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The Mountain Boy Gold Mining Company

Last updated: 12.09.2005 10:53
12.09.2005
While going through my copy of the 1906 Geology book about the Cripple Creek District(5), I suddenly found a tiny little reference to this mine! It said that by October 1892 the Anaconda, Arequa, Blue Bell, Buena Vista, Deerhorn, Eclipse, Gold King, Matoe, Mountain Boy, Ophir, Pharmacist, Plymouth, Strong, Summit, Sweet, Victor and Works mines where shipping ore.
How cool is that? :-) It means that this mine actually was quite old in 1904 when the article that first caught my interest was published. Must have been dormant long I guess - and never been a great producer as by 1906 it is not even mention in the chapters dealing with several mines in the area around this mine's location. Good thing I never invested my money into it... :-)
Of other news...  My model is now to be found on the DLS belonging to Auran, for all owners of TRS2004 & TRS2006.

29.08.2005

Claim map where Mountain Boy is marked in yellow

While I was doing a scan of the pictures included in an old book I have called "Official Manual of Cripple Creek 1900"(4), did I happen to at least find some sort of indication of a map showing the location of this mine!

Yeah! :-)

I knew it was said to be near this in the texts below, but as I never found any indication on my 1902 map, or in anything else, I wasn't 100% sure. Now at least I can better locate it, as "Bogart", which is mention a little to the right on the claim map, is both featured in my 1902 map (#88) and also mention in the text at bottom of this page from that article in that mining journal.

 

28.08.2005
Not much work has been done, but at least I'm getting close to where I want this to be. Due to this taking a little longer then I had in mind I've got a little tired of this structure, so while I can clearly see it don't match the picture of the real Mountain Boy 100%, or even 90% I've agreed with my self that this is good enough for now.
The headframe is to thick, I've used lumber 12" in size, guess it was more like 8" or 10" based on the picture I have, and the cover on some of the shaft looks to big too.


Look in TOE


As it looks in Trainz
,  and as the exact real location is unknown, I just located a nice look-
ing spot on Raven Hill.
But, aside from that I think it is pretty good, and it is one nice looking mine I have so I am happy with it!

Thanks to a book I have called "Riches to Rust"(3), I also think I have discovered what that boxlike structure on the left of the shaft is.
According to that book, it was common for moderate deep prospecting shafts to use both a trap door over the hoisting compartment to deflect rock from going down the hole while the bucket is emptied, and to build a ventilation stack (that box like structure) over the utility compartment.
This consisted of a plank lined booth, with a door and a port for ventilation tubing, further the hoisting and utility compartments where divided by a solid wood bulkhead and they lined the shaft with well-fitted lagging.

Then they arranged for a mechanical blower to force air into the stack, which created a down going current in the utility compartment, which again forcing foul gases to rise out of the hoisting part of the shaft - coming up as an up-cast current.(3)

It all sort of made sense when I read that part, and while it makes the headframe look kinda strange it really helps make it a special one and worthy of me spending a lot of time on it... :-)

 

25.08.2005
Yes, I've started on a model of this mine, and I've even dug up some more info on it, at least a slight part of info... :-)


Early look in gmax
Thanks to a website called Colorado's Historic Newspaper Collection there are now access to at least some old newspapers that can be used to dig up tidbits of information's. I love that page, and if I could have afford it, I would have given them all the needed resources to have all the Cripple Creek newspapers digitalized! :-)
But, alas, for now I must be happy with what I have, and beside the information below from that Mining Journal, this is what I found:

Later look in TOE

Aspen Weekly Times (Aspen, Pitkin County)
1895 Dec 07

Aspen Men Are Interested
Have a Three-foot Vein in the Mountain Boy at Cripple.
Manford Smith left last night for Cripple Creek to investigate a strike of rich ore reported to have been made in the Mountain Boy claim, a property in which he and W.E. Turley, of this city, are interested largely.
Mr. Smith was all smiles yesterday afternoon over the receipt of the welcome information. Concerning the matter. The Cripple Creek Times of Saturday has the following:

"A good strike was made in the Mountain Boy yesterday and the indications are that in it another mine will be added to the already large list of such properties.
The claim joins the Dolly Varden on the north slope of Raven hill, and the discovery was made by Messrs. Kelly, Walker and Bob, the lessees.
A shaft was sunk thirty feet before the vein was found in place, and at this point it is fully three feet wide and half of it is pay ore.
And assay taken from this width showed a value of $71.60 per ton. The ore is sylvanite and the vein from which it was taken is a new one. It's extension is pretty certain to be opened upon adjoining properties."

 

Morning Times (Cripple Creek, El Paso County)
1895 Dec 10

A.U. Magnan, of this city, who has considerable interest in the Mountain Boy, at Cripple Creek, several days ago received a sample of the ore encountered in that property recently. He had the stuff assayed by Elmendorf, with the following result: Gold, 10.4 ounces, Total value per ton, $201.
Mr. Magnan is more than satisfied with his Cripple Creek experience, so far, because the Mountain Boy is promising --- Aspen Times.
 

Svensk Amerikanska Western (Denver, Denver County)
1899 Jan 12

A short article in Swedish mention the fact that it don't seems like miners ever will learn that drilling out after a so called "missed shot" is never a good idea.
This article/question they raised seems to relate to the fact that 8 days before, there where two men killed in the Mountain Boy Mine in Cripple Creek.
The two men killed where Dick Tomas and C. Woddruff.

Mining is not a safe thing, especially back then I think.

 

Morning Times (Cripple Creek, El Paso County)
1900 Jan 10 / 1900 Jan 20 / 1900 Jan 28

For Sale
- 10 months lease on the Mountain Boy on Raven Hill, adjoining Morning Stars and close to Doctor and Ida May.
H.A. Goodridge, La Bella power house, Goldfield.

 

23.07.2005

I start this new page with a short story/background on this smaller mine that I very much liked the picture of! The model info will come later... :-) - The info is taken from an old journal/magazine called The Mining Investor:

THE MOUNTAIN BOY GOLD MINING COMPANY Owns Patented Acreage in the Heart of the Cripple Creek District. Being Thoroughly and Systematically Developed. One of the latest companies to take its place among the producing mines of the Cripple Creek district is The Mountain Boy Gold Mining company.
The location of its property is ideal, being on Raven Hill and surrounded by such well known producers as the Elkton, Doctor-Jack Pot, Joe Dandy, Mary McKinney and many other well known mines.
Not far away are located such properties as the "War Eagle, Wild Horse, Central Consolidated and Cripple Creek Home-stake properties. The company owns a compact body of ground comprising 14 acres including portions of the Mountain Boy, Bogart and Fairfax lodes.
The acreage is patented and the company has absolute title to the same, free and clear of all in-cumbrances. Besides this 14 acres, the company also owns additional vein rights in three acres of adjoining ground.
Up to the time the property was acquired the Mountain Boy company most of the work-was done in shallow cuts and shafts on the surface. An exceptionally large number of veins were discovered and proven by these workings from which a great deal of mineral was shipped and the value of the property demonstrated.
The Bogart claim alone to date has produced about $125,000.00 worth of ore from these surface workings.

Since the Mountain Boy company has taken possession of the claims a thorough system of development has been inaugurated and carefully carried out.
A new shaft was started at a point, which would intersect and develop the largest number of the veins, which is now down a depth of 400 feet. At the 150-foot level the veins were found to be in place and to carry good values.
It is the idea of the company, however, to do mining on a large scale and the shaft was continued downward to the present depth of 400 feet before doing any more crosscutting. Drifting in now in progress and the veins at depth may be cut at any time.

The 400 feet of depth thus gained will give a large stoping ground on the ore bodies. The property is crossed by the Ophelia tunnel, which started operations anew recently and which will cut the Mountain Boy property at the depth of over 1,000 feet.
The tunnel will pass directly through the property for a distance of 350 feet and will pass very near its side lines for a further distance of 1,150 feet. Thus the property will be prospected for a distance of 1,500 feet, locating the ore bodies throughout the length of the claims.
To any one acquainted with Cripple Creek mining the value of this prospecting will be appreciated. The face of the Ophelia tunnel is now only 500 feet distant from the Mountain Boy property and in a very short time will be penetrating the same.

This tunnel adds vastly to the value of the property, as operations can be conducted through it, thus saving the expense of drainage and hoisting and giving 1,000 feet of stoping ground on the veins. The management of the property is in conservative hands. Mr. J. F. Ensminger is president, Mr. Wm. M. Broyles, vice president, and Mr. W. F. Littell, secretary and treasurer of the company.
All are conservative business men of Cripple Creek, and are giving their united attention and experience as mining men to the development of the property.
The capital stock of the Mountain Boy company is 1,500,000 shares at $1.00 par value, and a large portion of this is placed in the treasury for creating a working fund to develop the property. The merits of this property are recognized by the best mining men of Cripple Creek.
Its location is ideal being in the center of the producing area. The public can expect to hear good tidings shortly from the property and it will probably soon take its place among the active producers of the district.

 

Sources:
 1 - The Mining Investor, 11 April 1904 (page 244)
 2 - Colorado's Historic Newspaper Collection, various Newspapers & issues.
 3 - Riches to Rust - A Guide to Mining in the Old West [ISBN 1-890437-60-3] by Eric Twitty (page 156)
 4 - Official Manual of Cripple Creek 1900 by Fred Hills (page 467)
 5 - Geology and Gold Deposits of Cripple Creek District by Lindgren & Ransome (page 132)


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