Discovered By Post Reporter, Who Thinks It Will Develop Into Sensation Prominence - Ore Very Rich in Copper

Capt. Jack Bell is a man of varied accomplishments - first of all, a miner, and, secondly, a newspaper reporter who has served time on The Post. In the course of his wanderings he mined placer ground at Dahlonega, Ga.; spent a year or so in Montana; made a trip to Globe, Ariz., and in 1899 struck out for Cape Now, where he met with very gratifying success. His first visit to Colorado occurred in 1887. In January, 1901, he worked as a miner in the Stratton Independence at Victor; three months later he was appointed shift boss, which position he retained for fifteen months. After that he came to The Post as a reporter in the city department. Six months afterward John Hays Hammond, consulting engineer of that noted property, offered him the position of general agent, which he accepted and retained until a short time ago.

The principal motive of this sketch is, however, to set forth the fact that in the course of a prospecting tour among the mountains of Fremont county Capt. Jack discovered some very rich looking float that indicated high grade copper ore.

Tracing it to its source he found a strong, well defined vein "in place" and proceeded to sink a ten--foot hole thereon. The evidence of its value became stronger as the sinking progressed, but in order to develop the vein more satisfactorily he went below on the hill and drove an adit tunnel into it a distance of 25 feet. The pay streak, according to his account, is about 30 inches wide and averages 12 per cent copper, three ounces silver and $4.80 in gold. The vein between walls measures six feet. He says there is a belt of outcropping lodes about 300 feet wide, all showing excellent indications at the surface. Samples laid upon my table show fine values in copper.

The adit tunnel exposes a good body of mineral its outer length of 22 feet. It encountered the shoot opened in the shaft at a depth of 60 feet on its dip. To more conveniently develop his find he will sink a new vertical shaft in the granite formation down to the vein at a depth of 500 feet, which will be near the water level. The mountain is high and precipitous. There is a good wagon road from his mine to the Rio Grande railway, six miles distant.

He says there is a rich streak in the adit tunnel that carries 62 per cent copper, with good values in gold and silver. At first it was only a thin seam, but widened as the drifting progresed and is now six inches wide. He has an idea that it will develop into a very remarkable body of rich copper bearing material. The group he has located comprises four good workable lodes, and he is confident that he has discovered a district that will become very prominent when developed. Where it is situated he declines to state at present, being anxious to secure his locations before making the locality public. A company has been organized, and the work will proceed as rapidly as possible to put one or more of the properties on a shipping basis. Capt. Bell is in the city today for the purpose of arranging for a shipment to the Union Ore Extraction and Reduction works to test its value in bulk. If the returns are satisfactory it will greatly stimulate the work of opening the mines.

While talking very conservatively about it, he expresses great confidence in the immediate future of the new district. It is admirably situated for extensive mining, with plenty of timber and excellent water power for mining purposes. If the Cardiner leaching process is found well adapted to the ores, a mill will be erected near the mines. It is probably that there will be a rush of prospectors to that section as soon as its locality is made known.