APPENDIX SS. 18^5 



per mile. This portion of the Animas is very confined, narrowing to the north ; the 

 mountains are steep and precipitous, particularly on the east, opposite Eureka, and 

 about the immense trough of the river are numerous evidences of glacial erosion. 



At Eureka the outlook for the future was more encouraging. For the reduction of 

 the ores of the gulch, large works, being erected by an Eastern company, were all under 

 way, and expected to he open for business by the beginning of the season of 1878, the 

 process being lixiviature. 



In Burns' Gulch, where large quantities of ore were on the various dumps, a concen- 

 tration mill of about 8 tons capacity was being operated. The proprietors were Messrs. 

 Smyth & Peterson, graduates of the Freyburg mining schools ; the concentrated ores 

 were shipped to Saint Louis refining-works, the magnificent motive-power of the 

 water being utilized for their mill. 



THE PARK DISTRICT, 



so named from its containing Burrows Park, a mountain valley between 10,000 and 

 11,000 feet in height, adjoins the Eureka on the east. Through this district a road 

 from Animas Forks, via Cinnamon Gulch, passes down the Lake Fork of the Gunnison 

 to Lake City, about 29 miles distant. This road, however, is in such a wretched order 

 that all teams for Lake go from Animas Forks, via the Hensen Creek toll-road, which 

 is in fine order, besides being 6 miles shorter. 



The Park District lies mainly in Hillsdale County, and within it are situated some 

 fine properties which are being rapidly developed. 



The principal mining points are Sherman, on the Lake Fork, at the mouth of Cotton- 

 wood Creek; Argentine, about 6 miles farther up the stream; Tellurium, at the head 

 of Burrows Park, and the American Basin, a huge depression, about 2£ miles long and 

 1 wide, immediately to the west of Handle's Peak. Several gulches entering the park, 

 also contain some valuable lodes, the most important of which is the Cleveland, com- 

 ing from the northwest nearly, and below Tellurium. 



Among the most promising and best developed lodes are the Hidden Treasure, Ma- 

 jor, Vulcan, Mountain Curve, Garden City, Cuba, Little Edith, Lilly, Inez, Cashier, 

 Silver Queen and Del Norte. 



The nature of the ores are wholly silver, no gold having as yet been found; they are 

 generally a fine grade galena, with and without gray copper ; a few of them carry dio- 

 crasite or antimonial silver, and one or two, indications of pyragyrite or ruby silver. 



Their value is that of first-class ore in general, some few running to quite a low grade,, 

 but in large quantities. The Hidden Treasure, of the American Basin, gave an assay 

 while we were at Lake of 3,287 ounces ; some ore of the Major has sold for a dollar a 

 pound. 



Specimen No. 719, of the collection, from the American Basin, gave an assay of 

 1,000 ounces. The A'ein is 8 feet between wall rock of the fissure, and contains several 

 pay streaks, of which the finest quality is 8 inches. 



Specimen No. 726 was from a lot of the Inez ore, an American Basin mine, which 

 gave a mill run at Lake City of 810 ounces ; it contains both native and brittle silver 

 in small quantities. We were present at Van Gieson's "Works at Lake City when a 

 sack of 58 pounds of the Vulcan (picked ore, of course) was paid for at the rate of 

 1,964 ounces per ton. The rest of the lodes mentioned, except the Del Norte, are of 

 fine grade, yielding from 60 and 75 ounces to 150 to 250 ounces, the Cuba, a ruby silver 

 pay streak, having mill runs from 100 to 300 ounces. Upon the Del Norte, about half 

 a mile below Tellurium, $7,000 has been expended in development; tunnel in over 100 

 feet; about 1,000 tons already out, all of low grade, perhaps 46 ounces x>er ton. 



In the shape of milling facilities, two works for the concentration of ores were to be 

 erected and opened for the season of 1878. At Argentine, one of a daily capacity of 

 10 tons was to be built by Messrs. Welsh & Son; at Tellurium, the other, with facili- 

 ties 50 per cent, greater, or 15 tons per day. The latter was to be done by an Illinois 

 Company, known as the Gunnison Silver Mining Company. It i^ossesses a large capital 

 and has under way the most extensive operations in the district. The mill is located 

 on a gentle slope of the mountain, north of the river, and its heavy water-power is 

 derived from a 1,200-foot race bringing the water from the stream. 



THE UNCOMPAHGRE DISTRICT 



lies on the north of the Animas District, Cement Creek being to the southeast, and the 

 north fork of Mineral Creek to the southwest of Read Peak or Mountain, while Red 

 Creek of the Uncompahgre runs down its northern slopes; it lies also northwest of 

 Eureka District Mineral City and Poughkeepsie Gulch being in that direction from 

 Animas Forks. 



It lies, moreover, upon the Pacific slopes of the mountains, its mines being in the 

 gulches of Poughkeepsie, Red, Bear, and Canon Creeks, which dash down in most 

 horrible and frightful canons, eroded from the massive mountains circling their heads, 



115 E 



