CRANE. | Historical Sketch and Mine Directory. 375 
and developing work done, while only a very few had been 
permanently closed. 
During the following year, in the months of June, July, and 
August, another canvass was made, with the result that forty- 
three new mills were found in operation. This surprising in- 
crease of nearly eighty per cent. took place in less than six 
months’ time. A few of the forty-three new mills were old 
ones moved to new locations, but there could have been 
scarcely over three such. Most of the mills were new from 
foundation to roof and with an aggregated value of fully one 
million dollars. 
The phenomenal high price of ore in 1898 and 1899 was 
responsible for many mills being erected on mining lots which 
were not valuable enough to warrant the expenditure. The 
result is, quite a number of mills are standing idle and will 
be sold, or at any rate moved to locations where the ore is 
more plentiful. 
In the pages following is given a mondonee | description of 
the mills which had been and were in operation up to August, 
1899. The data were obtained, when possible, of the re- 
sponsible persons in charge of the plants; when such were 
not accessible, the information was obtained both from work- 
men and personal observation. Much valuable information 
respecting management, arrangement, capacity, etc., can be 
obtained by a perusal of the same. 
