1826 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 



their "bottoms choked with debris, and very often inaccessible. Words are inadequate 

 to describe the appearance of these canons from above. Each looks like a perfect 

 wreck of matter, or an exploded world piled below in strange confusion ; the fiercely 

 red peaks about lending a brilliant contrast to the long stretches of timber and the 

 valley far below and beyond. The wealth of mineral deposited here by nature was ap- 

 parently proportioned to its inaccessibility. Mines are most numerous in the Animas ; 

 capital has aided them at Lake most largely, but in the Uncompahgre Mountains 

 nature made them richest. 



Mineral City is its town, nearest Eureka District, being on a fine toll-road, 3 miles 

 over the range from Eureka, and about 20 miles from Lake City, by the Hensen Creek 

 road. It is an important mining camp, is at the edge of timber line some 11,500 feet 

 above the sea, and is claimed to be higher up in the heavens than any other town in 

 the United States, if not the loftiest mining camp of any size in the world. 



Way down the gulch, on the Uncompahgre River, less than 6 miles by air-line, 

 only 1\ or 8 by trail, but 120 by the wagon-road via Lake City, lies Ouray, the largest 

 town of the district, and rival, perhaps, of Lake City and Silverton in the distant 

 future. 



A mineral belt apparently runs to the southwest from about Ouray, including the 

 gulches to the south, and continuing on to Red Mountain, at the head of Cement Creek 

 and the north fork of Mineral Creek. Mines that lie within its course partake, more or 

 less, of its peculiar characteristics, which differ from the Animas and other ores in 

 possessing less galena and more of the sulphurets than other sections. Being of a high 

 grade and easily treated, they are great favorites at works for the general reduction of 

 ore. 



In the northern part of the district, close to Ouray, on the west edge of town, and 

 at the mouth of Canon Creek, is the Fisherman lode, wonderfully rich, containing 

 native and brittle silver, assays being as high as $30,000. The Trout is an extension 

 thereof, containing gray copper, while the Johnny Bull, close by, carries the same ore 

 as the Fisherman, and is presumed to be one of its spurs. The Ophir, Watson, Three 

 Brothers, Cedar, and Clipper, are also near by ; the Sivyer and Union, on Bear Creek, 

 and many others, including the Mother Cline, Alaska, Saxon, Tyrol, Poughkeepsie, 

 Silver Coin, Gipsy Queen, Little Minnie, Out Pat, and Lincoln Boy. 



Including in this connection the 



MOUNT SNEFFLES DISTRICT, 



' since lying about and upon the peak from which it takes its name, whence Caiion 

 Creek runs down to the town, at the farthest but 9 miles away, all its interests are 

 inseparably connected with Ouray, and we have in the Uncompahgre Mountain belt 

 the richest deposit of mineral, not only in the San Juan, but in the whole of Colorado. 

 The lodes upon the mountain are as large in number as the wealth they indicate ex- 

 ceeds the general average. The names of fifty could be stated that give promise 

 of immense returns on capital carefully placed. They were in all stages of develop- 

 ment in the shape of open cuts, large adits, shafts of 20 and 40 feet, and tunnels up to 

 and over 100 feet. 



The mines of the Uncompahgre are very young, so to speak, but they will be devel- 

 oped with great rapidity. Of all, none j>ossessed more local renown than the Wheel 

 of Fortune property, which was certainly a lucky turn for the finders. It was of a 

 very rich grade with ruby silver and indications of gold. Whilein Lake City, a sale 

 of this property to eastern parties was being negotiated, which was afterwards closed, 

 the price being $160,000. The Wheel of Fortune had been developed sufficiently to 

 show its immense wealth, there being three levels of 160, 80, and 30 feet, and about 60 

 feet of shafting, the expense per linear foot running from $18 to $25 ; its vein has a 

 fissure of 4 feet width, with a varying pay streak from 10 to 20 inches. Its blossom or 

 surface rock assayed 1,200 ounces, and selected specimens 26,200 ounces; mill-runs 

 varied from 200 to 700 ounces ; 70 tons purchased at Van Gieson's, at Lake City, avera- 

 ging 275 ounces. The Monetizer and Mark Twain extensions of the Wheel of Fortune, 

 and the Grand Trunk and Silver Queen lodes, crossing at right angles, were included in 

 the sale of the mine. A batch of 9 lodes on Mount Sneffies for which the patent had 

 not vet been received, were also sold at that time to capitalists of Georgetown, Colo., 

 for $50,000. 



One of the most remakable mineral deposits, not only in the district, but in the entire 

 San Juan, is that known as the Mineral Farm ; it belongs to Mr. A. W. Begale, and is 

 especially worthy of mention. It is reached by the trail from Mineral City down to 

 Ouray, being above and about L} miles north of the latter. The "farm" consists of 5 

 large parallel locations, heavy fissure veins, almost a solid mass some 8 feet below the 

 surface, several hundred feet wide and 1,500 long, with a thickness not known, the 

 owner's estimate, which is of course valueless, being 1,000 feet. To the uneducated 

 eye, it looks as if some great leak had occurred when Nature was injecting the molten 

 metal from below through the many crevices and fissures prepared for its reception, 



