XXVIil INTRODUCTION. 
The royalties paid vary greatly with varying conditions of lease and 
with the grade of ore that may be expected. In a certain mine the royalty 
was fixed for the year 1895 by the following sliding scale: 
Royalty on ore. 
Carrying Ag. (average to the ton)— Per cent. 
Wid) To) 20) OUNCES 2 ose Sscces Sones sesesadseness 10 
iDiyopen 2A0) tio) Sil) OWLNCOSs oes sees Ssosseseoceosee 15 
From 30 to 40 ounces---.------.------------- 25 
Iprgoren, 20) (Ko) Bi) OWENS. oes coe ase eosae s 35 
From 50 to 60 ounces.-...-------------------- 40 
From 60 to 70 ounces__-------.--------------- 45 
From 70 to 80 ounces. .----.--.--------------- 50 
From 80 to 90 ounces. -.-.--..---------------- 55 
From 90 to 100 ounces.-__.--------.----------- 60 
From 100 to 120 ounces___-------------------- 65 
Overd20iouncess: a2 3-4 bans s See eee see ee 70 
The average returns under this schedule for twelve months are given 
at $6.48 profit per ton to the lessee and $5.24 to the company. 
Another important mine, whose ores are exceptionally rich, charges a 
flat royalty of 70 per cent of the net returns. 
PRODUCTION. 
The ores of Aspen are essentially silver ores, and contain remarkably 
small amounts of other metals, with the exception of lead. Very consider- 
able bodies of ore, notably the wonderfully rich bodies of polybasite and 
native silver found in the mines of Smuggler Mountain, are practically free 
even from lead. 
Traces of gold have been found from time to time, but there is only 
one authentic case on record where the amount in a lot of ore was sufficient 
to be paid for by the smelter. 
Copper occurs in appreciable amount in the Dubuque mine, in Queens 
Gulch, and in some of the deeper mines. It is not, however, noted in the 
settlings of the samplers, and hence must be in very small amount in the 
aggregate. 
Zinc has been found in considerable amounts in the Aspen Contact 
mine, at Lenado, and in the Smuggler, Dubuque, and others, but does not 
play an important part in the average contents of the ores. 
