Beattie; coroner, Harry C. Hall; superintendent of schools, Harry C. Lay; surveyor, Harry R. Woodall; clerk of the district court, C. S. Watson; commissioners, James P. Reddick, Edwin Joseph, Chester Green- wood.

Schools. - By the census of 1890 the total school population of the county was 216, with an enrollment of 109, and an average daily attendance of 64.25. There were three school houses, the value of which was $3,825.

Property Valuation .- The abstract of assessment for 1890 shows a total valu- ation of taxable property in the county-the mines are not subject to taxation- of $918,748. Only 15,133 acres of agricultural land were returned. In the line of live stock there were 1,174 horses, 99 mules, 591 asses (used for packing ore from the mines), 12,326 cattle and 2,763 sheep.

SEDGWICK COUNTY.

GENERAL JOHN SEDGWICK-ORGANIZATION-WHOLLY AGRICULTURAL AND GRAZING -HISTORY OF FOUR JULESBURGS-NEW TOWNS FOUNDED-OLD FORT SEDGWICK -KILLING OF OLD JULES BY JOE SLADE-A THRILLING TALE OF BORDER LIFE.

This county, which includes the site and remains of old Fort Sedgwick, was named for the famous General John Sedgwick, who, in 1859-60, commanded Fort Wise, originally Bent's Fort, on the Arkansas river (see Volume I, page 165), and was killed at the battle of Spottsylvania, Va., May 2nd, 1864. He was one of the ablest chieftains of our civil war, universally beloved by the army, and his untimely death was lamented by the nation. It was established by an act of the General Assembly, approved April 9th, 1889, being segregated from the northeastern part of Logan county. It is bounded on the north and east by the state of Ne- braska, south by Phillips county, and west by Logan. Its area is 650 square miles, and its population by the census of 1890 was 1,293.

It is situated upon an open plain and solely adapted to agriculture and grazing. The principal stream is the South Platte river, with Morris and Lodge Pole creeks as its larger tributaries.

Its first county officials were appointed by the governor, as follows: Com- missioners, W. H. R. Phillips, chairman, P. B. Upson and S. H. Carlson; clerk and recorder, W. H. Strohm; sheriff, J. H. Russell; county judge, James S. Carnahan; assessor, Lloyd Adamson; coroner, George S. Foster; treasurer, Oscar Liddle; superintendent of schools, W. H. Kortz; surveyor, W. S. Babcock. This temporary organization continued until January 13th, 1890, when the following, who had been elected November 5th, 1880, were duly qualified and entered upon the discharge of their respective duties: Commissioners, George D. White, Philo I'. Upson and S. G. Davis; clerk and recorder, David B. Morgan; sheriff, James A. Scott; county judge, James S. Carnahan ; treasurer, Oscar Liddle; coroner, George S. Foster; superintendent of schools, Everett H. Stevens; surveyor, H. M. Woohnan; assesssor, M. H. Wadhams. At this election, also, the town of Jules- burg, which had been designated as the county seat, was adopted by a very large majority vote of the electors. This is the most historical town of northeastern Colorado. Its fame dates back to the period of the overland emigration to Cali- fornia. Remote from the settlements in the mountains or the trading posts of St. Vrain, Lupton and Latham, but nearer their base, Julesburg was frequently

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exposed to raids of hostile Indians. It was the scene of numerous attacks in the early immigrant and staging days, when it was an important point. It was noted also as the place where, in summer, the most terrific thunder storins expended their fury. The present county seat of Sedgwick is the fourth town of the name founded in that section. The original Julesburg was established at Jule's ranch on the south side of the Platte river, a little east of Fort Sedgwick. It was named for a Frenchman long known on the frontier as "Old Jules."* Indians made a furious descent upon the ranch, killing and wounding several of its occupants. The sec- ond Julesburg was then founded at a point about three miles east of the first site, and some four miles from Fort Sedgwick. The first and second settlements of that name were stations on the overland route to Oregon and the Pacific. The third Julesburg was located a little to the north of the P'latte, and in the same direc- tion from Fort Sedgwick, four miles distant. This became the terminus of the U. P. railway for a time, a town of tents and shanties, whither drifted and lodged the most notorious and reckless gang of outlaws, thieves, thugs and assassins ever congregated at any one point on the western frontier. Gambling, drinking, rioting, murders, robberies and confusion worse confounded marked both night and day, until the crowd was dispersed and scattered by the advance of the railroad to Cheyenne, where, in due course, similar scenes were enacted, but upon a limited scale. At one time, according to the estimates of old settlers, from 6,000 to 10,000 people were gathered in and about the old Julesburg, but the latter estimate is undoubtedly largely in excess of the actual number.

This third Julesburg only lives in the memories of the few who survived its tragedies, with an occasional chapter reciting its horrors, published in the periodical and newspaper literature of that day. It is now known as Weir, merely a side- track station on the Union Pacific railroad, almost without population and ex- hibiting no trace of its former renown. The fourth, or present Julesburg, a few miles cast of Weir, is situated on the Platte river. It was formerly known as Denver Junction, for here the branch line of the Union Pacific from Denver, which strikes off from the Cheyenne division at La Salle, again unites with the main trunk and gives the place some importance as a shipping point. It is a quiet, peaceful and wholly respectable village, occupied by industrious and law- abiding people, who believe in schools and churches, in coucation, religion and morality; who support the one and practice the other in their daily lives. It is handsomely located on the ever winding serpentine Platte, in a broad expanse of plain and prairie, and its people are devoted to agriculture and stock raising. It is in what is generally known as the "rainbelt region." When, in favorable sea- sons, crops are grown without artificial irrigation, and in the unfavorable, when the rainfalls are few and insufficient, they are mostly ruined by drouth. From 1885 to 1888 there was a large immigration to western Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Colorado. What is now Sedgwick, but then a part of Weld, and later of Logan county, received a considerable share of this new population. The ex- periment was successful for a time, for the soil is equal in fertility to any in Colo- rado, and the lands were fructified by showers which fell when needed. There- fore, fine harvests resulted, and the people took infinite pride in proclaiming their success and in exhibiting their products in competition with those raised under canals and ditches. Some of these were displayed at the exposition held at River Front Park, Denver, in 1887, and attracted much attention as a remarka- ble illustration of what could be done in the rainbelt section. But from 1888 to 1890 the elements failed these too-confident agriculturists, when the loss of

* One Harry Endriken, who lived at Julesburg when it became the temporary terminus of the Union Pacific railway, and remained there some fifteen years, is the only person residing at the present Julesburg who lived on the old site.

21-iv

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crops one after another, for the want of moisture, brought general destitution. Many were compelled to abandon their homesteads, while those that remained were aided by generous contributions from other and more fortunate counties. In the present year (1891), however, nature has been lavish in furnishing abundant moist- ure, hence fine crops have been gathered by this brave and hardy band of husband- inen.

Notwithstanding the misfortunes of the past, they have in no wise relinquished their faith in the ultimate outcome of their experiment. But should further dis- asters of like nature befall them, there is still the final resort, that of sinking for the underflow or artesian deposit. By natural hydrostatic pressure, or, this being in- sufficient, by pumping and storing the water in reservoirs, as has been done in so many places, agriculture may not only be maintained but largely expanded. The Agricultural Department at Washington has done much in that direction, and by the help of Congress, with proper appropriations, millions of acres of arid land may be reclaimed. The experiment of reaching and utilizing the underflow, though but recently undertaken, has been successful at so many points, it must inevitably be enlarged to embrace hundreds of other points, until the utmost possibilities are dis- closed. Where the soil is as rich and productive as it unquestionably is in Sedg- wick and adjoining territory, means will be found to render it continuously fruitful.

At Julesburg, Holyoke, Akron, and indeed at every point where considerable towns have been founded, the most striking evidence of the character of the people is in the excellence of their schools, the finest building in each being the school house, and their best efforts are devoted to the education of their children.

Organisation .- September 13th, 1886, a petition signed by thirty-five residents of Julesburg was presented to James C. Scott, county judge of Weld county, praying him to appoint five commissioners with power to call an election by the people up- on the question of incorporating that town. The prayer being granted, Hiram Sapp, George W. Gordon, George Gillespie, David B. Morgan and Thomas R. Liddle were appointed. The election was held October 26th, 1886, when sixty-six votes were cast, forty-nine for incorporation and seventeen against.

The first meeting of the town officers after incorporation was held January 3rd, 1887. The following constituted the municipal government: Mayor, Peter Peterson; trustees, D. S. Redford, M. A. McGinnis, E. M. Hungerford, E. T. Shamp and H. M. Doing. At this meeting L. E. Loveland was appointed treasurer and F. A. Smith, clerk. On the 7th D. B. Morgan was appointed police magistrate, and, three days later, James Glynn, city attorney, and J. H. Russell, city marshal. Feb- ruary 14th, following, Otis H. Casteller succeeded E. M. Hungerford as trustee. April 3rd, 1887, the following officers were chosen: Mayor, D. S. Redford; trustees, Otis H. Casteller, C. Johnson, E. S. Drifuse, A. D. Randall and W. F. Keister. The · following were appointed: Treasurer, L. E. Loveland: clerk, A. J. Chindgren ; marshal, W. H. Olmstead; attorney, J. W. McHale; police magistrate, W. S. Bell. Mr. Redford continued as mayor during 1888-89.

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History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 48

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company Publication date: 1889-95 Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co. Number of Pages: 791

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791