SILVEE MINING IN COLORADO. 601 



driven in from the mountain side and penetrating the country-rock at a right 

 angle to the general course of the veins, and at such a level as to intersect 

 them at considerable depths. 



• The Equator lode, located high up the hill-side above the bed of the 

 stream, was discovered in July, 1866. Its course, coinciding nearly with the 

 trend of the hill, is about north 50° or 55° east. The dip is nearly vertical, 

 inclining a little to the north. The north wall is well defined, smooth and 

 regular in course ; but the south wall is less clearly marked, making it some- 

 times difficult to determine the width of the vein. In some places where 

 cross-cut it is said to be 15 feet wide, but the average width, as shown in the 

 greater part of the work, is 4 feet. The filling of the vein is of soft material, 

 consisting chiefly of quartz and feldspar ; but it sometimes passes into a 

 harder rock, more granitic in appearance. The ore is galena, zincblende of 

 several varieties, considerable fahlerz, with some ruby silver and native sil- 

 ver. Some of the selected ore is very rich, several tons possessing an average 

 assay value of $1,000 per ton ; while the lower grade, which is treated by 

 the amalgamation process, has an assay value of $150, coin, per ton. The 

 extent of development in this mine may be seen by a reference to Fig. 4 on 

 Plate XXXV, which shows the amount of work performed previous to Sep- 

 tember, 1869. The depth attained is little over 200 feet. The mine has 

 been quite recently provided with hoisting machinery, consisting of an engine, 

 the cylinder of which is 10 inches in diameter by 16 inches stroke. This 

 drives a winding apparatus, of the kind described in the foregoing chapter, 

 consisting of a spool moved by a belt. 



The work of mining is comparatively cheap. Drifting costs $7 to $8 

 per foot ; sinking the shaft $30 to $35 per foot. Stoping has been done by 

 the day at $3 50 to $4 per diem. The total production of this mine from the 

 beginning of operations to the end of August, 1869, is about $70,000, coin, 

 or nearly $100,000 in currency, making allowance for the average premium, 

 during that period, on coin value. 



76 



