134 • GEOLOGY AND GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT. 
adjusted for the time, but after some months of agitation and uncertainty another 
strike was called on August 10, which resulted in the closing of nearly all the mines 
in the district except the Portland. The mine owners organized and took active 
steps to reopen the mines with nonunion labor. Work was first resumed at the El 
Paso under strong guard, and some of the other mines were soon afterwards reopened 
under similar conditions. It soon became evident, however, that any general 
attempt on the part of the mine owners to work the mines would be the signal 
for violence. Governor Peabody accordingly ordered the militia into the district, 
and under their protection all of the mines gradually resumed operations with 
nonunion miners. A number of dastardly outrages, such as the murder of the 
superintendent of the Vindicator mine and the blowing up of a station platform 
at Independence at a time when it was crowded with nonunion miners, were per¬ 
petrated about this time, and, being generally charged to the union men, led to 
coercion and deportations. 
The general depression caused by the labor difficulties of 1903 and 1904 was 
partially relieved by a number of discoveries of new pay shoots, particularly of a 
body of remarkably rich ore in the W. P. II. claim, on Ironclad Hill. Ore of very 
high grade was found also in the El Paso mine and new pay shoots opened in the 
Gold Coin and Granite mines. In the Portland mine a number of new ore bodies 
were discovered, indicating that the ore reserves on several of the levels were 
larger than had been generally supposed. 
At the present time there are probably not more than ten of the really large 
mines that are operated by their owners. The Isabella, one of the most extensive 
mines in the district, is doing very little, and the great Stratton’s -Independence is 
now worked by lessees. The number of small mines in active operation is, how¬ 
ever, comparatively large, and it is to be noted that some of these small mines, 
such as the Strong, have been nearly as profitable as their larger neighbors. Leas¬ 
ing or tributing is extensively practiced, several mines of moderate size and a large 
number of the smaller properties being worked on this plan. The extensive hold¬ 
ings of the Stratton estate, which have lain idle for the past few years, have recently 
been opened to lessees and may be expected to add materially to the production 
of the district. 
PRODUCTION. 
Though situated close to the centers of population in Colorado and in an easily 
accessible region, the gold deposits of Cripple Creek were not discovered until 1891. 
To a great extent the lateness of the discovery was due to the extremely inconspicu¬ 
ous character of the vein croppings and to the equally inconspicuous appearance of 
the dark-brown, powdery gold set free by the oxidation of tellurides. As soon as 
the true character of the veins was ascertained the development of the district pro> 
ceeded rapidly. In 1894, when the first survey was made, the production was a 
little less than $3,000,000, but the next year this amount was more than doubled, 
and in 1900 the maximum production of a little over $18,000,000 was attained. In 
1901 and 1902 the production declined slowly, and dropped the next year to 
$13,000,000. The sudden decrease in 1903 was to some extent brought about by 
the impoverishment of several mines, but the labor troubles of that year had also 
