in this lake, and the supply seems in- the San Juan country. A wagon may exhaustable. be driven from Pueblo, Trinidad or Ft. Garland to within twenty miles of the Animas district, along the valleys of the Rio Grande river, with as much ease as upon most of the public highways in the older states, so that the sportsman's lunch box and all the necessary outfit for first-class sport may be taken along. Black-tail deer, mountain sheep, antelope, and cinnamon bear, are found in great numbers along the Sangre de Christo range of mountains and the parks and passes that lie along the routes into the mining regions. A season of rare sport might be enjoyed by sportsmen by spending a season in HOW TO GO TO SAN JUAN. The Kansas Pacific Railway has Eastern connections at Kansas City, Missouri, and at Leavenworth, Kan sas. The main line-by Denver-has this advantage to parties going into the San Juan country, either for business or pleasure: If for business, an opportunity is offered to visit the mines. west of Denver, and witness the most practical methods, both for the development of ores and their treatment, either by stamp mills, concentration works, or smelting, and thus learn, by practical examination, what it would require months to learn in a new mining country. At Kit Carson, Colorado, two lines are extended west, one to Denver and the other to La Junta, Col., in the direction of Trinidad, which will soon be reached by their southern branch. From Denver, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad is built south and west as far as Fort Garland, in the border of San Lan Luis Park, which is about 165 miles from Silverton, in If parties go to Colorado for pleasSan Juan county, the heart of the Sanure, they would not be satisfied withJuan mines, and 65 miles from Del Norte, a large mining town, 30 miles north of the Summit gold district, and 145 miles from Lake City, in Lake district. out visiting the capital and metropolis of the new Centennial State, and take in the magnificent scenery along the Rio Grande Railroad, en route to Fort Garland, by which route Manitou The nearest point by rail to the min- and the famous "Garden of the (ods" ing regions is reached by the Kansas are reached, and also Colorado Springs, Pacific Railway and its connections. the chief watering place in the West. Address BEVERLEY R. KEIM, General Passenger Agent at Kansas City, Mo., for inform ition concerning San Juan and Routes of Travel to the Mines. 22 HOW TO GO TO SAN JUAN-VALUE OF GOLD AND SILVER. watering place, where may be found iron, soda and hot springs. Here is another starting point over-land for the mines, and it is a very desirable route to parties going into Lake district by Saguache. A stage line connects at Canon City and runs to nearly all the principal mining towns. The Rosita mines lie south from Canon City thirty miles, and have given to that picturesque little city great activity. La Junta, the present terminus of Canon City, which is another great the Kansas Pacific is southeast from Pueblo, but is on a direct line to the San Juan mines, though not as near as Fort Garland; yet it is regarded as the best freight route into the mining regions, as through shipments are made from Kansas City or Leavenworth to this point, and a choice of wagon routes is given, either by the Rio Grande, or by the great southern route, by Costilla canon. The largest out-fitting establishments in Colorado may be found at La Junta, and connections are made at this point, by Barlow & Sanderson's six-horse stage line, which runs to all the principal mining towns in San Juan. The Denver & Rio Grande road also runs to The Kansas Pacific Railway reaches with its connections the following points, which are the only starting points into the mines at the terminus of rail routes: Fort Garland, Cucharas, La Junta, Pueblo and Canon City, and El Moro (five miles from Trinidad). VALUE OF GOLD AND SILVER. The following statement is from | silver in a ton of ore it contains 291.63 Prof. F. S. Schirmer, Superintendent ounces troy of either of these metals. of the Branch Mint at Denver: One ton (2,000 pounds avoirdupois) of gold and silver contains 29,163 troy ounces, and therefore the value of a ton of pure gold is $602,799 21, and a ton of silver $37,704 40. A cubic foot of pure gold weighs 1,518.74 pounds of avoirdupois; a cubic foot of pure silver weighs 556.25 pounds avoirdupois. If there is one per cent. of gold or The average fineness of the Colorado gold is 781 in 1,000 and the natural alloy, gold is 781, silver 208, copper 10, total 1,000. The calculations at the mint are made on the basis that forty-three ounces of standard gold, or 900 fine (coin), is worth $800, and eleven ounces of silver 900 fine (coin) is worth $12 80. Freight for San Juan, Cheapest Rates, by the Kansas Pacific Railway. Address T. F. OAKES, General Freight Agent, Kansas City, Mo. THE GREAT NEW ROUTE TO SAN JUAN. THE KANSAS PACIFIC RAILWAY valleys equal in richness to the valleys is the pioneer road into the Territory as San Juan. The first map ever made of the San Juan country was made by the Kansas Pacific Railway Company, in the year 1872. Thus early identified with the material interests of the Territory, at a time when its stockholders were obliged to pay large sums beyond the earnings of the road, to keep it in operation, it has, up to the present time, kept its faith with public expectation in making it the great and reliable route across the State of Kansas into the best portions of Colorado. The largest mining interests in Southwestern Colorado are on the western water-shed of the Rocky Mountain range, and wagon routes as well as railway routes to reach the Animas valley and the heart of the San Juan mines, must avoid the mountain barriers that confront us at the head of the Rio Grande. It is a matter long since settled that the most practical wagon route to reach the silver and gold regions of San Juan on the Pacific slope, from the East is from Trinidad, via the Costilla canon, in the Raton mountains, thence to Tierra Amarilla, Parrott City and Hermosa, into the Animas vailey, which gather in the waters on the western slope. By this route the gold and silver mines of the La Plata district are reached, the coal on the lower Animas, the mines of the Animas, Adams, Uncompahgre and Eureka districts, and a portion of the mines of Lake district, and encountering nowhere on the way any impassAt no time has it adopted temporary able grades, either for wagons or railexpedients in the routes chosen, but way. The importance of this route looking to the Southwest, with the is so well understood by the people of mines of San Juan, New Mexico, Ari- Trinidad and Las Animas county, that zona and Utah, and an agricultural the former have just voted $50,000, country in the San Juan and Animas and the latter $200,000, to aid in the Nothing like it-a ride in Palace Cars over the Kansas Pacific to the Mines. construction of a railway upon this per pound, a distance of about twenty route. The people of Las Animas county and the miners in the districts named may rest assured that the Kansas Pacific Railway will, by proper encouragement, at no distant day, exteud its line upon the route indicated, the completion of which must aid materially in the growth of the entire San Juan country. A wagon road is nearly completed from Trinidad, through the Costilla Canon, to the open country beyond (heavy loaded teams are already pass ing over this route), which, with the completion of the road from Cascade Creek to Silverton, a distance of 18 miles, which must speedily follow, will give a road of even grade, and open during all seasons of the year. There is not to exceed fifty miles of mountain road requiring any considerable expense in grading in the entire route from Trinidad to Silverton, and it is estimated that fifty thousand dollars would be sufficient to do the grading at both ends of the line, where the only grading on the entire route is required. By this route, when completed, freights from Trinidad to Silverton will not cost in transportation to exceed four cents per pound, whereas, by present route, the rate is from six to eight cents. Packing over the main range, from Jennison's ranch-near the head of the Rio Grande-to Silverton, alone, costs one and one-half to two cents miles. The new southern route passes around the mountain ranges, and will run through a rich, fertile and open country, without increasing the distance materially from the route across the mountains to the north. This will give two routes by the Kansas Pacific Railway to the San Juan mines. One by Denver, which connects there with the the Denver & Rio Grande road, now extended to Fort Garland, in the borders of San Luis Park, about sixty-five miles from Del Norte, and the other by the southern branch of the Kansas Pacific to Trinidad, which reaches the new wagon route mentioned. At the present time the Kansas Pacific, with its connections, reaches El Moro-five miles from Trinidad-to which point parties going by the southern southern route should ship their freight and procure transportation. If going by the northern routes buy tickets to Cucharas or Fort Garland and go up the Rio Grande via Del Norte to the mines; or if to Lake City and the mines, procure transportation to Canon City via Kansas Pacific Railway. (See map.) IF you want information in regard to rates of freight on your mining outfits or supplies, from any place in the East to the nearest railroad station within reach of the San Juan mines, address T. F. OAKES, General Freight Agent, Kansas City. No miner should think of buying a Ticket by any other Route. THE FUTURE OF SAN JUAN. The population of the San Juan | passed when there can any longer be country two years ago could not have any question as to the mineral wealth exceeded one thousand or fifteen hun-of San Juan. "When destiny marks dred. out a course for mankind, thither tend all forces in the same direction." That course of destiny which shall enrich a In 1875 it was upwards of ten thousand, and this immense increase was owing entirely to the increased people is easily followed, but the folknowledge of its superior mineral de-lowers in this case are men of strong posits, believed to extend over an area arms and brave hearts, who will bring of about fourteen thousand square about a glorious future to San Juan miles, and of which an area of over and the whole country. three thousand square miles has been The railroads are not behind in aidexplored. There has been no excite-ing the development of this country, ment attending this growth, but much and they have shown a sagacity in caution and business sagacity have the rapid extension of their lines in been shown, and this course has steadily advanced its interests and demonstrated its wealth. The first rush into the country began in the spring and summer of 1874, and came principally from the older mining dis. tricts of California, Nevada, Montana, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. The experienced miners of those States and Territories declared their convictions that San Juan had no equal in the world in the extent and richness of its gold and silver deposits. The results of that year and the year following justified this declaration, for never in the history of quartz mining in any country have mines produced such quantities of high grade ores at the surface as this. People are justified in accepting with caution the statements made in regard to new mineral discoveries, but the time has that direction only equaled by the determined spirit of its early settlers. There was little work done in the mines in the winter of 1874-75, but during the past winter about twentyfive mines have been worked, which have produced about $1,000,000, in gold and silver. The present season will be an active one in San Juan. Machinery for smelting and reduction works of various kinds is going into the country, and by autumn it is estimated that the population will be double what it was last year. The growth will be one of permanent steady increase. The open country east of the mining region in Eastern and Central Colorado, though written up at times with flattering commendation, is not an agricultural country. It produces. very little of anything. The demands The Kansas Pacific is the best equipped road in the West. |
