HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE GOLD DEPOSITS. 
135 
much to do with it. From August, 1903, to the summer of 1904 many mines expe¬ 
rienced more or less difficulty from this cause. 
Production of the Cripple Creek district according to the reports of the Director of the Mint.a 
Year. 
Gold. 
Silver. 
Fine oz. 
1891. 
$449 
1892. 
583,010 
1893. 
2.010,367 
5,019 
1894. 
2,908,702 
25,900 
1895. 
6,879,137 
70,448 
1890. 
7,512,911 
60,864 
1897. 
10,139,709 
57,297 
1898. 
13,507,244 
68,195 
1899. 
15,658,254 
82,520 
Year. 
Gold. 
Silver. 
Fine oz. 
1900. 
$18,073,539 
80,166 
1901. 
17,261,579 
90,884 
1902. 
16,912,783 
62,690 
1903. 
12,967,338 
42,210 
1904. 
14,499,529 
55,790 
1905. 
15,724,344 
35,643 
Total. 
154,638,895 
737,626 
a The figures given in the mint reports are considerably lower than those usually quoted in mining journals and popular 
descriptions of the district. 
The total dividends can not be ascertained on account of the many individuals 
and small companies operating in the district. The dividends of the larger com¬ 
panies, it is stated, amounted to $32,752,000 to the end of 1903. In that year it is 
reported that $1,716,000 was paid by fourteen mines, the Portland, Strong, and 
Stratton’s Independence leading, with $360,000, $300,000, and $250,000, respec¬ 
tively. 
The annual tonnage of the camp has probably not exceeded 700,000 short tons 
of ore. For the year 1904 it was nearly 600,000 tons. Of this, the Portland mine 
produced about one-sixth. 
The distribution of the total tonnage of ore over the several parts of the district 
varies, of course, from time to time. An investigation made in 1903 for the Cripple 
Creek Times shows that 42.7 per cent came from the Battle Mountain mines, 30 per 
cent from Bull Hill, including the Vindicator lode sj^tem, 7.4 per cent from Raven 
Hill, '5.8 per cent from Beacon Hill. 7.8 per cent from Gold Hill, and 4.9 per cent 
from Guyot Hill (including the Man" McKinney mine). Since that time the out¬ 
put from Beacon Hill has increased considerably and that from Bull Hill is probably 
somewhat less. 
MINING. 
The methods of mining employed at Cripple Creek are not materially different 
from those in use in other districts where metalliferous veins are exploited. Over¬ 
hand stoping with slightly differing variations is used. In narrow veins short 
stulls comprise about the only timbering used and required, but when the stopes 
become over 12 feet wide square sets become desirable. The rock is usually so hard 
that stopes will stand unsupported for a remarkable height and width. Examples 
of stopes up to 200 feet high and 30 feet wide standing without any support may be 
seen at the Vindicator and Prince Albert mines. Still in many places the calcite 
seams cause a dangerous scaling off on the walls, and partial filling must be resorted 
to in conjunction with the square sets. In the big stopes up to 50 feet wide, as in 
the Portland mine, from 30 to 40 per cent of the total amount broken can be left in 
the mine as filling. 
