MINES AND MINERALS OF COLORADO. 



By Persifor Frazek, Jr. 



Denver, Colorado, October 15, 1869. 



Sir : I have tlie lionor to report that the examination of the minerals, 

 and the means emj)loyed to utilize them, in the Territories of Colo- 

 rado and Hew Mexico, which you directed me to make, has been con- 

 ducted as well as the very limited time at my disposal would permit, and 

 a preliminary report of the results is herewith respectfully submitted. 



In the letter accompanying the first re])ort to the Secretary of the 

 Treasury by the commissioner appointed to collect the same kind of in- 

 formation from the country lying west of the Rocky Mountains, Mr. 

 Brovfue urges that the six months which were prior to the meeting of 

 Congress would not permit of any but a most imperfect treatment of 

 the subject, and limits himself to sketching an outline of the work to he 

 done. 



The same is true in a much greater degree of the few weeks in which 

 I was obliged to gather the materials for this report, especially as the 

 greater portion of the time was spent on the march, remote from all 

 IDoints w^here statistics were accessible. 



Any report of the condition of mining affairs in the Territories of 

 Colorado and New Mexico, (each of which is larger than all the 'New 

 England States put together,) and in particular of the former, which 

 counts its discovered lodes, the varieties of its minerals, and its mining 

 enterprises, by thousands, and in which energetic capital and intelli- 

 gence, "ever striving through darkness to the light," are working such 

 incessant changes, must represent things as a telescope represents the 

 stars, not as they are or ever were, but this as it was last week and that 

 as it was last year. 



In consideration of these difficulties, I venture to hope that you may 

 regard all shortcomings more leniently, and that the following, though 

 far from complete, may not altogether fail to answer the requirements 

 of Congress. 



In conclusion, I would call attention to the great courtesy and kind- 

 ness I have experienced in the course of my investigations from the 

 citizens of the two Territories generally, the owners and superintend- 

 ents of the various mines and mills, the possessors of cabinets of min- 

 erals, &c., and the officers and their families stationed at Forts Union 

 and Garland. 



Especially do I thank Mr. J. Alden Smith, the mining editor of the 

 Central City Register ; Mr. D. J. Ball, of Empire City; Colonel An- 

 derson, of the Eeal Dolores ; and Mr. Cheever, of the Brown Minijig 

 Company in Georgetown, for the assistance, in a professional way, which 

 they have rendered me ; nor can I forget the kindness of Mr. Marshall, 

 of Black Hawk, and Mr. Schultz, of Central City. 



Where it was not possible for me persouaDy to inspect the mines of 

 which I have spoken, I have in every case stated that the informa- 

 tion is given on the authority of others. 

 I remain, sir, with great respect, 



PERSIFOR FEAZER, Jr., 



liming Engineer. 



Dr. F. V. Hayden, United States Geologist. 



