Miscellaneous newspaper articles about Washington County Colorado
February 24, 1889
Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado Springs Colorado
Excitement at Akron
The Discovery of Placer Gold North of Town Has Made Things Lively There
Denver, Feb. 23.--A special to the Times from Akron, Colo., says:
Everything here is at a hight tension again as a result of renewed excitement
regarding the placer claims north of the town. Mr. Opperman, of London, England,
is preparing to put in a plant in the gold fields that will treat 100 tons of
the dirt per day, and states that he is perfectly satisfied with the assays he
has received. The citizens are wisely refraining from exhibiting any undue
excitement, but as a matter of fact several hundred claims have been staked out
within the past few days, and in the opinion of those familiar with mining there
can be no question but what the flour gold found at the depth of from 20 to 60
feet will be found profitable for treatment.
There is no end to the supply, apparently, if it is found that the dirt can be
treated. The machinery for this mill is on the way and is the same as used in
South Africa. Mr. Opperman, the minaralogist, states that the formation is
identical with that in the South African fields. Electricity will play an
important part in the treatment of the dirt.
Two years ago it was discovered that gold existed in the soil in paying
quantities-assays running as hight as $20 per ton having been received from
Denver, but at that time it was found impossilbe to extract it from the peculiar
formation in which it was found.
Professor Newell of the United States geological survey visited this section
about that time and expressed the belief that if some means of treatment could
be devised this country would become one of the profitable gold-producing
portions of the state. He also stated at the time that the gold found was
undoubtedly wash gold from the mountains that had been deposited years ago and
would be found in great abundance.
A peculiar feature of the present find is that the shaft sunk is practically out
on the open prairie. Those familiar with the topography of eastern Colorado know
that it is the great plains section of the state. For miles the country is a
level table land, broken only by one or two chains of sand hills. In the
immediate vicinity of the gold find there is little of the rock formation. It is
very close to Fremont buttes, a rocky elevation rising out on the plains,
probably 200 or 300 feet above the level. It was on these buttes that General
Fremont was cornered for 13 days by the Indians, according to the early history
of the country. Wherever anyone has sunk a shaft to any depth the gold has been
found in the soil in about the same proportion that is is found in the place
where the mill is in process of erection.
Not only in Washington county, but near Yuma, 26 miles from here, A. F. Barbezat,
a farmer, has discovered dirt that assays $8 to the ton. In the last-named place
there is no rock formation whatever, the location being right out on the broad
level plain that extends for miles in either direction - Transcribed by C.
Anthony
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