SAN JUAN MINING ITEMS. 51 



SAN JUAN MINING ITEMS. 



The Diamond Tunnel. — The editor of the Miner visited this tunnel yester- 

 day, and we can report most favorable progress since our last visit one week ago. 

 A very rich streak of mineral was struck the day following our visit last week, 

 and this streak has continued to improve and is undoubtedly a permanent pay 

 streak. The ore is as fine looking as any we have seen in the country. Assays 

 of the streak made during the week by E. T. Sweet gave 395 ounces in silver to 

 the ton. The drift west from the tunnel has been pushed fourteen feet during 

 the past week through a good ore body the entire distance. A stope will soon be 

 started. The main tunnel is progressing finely and a drift will be started on the 

 vein just passed by the face of the main tunnel. This vein we regard as one of 

 the most promising on the mountain. It is over five feet in width and has a 

 large body of ore. It appears far superior to the vein upon -which the drifting is 

 now being done, looked at from the point where the tunnel intersected it. We are 

 most thoroughly convinced that there is no more valuable tunnel property in San 

 Juan than the Diamond tunnel of the Silver Producing Mining Company. All 

 parties familiar with the mountain believe that good paying veins will be tapped 

 by the tunnel every 100 feet for the next 1,000 feet. Work will be pushed upon 

 this enterprise with all the force that can be worked to advantage, and we are 

 satisfied that its ore product for the summer will be a most agreeable surprise to 

 its owners, for in less than six weeks it will be sending out ore from at least four 

 good paying lodes, any one of which will be opened to a depth of 250 feet. 



Mount Sneffels. — Mr. John Wilson and R. B. Brown came over from Mt. 

 Sneffels yesterday. Mr. Wilson has been at work on the Yankee Boy since 

 last fall. They have been running a cross-cut tunnel during the winter. They 

 have run over 200 feet and have tapped the vein at a depth of ico feet. The 

 vein, where it has been tapped, looks well. 



The Eldorado, owned by Shultz & Rinkor, has also been worked during the 

 winter. The owners have run a tunnel on the vein, which is looking splendidly. 



The Virginius has been worked all winter by fourteen men. They have 

 about 100 tons of first-class ore out. 



The Blackbird, on Bear Creek, is turning out splendidly. 



The Crusader, owned by Weston & Co., has just been started up. This 

 mine shows a good vein of mineral. 



The company that owns the Wheel of Fortune, will commence work in a 

 week or ten days. This mine will be worked extensively this summer. 



The company which purchased the Quinn and Gichardson mines will also 

 commence work early in the season. 



Mr. Wilson says the trail is in first rate condition. They made the trip from 

 Sneffels yesterday without use of snow shoes. 



Howard Fork. — A very rich gold lode, in a most peculiar formation, has 

 been discovered on Marshall Creek, one of the tributaries of the San Miguel. 



