_-,^ , GEOLOGY ROCKS EAST OF FEONT RANGE LIGNITIC. 125 



railway. This mine ranks with the Marshall, Erie, and Golden mines in 

 importance, and the same niimher of seams of coal are claimed to have 

 been found here as at Marshall's, namely, eleven, but here all standing 

 nearly vertical. Of these the lowest, or westernmost, was first opened in 

 the south bank of Ealston Creek to a distance of about 30 feet, and found 

 to be 9 feet thick of good coal. The bed nest above, however, or about 

 25 feet to the east, being more conveniently situated and thicker, was 

 worked in preference. A shaft was sunk in this bed on the north side 

 of the stream to a depth of 60 feet, and levels run either way, since 

 when the shaft has been farther sunk to a total depth of 112 feet. 

 Where worked, the course of the vein is south 23° east, magnetic dip 

 vertical, and thickness varying from 11 to 18 feet, averaging 16 feet, of 

 brilliantly lustrous-cleaving coal, without parting of any kind, and free 

 from slates. For analyses see Nos. 11 to 14 in Table A. 



In 1870 mining cost 11.50 i^er ton, coal run out by the miners, who 

 found their own powder, lights, and tools, the owner getting the timber 

 from the mountains ; coal was then $4 per ton at the mine. Eighteen 

 thousand tons of coal had been taken out up to 1872. For the greater 

 part of 1873, thirty-two tons per day were extracted, the working capacity 

 being probably one hundred tons per day. On the west side of the 

 bed 4 feet of fire-clay are found suitable for pottery and fire-bricks, and 

 a similar bed 8 to 10 feet thick is found on the east side. Above and 

 below these the usual yellow sandstones occur. Limonite, or bog-iron 

 ore, is found near by to some extent. 



Loveland mine : range 70 west, township 3 south, section 4, near south 

 line ; strike north and south ; magnetic dip 70° or 80° west ; vein 9 feet 

 thick ; no parting. 



Golden City Mines. — In going south from the Loveland bank, the 

 course of the coal formation is irregular, bending in westward behind 

 North Table Mountain, and not showing well upon the surface. Here 

 the Mineral Land Company owns the veins. The first opening is on 

 section 16, township 3 south, range 70 west, where a 2-foot vein has been 

 found. The line of the vertical beds is but poorly indicated by the 

 streaks of coal-smut or blossom. In one instance, about two miles north 

 of Clear Creek, these were followed to a depth of 70 feet through fire- 

 clay before they led to solid coal, which was there found to be 10 feet 

 thick. Passing to the south bank of Clear Creek, we come to the Golden 

 City mines proper. These were first discovered in lS61-'62, and have 

 been worked continuously since 1865. 



Several small and nearly vertical beds quite near together were first found 

 in the steep bank of Clear Creek, about half a mile below where it issues 

 from its mountain cauon. The place was unfavorable for working, and 

 the extension of one of the beds southward was opened on the summit 

 of the ridge about a quarter of a mile from the creek. The bed here 

 was found to be 10 to 14 feet thick, and a shaft 100 feet deep was sunk 

 in it, levels being driven north and south from the bottom, and also at 

 a depth of 5Q feet. The course of the vein is south 53° east, with dip 

 varying from 72° to 65° southwest. The bed proved to be quite irreg- 

 ular in thickness, sometimes pinching to a few inches in thickness, and 

 then winding to 8 or 10 feet. Dr. Hodge considers its average thick- 

 ness as being about 5 feet. He says also that the appearance of the 

 coal itself, which is of a dull black, without the bright luster common to the 

 coals from the other mines, has operated unfavorably on its reputation 

 in the Denver market, though no inferiority of quality is indicated by 

 the analyses. (See Table A, analyses 7 to 10.) It is obtained, too, in 

 pieces of very irregular shape, quite unlike the handsome rectangular 



