GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEREITORIES. 3G5 



veins do not yield now as largely as it was at first expected, tlie reason 

 is especially in the want of good management in the mining, provoked 

 by nnprofitable working. Here, as everywhere, coal mines have been at 

 first considered by the proprietors as true gold-mines, whose posses- 

 sion was to bring immediately splendid profits by exploitation. Lignite- 

 beds have been opened everywhere, even far from a good market, 

 and against great ^difficulty of transportation, &c. For many, the 

 result has been disappointment, neglect of the working of the veins, 

 and even their total abandonment. Now railroad branches have been 

 built or are in process of construction from Denver, or from the Denver 

 and Pacific Eailroad to the most important coal-deposits. The supply, 

 already fully equal to the demand, is increasing everyday; and if noth- 

 ing is done by the proprietors to moderate it, they may find a new cause 

 of loss in the superabundance of coal mined for an overstocked market. 

 This excitement might be dangerous for the future, if the lignite-beds 

 ah^eady opened or worked were not thick and over extensive areas. 

 But what is known of the productiveness of the Lignitic measures of 

 this country indicates, indeed, an immense reserve of combustible ma- 

 terials. 



Most of the lignite-beds exposed along the creeks of this section 

 have been tested. Dr. Hayden* notices a coal-bed opened and worked 

 to some extent near the caiion of the South Platte, and two beds now 

 covered with loose materials, in all 5 feet of lignite separated by 2 feet 

 of clay. The coal is not very good, and has not been used for years. 



Going north, and before reaching Golden City, the first coal-vein seen 

 opened is at Wheeler and Johnson's mines, near Green Mountains, 

 one mile east of Mount- Vernon. The coal is 7 feet thick ; not of very 

 good quality. Then, three miles east, the Eowe coal-bank, G feet thick, 

 of a better quality than the former. This vein, which is noticed in Dr. 

 Hay den's report, 1869, dips east 67°; is very accessible, au.d not troubled 

 with much water. It has furnished, up to 1868, about two hundred and 

 fifty tons of coal, biit is now idle for want of good communication.f The 

 coal-veins of Golden City, three miles north of the Rowe mines, are now 

 opened at five different points, the lignite-beds varying in thickness 

 from 5 to 11, even to 14 feet. On the shaft near the railroad-line, the 

 coal, 7 to 11 feet thick, is nearly vertical. Half a mile from this, another 

 shaft 70 feet deep works the same bed, also nearly vertical, 9 to 11 feet 

 of solid, very good coal. This vein of coal has been traced and opened 

 from Eowe's coal-bank, five miles southwest of Golden, to a point seven 

 miles north of Golden, and tapped in eleven different points without 

 discovering as yet any appearance of failure in the vein. In what is called 

 the Golden City coal-mines, the vein is opened at three different places, 9 

 to 14 feet thick, and has been worked continuously since 1865. It was 

 discovered 1861-62. The mines have furnished as yet about eight 

 thousand tons only, and are worked at an average of thirty tons a day. 

 The dip varies from 65° to 71° southwest. 



At the Johnson's coal-mine, half a mile southwest of Golden, the vein 

 is mined 9 feet thick, to a depth of 90 feet. And at Welsh & Com- 

 pany's coal-bank, one-third of a mile south of the former, the vein 

 worked is 5 to 7 feet thick ; dip, 71° southwest ; and five veins of lignite 

 are seen there parallel to one another and of various thicknesses. 



Following northward the same lignite-strata, which, as said above, 



* Report, 1869, pages 37 and 38. 



t These X)recivSe and valuable informations on the lignite-beds of Golden and of the 

 country around are due to the kindness of Mr. E. Berthoud, civil engineer at Golden. 



