has been obtained from one week's run of forty-nine days' work. Several gold nuggets were taken out during last season; one from Georgia Gulch, weighing nine ounces three pennyweights and nine grains; one from Galena Gulch, weighing eight ounces and a half, and one from Lincoln City, weighing nine ounces and a half. The amount of bullion taken out the past season, exclusive of silver, is estimated by the recorder at $350,000. The Georgetown Miner, at the close of the season, said it was nearly or quite $500,000. The county contains one hundred miles of excellently constructed ditches, many of them having several thousand inches capacity, for conveying the water to work the claims, and declarations are on file for the construction of forty miles more next season. Two hundred and eighty thousand feet linear measure of placer ground has been preëmpted since the 1st of May, 1870. The greater part of this new ground prospects very well, and gives abundant indications of a large yield with proper management. The claims which have been successfully worked in past seasons, as well as those recently developed, still contain sufficient gold to occupy the miners for years, and, as there is an immense quantity of ground yet unclaimed, and known to contain mineral wealth in quantities, which will repay active and economical working, there is no doubt that Summit County will continue to produce annually increasing amounts of gold. There are on the county records over four thousand lodes recorded; but very few of them have been sufficiently developed to show their real value, as the owners of most of them are working their placer mines. The majority of the lodes now under exploitation are situated at Montezuma and St. John's, in Snake River mining district. Montezuma is reached by stage from Denver or Idaho, or by a direct road from Georgetown across the range. The latter road, crossing near Gray's Peak, is one of great natural beauty. It passes through some of the finest scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Beyond the range, it traverses fine timber, and a series of small parks, abounding in cool mountain springs and luxuriant grass. In one of these parks, through which flows the South Fork of the Snake, Montezuma is situated, while Breckenridge is about twenty miles southwest. The road connecting the two places is noted for its lovely meadow scenery and (more prosaically) its excellent pasturage. The Saratoga Ranch, half way between, has a mineral spring-a common occurrence in the parks of Colorado. The leading mine is, at Montezuma, the Comstock, owned by the Boston Silver Mining Association, Colonel W. L. Candler, superintendent. It is situated on the southwestern face of Glacier Mountain, nearly 12,000 feet above sea-level. Mr. Burns describes his visit to the mine as follows: Following up the toilsome trail, we reached and entered the lower tunnel of the mine. This tunnel is 150 feet long, from which a level extends 425 feet. We saw masses of ore ready for the hands of the stopers along nearly the entire length of this level. A shaft or winze 70 feet deep connects this level with the lower one, which is 200 feet long, in which we examined the same massive vein loaded with ore. Ascending to the level again, we climbed into a "stope," and observed a large body of ground in which the miners had been busy extracting the abundant ore. A winze of 70 feet also connects the lower and upper tunnels, and in the works of the latter the ore occurred in wide strata. The vein of the Comstock stands nearly perpendicular, and varies in size. At one point it spread out to 8 feet, and at another it contracted to a few feet; but it preserved a general width of 4 to 5 feet. At the point of greatest width there was a stratum of compact ore 2 feet thick upon the head-wall; the same upon the foot-wall; while ore was disseminated through the intervening mass of feldspathic gangue. In the different works disclosing the vein the solid ore ranged from 4 inches to 2 feet thick, and I should judge it fairly averaged 18 inches. The galena was massive, and formed perhaps one-third of the ore. Zinc-blende, and iron, and copper pyrites occur also abundantly; and in the deepest works silver glance and brittle silver are not uncommon. Handsome crystals of heavy spar are of frequent occurrence. Tests of the value of the different kinds of ore ranged from $40 to $400 per ton. All the work in the mine the spacious clean-cut tunnels and levels, and the well-timbered winzes and stopes-indicated the most skillful management. Captain Ware informed us that it was part of his project to open the mine by a tunnel 450 feet below the present lowest tunnel, which will be 550 feet long, and will cut the vein nearly 700 feet from the surface. If this plan is carried out it will open avenues to bodies of ore that will require years to extract. The amount of ore ready for reduction and piled at the mouth of the tunnel, in the ore-house near by, and at the mill, was estimated at 3,000 tons. And if occasion should require it, Captain Ware told us he could easily set fifty men to stoping ore. The ore will be delivered from the mine to the mill over a tramway about 2,200 feet long. This tramway, which was building under the direction of Captain Ware, will connect with the present lowest tunnel, and ultimately with the projected deep tunnel. Not only ore, but the miners and all supplies for the mines, will be carried over the tramway. It will be capable of discharging 100 tons of ore from the mine to the mill daily. The reduction works of the company are of a very inferior character, unworthy of the splendid mine, and wholly inadequate to the treatment of the ore. They consist of a crusher and rollers, a small concentrator, and a reverberatory and a cupola furnace. According to later reports, the mine has about 1,000 feet of stopingground, and can work seventy-five miners underground. Sixty tons of ore can be raised to the surface daily, and delivered at the mill by the tramway at a cost of about $3 75 per ton for mining and 20 cents for transportation. The company has reduced during the summer 50 tons of ore, at a reduction cost of about $22 per ton. The average yield was $100 per ton. The imperfect apparatus was capable of treating only the galena ores-about one-fifth of the vein material; the remainder, containing from 30 to 40 ounces of silver per ton, being thrown aside. It is proposed to construct a new mill, combining amalgamation with smelting, so that all the ores can be reduced. The Chenango Company owns the Favre, Chloride, Coley, and G. T. Clark-all highly-esteemed lodes. The mine is in Glacier Mountain, about a quarter of a mile farther down the cañon than the Comstock. A tunnel, about 460 feet long in December last, had cut through two veins, assaying about fifty ounces of silver per ton. A short distance below the mine the company has a mill, which is idle, and reported to be of no value. The Sukey lode, belonging to the Sukey Silver Mining Company, Hon. J. T. Lynch, superintendent, is opened by two tunnels, one 260 feet, and the other (150 feet above) 96 feet long. One hundred and eighty feet above the upper tunnel is the discovery shaft, 40 feet deep. The vein is from 4 to 6 feet in width, with an ore-streak of 20 inches to 3 feet. The ore exhibits very rich specimens, but the great bulk of it is of a low grade, the average point being between $35 and $40 per ton. The capacity of the Sukey for the production of this grade of ore is very great. The company owns a small mill, 30 by 80 feet in size, and containing five stamps, one roasting-furnace, and two Blatchley pans for amalgamation. It is run by water-power. Seventy tons, reduced during the summer, averaged 60 ounces of silver per ton, the cost of reduc tion $22 to $24 per ton. It is proposed to increase the capacity of the mill to fifteen tous per day, which will reduce the cost to $15 per ton. The St. Lawrence Silver Mining Company owns the Silver Wing and Napoleon lodes, on the north face of Glacier Mountain, a few hundred feet above the South Fork of the Snake. The former is tunneled 30 feet, showing a vein 4 feet wide between walls, with an ore-streak varying from 10 to 20 inches, and carrying by average assay 35 ounces of silver per ton. The Napoleon is tunneled 65 feet, with a crevice similar to the Silver Wing, and assaying about 60 ounces of silver per ton. During the past summer the company has been completing its mill, a very good one, containing a twelve-stamp battery, and two pans for amalgamating. Arrangements are said to have been made for the erection of a Stewart & Airey furnace for roasting and chloridizing. The Old Settler lode, owned by Black & Milner, is tunneled 260 feet, and shows an ore-streak 2 feet wide, composed of lead, zinc, gray copper, and iron sulphurets. Assays range from 20 to 100 ounces of silver per ton. The Dysart lode, owned by Geo. W. Packard, has a shaft 30 feet deep, showing a vein 4 feet wide between walls, and an ore-streak of 18 inches. Assays give from 30 to 100 ounces of silver per ton. The Umpire lode, owned by Sharrat & Morrow, has a shaft 20 feet deep, showing a vein 4 feet wide. Assays give from 20 to 60 ounces of silver per ton. The North Star lode, owned by Lynch, Pratt & Co., is 43 feet between walls, with 12 inches of ore, composed of lead, zinc, and copper sulphurets. It assays from 80 to 240 ounces of silver per ton. Guibor's extension of the Coley lode, owned by Guibor & Co., has a a shaft 60 feet deep, a vein 4 feet wide, and an ore-streak of 20 inches, assaying from 50 to 200 ounces of silver per ton. The Tiger lode, owned by Lynch, Pratt & Co., has a shaft. 20 feet deep, a vein between walls 6 feet wide, and two pay-streaks, one next the north wall 10 inches wide, (heavy galena,) assaying 100 ounces of silver per ton, and the other next the south wall, 6 inches wide, assaying from 1,000 to 2,500 ounces of silver per ton. The intermediate rock assays from 16 to 30 ounces of silver per ton. The Walker lode, owned by Fix & Hewitt, is opened by a shaft and tunnel, and worked by the latter, which is in 60 feet. The vein is 2 feet wide, and the pay-streak about 4 inches. An assay from several tons of ore reduced in the Sukey Company's Mill gave 206 ounces of silver per ton. The Chatauque lode, owned by Teller & Bull, has a shaft 32 feet deep, and an ore-vein 6 feet wide. About 100 tons of ore are extracted, all of which contains more or less grey copper, &c. Four samples taken from the pile-two from the inferior and two from the best quality—were assayed by Hon. J. T. Lynch, with the following result: No. 1, 414 ounces of silver; coin value, $54 08 per ton. The average of 34 assays, made by Mr. Lynch, agent of the Sukey Company, during the summer, from various lodes in this vicinity, as shown by the assay book, was $143 35 per ton. Each of the mines above named has ore on the dump ranging from 20 to 200 tons; and there are many other lodes in the district which contain ore in paying quantities. It is believed that as soon as the late improvement made by Mr. Stetefeldt, of Nevada, for roasting and chloridizing ores, is introduced into Snake River district, which is contemplated next summer, it will be one of the most important silver-producing districts in Colorado. There are are numerous other lodes in all stages of development in other portions of the county, many of them exceedingly rich. The Bullion and Incas Mining Company, near the head of Clinton Gulch, in TenMile district, owns some very good veins, and has run a tunnel 800 feet, passing through several lodes which are said to "prospect" very handsomely. A large number of lodes of decomposed quartz, containing free gold, have been discovered near the sources of our placer mines, and will, it is hoped, be thoroughly developed and practically worked next season. The lodes of Summit County have been neglected in the past, but the coming year will witness an era of development, both in placer mines and lodes, never before known; and it is expected that the yield of the precious metals will double that of any previous year since the settlement of the county. LAKE COUNTY. I have never personally visited this county, nor have I received any direct and detailed information concerning its mines during the past year. The county-seat is Granite, a small town pleasantly located on the eastern bank of the Arkansas River, and in a district characterized by the occurrence of free gold in quartz veins. Many lodes have been located, and a few are worked with energy. Among the most prominent enterprises is that of the Yankee Blade Mining Company, on the lode of the same name. About half a mile above the town this company has a 20-stamp mill, in which the ore is treated by battery amalgamation, blanket-sluices, and pans for tailings. The mill is run by steam in the winter, and by water-power in the summer. During the winter of 1869-'70 the quality of ore treated appears to have been high. According to a report in the Georgetown Miner, the average yield from a lot of 40 cords was 234 ounces of gold per cord. At midsummer, 1870, secondclass ore was under treatment, yielding (on the same authority) an average of 8 ounces per cord. Major H. Hill is superintendent. The product of the mill for the year ending June 1, 1870, was about $60,000. Thirty men are employed, at the average wages of $75 per month. The Treasury Mining Company has a 15-stamp water-power mill, which was running last summer. Hayden & Son have a 9-stamp waterpower mill, which has been running during a portion of the year. The product for four months is reported to have been about $7,500. The placer mines of Lake County have been hitherto more productive than its quartz veins. The product from thirteen claims, reported by the assistant marshal to the Census Bureau, for the year ending June 1, 1870, was a little over $60,000. These claims employed sixty-seven men for an average period of six months, at the average wages of $60 per month, and gave an average yield of $5 81 per day per hand. The principal claims were those of the Pilot Mining Company, the Graff Mining Company, and Inman, Dyer & Co. PARK COUNTY. The only quartz-mining company at work in this county of which I have any information is the Pioneer, which was at work during part of the year, and is reported to have produced $40,000 in four months. The placer mines of the county have yielded perhaps as much more, paying rather less than $3 per day per hand for a season of say five months. CHAPTER X. WYOMING. The most promising of the mineral resources of this Territory must be confessed to be the immense coal deposits, which extend for nearly three hundred miles along the line of the Union Pacific Railroad. As these have been made the subject of special investigation and report by geologists in the service of the Government, I shall not speak of them at length. The coal is used in the locomotives of the Union Pacific road, and upon the Central Pacific for some five hundred miles west of Omaha. On the latter road it is reported that a ton of 2,000 pounds will run an engine, on the average, seventy-five miles. The average consumption of the engines on the Pennsylvania Central is one ton to every forty miles. These data could not fairly be compared without more information as to weight, grade, and load, but they must be considered, after every allowance has been made, as extremely favorable to the Wyoming coal. This coal certainly stands in the front rank among those of the Rocky Mountains, and ahead of many western coals, in its general heating properties, its freedom from sulphur, and its resistance to the disintegrating action of the weather. It is indeed claimed to be better than Lehigh coal, ton for ton, for making steam, for domestic use, and for gas manufacture. It gives little waste, ash, or clinker, kindles easily, and burns freely. It is asserted to make 10,000 feet of gas per ton, Pittsburg coal yielding about 8,500. Evidence as to its fitness for metallurgical uses is both meager and contradictory. The different mines now open seem to furnish different qualities of coal in this respect. Some of the coal, from Evanston and elsewhere, is said to coke well. Wyoming coal was tried last summer by the Union Pacific Company, in one of their cupolas at Omaha, for smelting cast iron, and found to answer the purpose better than anthracite, adding, it is said, to the fineness of grain and the toughness of the iron. The proportion of metal and coal were about the same as with anthracite, and the time required for the smelting process also about the same. In the hills north and east of these vast fields occur layers of clay, iron, and stone, yielding about 30 per cent. of metallic iron, remarkable for the large amount of lime it contains, thus obviating the necessity of using other flux, and leaving the ore in an unusually porous and fusible condition by means of the expulsion of carbonic acid gas in such great quantities. A few miles farther east deposits of magnetic ore have been found, and on the Weber River, a few miles west, the same ore has been discovered in great quantities. The existence of unlimited quantities of coal and iron, in such close proximity, promise to make this region the seat of a great iron manufacturing industry in future years. Its natural advantages, combined with the requisite transportation facilities furnished by the Pacific Railroad, are attracting the favorable notice of western capitalists, and it is probable that extensive operations will be undertaken within the next few years for the development of its vast resources of coal and iron. The gold-mining industry is confined principally to the Sweetwater District, of which an extended account was given in my last report. I regret to say that the progress achieved last year in this district was not satisfactory. Operations received a severe discouragement from the failure of two mines which were so managed in 1869 as to create |