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Uncompahgre district, in that markable success. or

The belt seems to

neighborhood, and the name, meanrun in a southwesterly direction, ing "Valley of Fountains," has more across the head-waters of Cement of its true significance in the valley creek to Red mountain. Mineral along the Uncompahgre river than in creek comes in its course also, and at the mining district of that name. all of these points ores have been But we will not quarrel with the In- found resembling the Uncompahgre dian who gave it, if he will peaceably ores, and believed to be of the same permit us to locate the mining prop- mineral belt. Of those mines producerty in the mountains along the Un- ing so wonderfully we might mention compahgre river, which are within the Mother Clim, Alaska, Saxon, the Ute reservation. There is a large Tyrol, Poughkeepsie, Fisherman, Silscope of rich mining country along ver Coin, Our Pat, King Solomon, the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Bonanza, Adelphi, Alpha, Scottish which last season, tempted the reck- Chief, Gipsy Queen, Seneca Chief and less adventurer, which will be, before Little Minnie. The ores of the Unmany months, joined to the borders of compahgre carry less galena and more that wonderful mineral country. of the sulphurets of silver than in any other district named, and being of a high grade and easily treated, are regarded with great favor by smelters.

The richest mines in all San Juan are found in the Uncompahgre. There is a nest of mines on the summit of those mountains, perhaps included within one and one-half miles square, whose best grade ores will run from five hundred to one thousand dollars to the ton at the smelter. A number of mines furnish ores which will bring from $1,500 to $1,800 per ton at the smelter. Last season the extension of this rich belt of mineral was extensively prospected for, and with re

There is great need of smelting works in this district. Austin and Greenell, owners of the famous Lincoln Boy mine and others, are erecting works this season, but they expect to furnish the supply of ore from their own mines. Many of the ores of the Uncompahgre the Uncompahgre have been shipped to Denver for treatment.

LAKE DISTRICT.

metals, ample to guarantee its success. At this time it is difficult to determine which is to be the most imporThe Lake district, for the pres

Nearly every mining district in Southwestern Colorado has some dis tinctive characteristic from others, and posesses wealth in the precious tant. For Passenger Rates address BEVERLEY R. KEIM, General Passenger

Agent.

ent, is the most accessible by good that sort, and it has two bakeries, two roadways of any of the silver-bearing saw mills, three restaurants, two districts, and having mines, though blacksmith shops, one livery stable, not so numerous, are equally as rich as one millinery store, one weekly paper those in the famous Animas district.—the Silver World-five saloons and There are some four hundred and fifty two meat markets. mines located in Lake, and it has the only Tellurium lode of any note in the San Juan country. This is the Hotchkiss, which carries tellurium ores rich in gold and silver and is, perhaps, the best developed mine in that region.

Of the mines of note we might mention the Cora, East Boston, Big Casino, Ouray, Little Chief, Mountain Lyon, Belle of the East, Belle of the West, Lone Chief, Mayflower, Atlantic Plantation and California Lode.

LAKE CITY,

is the chief town in the mining district, and has a population of seven hundred inhabitants, and situated at the confluence of Lake Fork with the Gunnison River.

Two toll roads have been constructed, one from Del Norte and another from Saguache to Lake City, giving it two outlets to the East, and the road is extended west to the forks of the Animas, which will give a stage route to Silverton, in San Juan county.

The town is well provided with supply stores, there being five stores of

A bank has been chartered-the Bank of Lake City-with a capital of $50,000, which will greatly facilitate business and assist materially in building up the mining interests there. Already the good people of Lake have an ambition to make it a great city and the distributing point to the extensive mining districts west and southwest.

The scenery about Lake City is delightful, and is remarkable for its deep canons, picturesque waterfalls and floral attractions.

The Granite Falls, two miles distant, is seventy eight feet in height, and the Argentine Falls, four miles above Lake, takes a tremendous leap of one hundred and sixty feet into a chasm below.

Thus briefly have we noticed some of the leading features of the principal silver mining districts in the San Juan country. New mining districts are occasionally being formed and new mines daily discovered. We will now mention those districts noted principally for their gold-bearing quartz and placer gold.

If you want Rates of Freight on your Mining Outfits addrsss T. F. OAKES, General Freight Agent, Kansas City, Mo.

SAN MIGUEL GOLD MINES.

Twenty-five miles west from Silverton the San Miguel gold mines are found. In the middle part of August last it was being talked around quietly at Silverton that rich placer diggings had been struck at that place, and in three days thereafter three-fourths of the people of that lively town were off to the new gold "diggins." Everybody wanted a mule or a horse, and those who could not be thus provided, either rode a boro or went on foot. The rush continued for a week, and

men poured in from every quarter.

What was thought to be the best portion of that country was staked out, and a new mining district was formed. At the present writing the extent of the deposit is not known, yet a considerable amount of gold was "panned out." Old prospectors think there is gold to be found between San Miguel and the La Plata country, and we may look for new discoveries during the present season in that quarter.

LA PLATA GOLD MINES.

price. During last season sluice mining was the method employed for securing the gold, but in October last parties interested in those mines went to California to engage aid in the construction of a perfect hydraulic system, by which a more effective treatment could be employed, so that the present season will undoubtedly be one of greater activity in these new gold fields of La Plata. Such rich placers satisfied the old miners that the source of these low-land deposits were exceedingly rich, and prospect

Sixty miles southwest from Silver- | furnish water to those who own ton is Parrott City, the principal min- claims adjacent thereto at a given ing town of La Plata county, near which are those rich placer and quartz gold mines, which perhaps have no equal in Colorado. The placers are found along the La Plata river, and are, as prospected, about ten miles in extent along that stream, and have an average width of about two miles. It is estimated that bed-rock is thirty or forty feet below "grass root," the yield from the surface paying from five to ten dollars per man. A company has constructed a system of ditches along certain portions of this gold bar and You can buy Tickets anywhere in the East to all points in Colorado via Kansas Pacific Railway.

ing for quartz gold leads upon the adjacent mountains was, during last summer, pursued with vigor and great success, which not only led to the discovery of rich gold quartz veins, but silver was found in abundance and of a very high grade.

When, in October last, those operating the Comstock lode struck a vein which run in bulk $120,000 per ton, a large number of old miners who rendezvoused at Silverton, started for the La Plata district with the intention of permanently locating there, arguing that if they could not strike it rich in gold, they could in silver, and seemed assured of success.

The altitude is considerably lower

The rock is of limestone formation principally, the ores carry but little galena, and in appearance resemble the ores found on the Uncompahgre. Many beautiful specimens brought at Parrott City than in the silver disinto Silverton last season assayed be-tricts up the Animas, and the climate tween $1,500 and $2,000 per ton in silver, with more or less gold.

Silver has been found at different points along the La Plata trail, between Silverton and Parrott City, and one wonders as he sees specimens of high grade silver ores come in for a hundred miles along this mineral belt | if there really is an end to those rare deposits.

more mild. Coal is found in abundance in that country, which, with its superior productiveness of soil, and being on the best line of approach for a railroad to the mines up the Animas river, makes it a chosen spot, and no portion of the entire San Juan country has a more assured success in the future than the La Plata gold and silver district.

SUMMIT DISTRICT.

The immense bodies of fine quartz gold, found on South Mountain in the Summit district, has led to the location of mining claims, covering nearly the entire mountain and to the organization of mining companies and the erection of a number of reduction works, which makes it truly a great and important mining camp.

The average run of the ores from the Little Anna is variously estimated between $50 and $80 per ton.

The owners claim to have taken out $50,000, in sixty days, the formation of the vein matter is seamy in all directions, no definite line of pay streak as in regular true fissure veins of silver. The width of the vein is The Little Anna Lode has gained not fully determined, but the supposiperhaps the greatest reputation, owing tion is that it is seventy or eighty feet to its more thorough development. wide. This and a ten stamp mill The great Through Freight or Passenger Route is via the Kansas Pacific

Railway.

erected upon the mine is owned by a New York company, a small interest in said lode having recently been sold by W. H. Van Gieson to parties in New York City for $50,000.

Other lodes of great promise are being worked, among which are the Golden Queen, Summit, Major, Golden Eagle, Mollie Bush, Yellow Jacket, Caribou, Dexter, Golden Star, Del Norte, Dora, Upper Annie and Ida.

A mine of very singular appearance is the Summit Lode. Here was a butte of quartz matter standing eighty feet high, thirty feet wide and about fifty feet long, situated well up the mountain, and standing erect.

Standing upon the summit of South Mountain, 12,300 feet high, by the lines of timber in the distance to the east and north, you can determine the course of the Rio Grande river that lies along the borders of San Luis Park. The approach to South Mountain from Del Norte is by wagon road up Francisco Creek, thirty miles from Del Norte, and by Pinos Creek twenty-eight miles.

There are various theories concerning the formation of South Mountain. Quartz gold having been found in nearly every portion of the mountain, it is claimed by some to be a solid mass of quartz gold, while others believe the "top dressing" to have been poured over the surface from the mouth of a volcano. There has been a large amount of gold taken from this

Fifty feet farther up the mountain is the upper wall rock to the vein, while below it is shingled down about three hundred feet with a red-colored quartz rock, and calcined granite, mountain, and must continue to be giving on the whole an ashy. appear one of our best gold producing disance. Nearly all the best mines on tricts. South Mountain lie in and about a large basin formed in the mountain, and might be termed a golden bowl.

The Little Annie, Golden Queen and Summit mines each has its stamp mill and others are being erected.

CLIMATE AND WATER.

The climate of Colorado is a subject | in going out of this up into a lighter of universal remark by those visiting air, from 5,000 to 13,000 feet above sea for the first time the Rocky Mountains. The heavier gases, which are a part of the atmosphere, seek the lower levels, and there we have the air we breath over-charged with the combustible gases which sustain life, so that

level, a heavy burden seems to be lifted from the system. You breathe freer, but it requires more labor to take in enough air to “ 'run the machine."

This gives an expansion of the

The Kansas Pacific Railway runs a Fast Freight, in Sixty Hours, to Denver, where close connection is made with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad for

Cucharas, Veta and Fort Garland.

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