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Auction: Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001, 10 a.m., Reno, NV Absentee Bids Due: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001, 6 p.m. PST Preview: Friday, Nov. 2, 2001, 5 to 9 p.m., R |
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CALIFORNIA |
COLORADO - Gunnison County through Summit County GUNNISON 719. Gunnison(?). Taylor Park Gold Dredging Co. Unissued certificate, 19xx, cancelled by holes,
no signatures. Inc. in CO. Detailed
vignette of a dredge at top. Blue
border and underprint. No seal.
Printed by Theo. Leonhardt & Son, Phila.
12 x 9 1/4. Piece missing from lower right corner, and
small pieces missing at left edge. Stains
on reverse. We could find no reference
to this company in our library, but there is a Taylor Park in Gunnison County.
(Ref: Mines Hdbk, 1931, p870)
Est. $20-40 720. Gunnison. Chicago Basin. San Louis GM&MC of Colorado. Inc. in CO. Cert #25, issued
to Secois (?) Dodge for 100 shares in 1883. Signed by pres. D.B. Scully and sec. Gil. M. Barnard. No vignette, black border, bright red seal.
Printers name obscured by seal.
9 1/2 x 6 1/4. Two folds, very fine, uncancelled. Burchard
discusses a St. Louis M&M in Gunnison. It is the only company operating
in the same period with a remotely similar name. We have found errors of
this nature in the past. Est. $150-250 721. Gunnison. Emerald Lake. 1905 - 1907 Receipt book for a miners labor on a property
owned at Emerald Lake. The miner
made about $45/week. About 50 receipts
for labor. Several of the receipts
are datelined Needleton. Needleton,
Colorado was originally located at mile post 482.31 where a station was
located until it washed away in 1927. The Denver and Rio Grande finally
reached Needleton on June 14, 1882. Before the railroad, Needleton was an
important stage stop for prospectors venturing out into the surrounding
mountains. Needleton had a post office from May of 1882 until January of
1919. There is an Emerald Lake near Gunnison, Colorado.
Black hard bound cover, with red binding.
2 3/4 x 6 1/4. Vf, some knicks to cover. (Ref: ) Est.
$20-50 722. Gunnison. Gothic. Crown
MC of Colorado. Cert.#128.
Incorporated in New Jersey in 1881.
Issued to A.R. Abcon for 500 shares in 1881.
Signed by president J.L. Sprogle and secretary Jos. L. Fryer. Vignette at left of two miners working underground and an unique-to-site
scene below masthead. Black border/print
with pink underprint on white paper. Printer Theo. Leonhardt & Son, Phila.
16 1/2 x 11 1/2. Uncancelled. Very fine, stain at tip edge. Previously
incorrectly attributed to Leadville. The Crown had a 40 foot deep shaft
on Crystal Mountain that carried malachite and galena. Two tons of this
silver ore were ready for shipment in 1881 when Burchard wrote about it.
(Ref; Burchard, 1882.) Est. $100-300 724. Gunnison. Gunnison Exchange SMC of Davenport IA. Inc. in IA.
Cert #22, issued to Aaron Capehart for 111 shares in 1880. Signed by pres. S.P. Bryan and sec. H.M. Munton.
Crude vignette of an underground mining scene.
Pink border and underprint with black print.
Datelined Davenport, IA. Printer
Robert, Fidlar and Chambers, IA. 9
1/4 x 8 1/4. Uncancelled. Folds, XF. Gunnison was a classic silver area.
Not listed in any of our Colorado references. Est. $150-300 725. Gunnison. Gunnison.
Citizens Coal & Coke Co. Manuscript Letter, 1898. This company was probably had several branches
and supplied to fuel. The letterhead
has a fancy masthead. The letter
is written to My Dearest Ruth. The
contents of the letter are open to some interpretations. J. Watson Reed, author of the letter, clearly
misses his young lady friend. It
does not appear that they are married, but they may. When read between the lines, Ruth opted not
to move to Gunnison with her significant other. He makes a comment how bad he feels that her father feels the need
to go back to work and goes on say that if she perhaps was a little more
spendthrift with the money he sends her, her father might not have to return
to work. There are also comments
that suggest a bit of jealousy of others in Ruths life. For example, Reed writes that it is strange that the last letter
Ruth wrote was dated for the 12th, but not postmarked until the 15th. He also opens the letter with comments that
suggest that he thought she might not write at all. Very interesting love letter from early Colorado. Tears along the folds. Text is very readable. Very fine.
Est. $25-75 HINSDALE 726. Hinsdale. Lake City(?). Gold Pick Mining &Milling Co. Incorporated in Wyoming . Unissued,
cert #665. Signed only by N. F.
Patterson president. Attractive
vignette of mine portal with pick axe with golden head set within company
name. Green border. 7 X 10. Main
offices listed as in Lake City, Hinsdale County. (Dunbar, 1898). Location of properties is not known. Very fine. Est. $25-50 727. Hinsdale. Sherman.
Black Wonder & West End GMC.
Incorporated in Colorado in 1895.
Cert. #1019, issued to Joshua E. Gibbs for 200 shares in 1895. Signed by president H.A. Hearns (?) and treasurer
J.N. Allen. Unique and attractive
vignette at upper left of mill at the base of mountains with names of individual
mines located on the background mountains. Fancy masthead with company name with of
Sherman, Hinsdale Co, Colorado. Black
border and print. Uncancelled. 6
x 8. Printer - Boston Bank Note
& Lith. Mines included the Black
Wonder and the West End. In 1898,
there was 2000 developed within the Black Wonder and 250 in the West End.
The mines were connected by a mill and tramway and included a 30
stamp mill. The (ghost) town of
Sherman was located at the junction of Lake Fork and Cottonwood Creeks.
The mountainous terrain and extensive snowfall left this town essentially
deserted in the winter months and prone to devastating spring floods. The Sherman House Hotel was the centerpiece of the town. At the turn of the century, a company undertook
the construction of a dam to prevent the flooding problem. This company
went broke halfway through, and another company completed the project.
Within a few days of the completion, a cloudburst filled the streams
tearing the new dam to pieces taking most of the town of Sherman with it.
A few cabins still exist, but only those that escaped the flood.
Mining began in the 1870s and continued off and on until 1925.
the major producing mine was the Black Wonder. Other mines include the West End, Olive, Come Up, Mineral Flower,
Smile of Fortune, Monster, Minnie Lee, George Washington, New Hope, Mountain
View and Clinton. (Dunbar, p. 250;
Eberhart, p. 393) Extremely fine. Very attractive. Est. $200-400 JEFFERSON 728. Jefferson. Golden. F. E. Everett, Banker, Imprinted Revenue, RN, Check, 1881. Written from Moore Mining & Smelting
Co. issued to Wm Penrose for $12, #443.
Signed by A. Beauer, Superintendent.
Small piece missing from left edge.
Rubber stamp on front dated 1881.
Very fine. Est. $50-100 LA PLATA 730. La
Plata. Bayfield. Bayfield Church Real Photopostcard, c. 1905.
The church photo is set in a winter scene with snow on the roof and
ground. On the front is a note written
in Latin, signed by Fr. Casimir Vogt, and addressed on rear to Father Placidus
Krekeler, St. Anthonys, San Francisco. Postmarked Bayfield, 1908. Bayfield was named for W. A. Bay in 1889.
Prior to that the town was most likely called Los Pinos (Eichler,
1904). Very fine.
Est. $25-50 731. La
Plata. California. Doyle Consolidated Mines Co. Incorporated in Arizona in 1907. Certificate # 6891 issued to Wm. F. Thomin
for 100 shares in 1912. Signed
by president James Doyle and Asst-Secretary H. Halverson. Uncancelled. Vignettes; top center of hills with mines at base and town at top;
two flanking vignettes of miners working underground. Gold border, safety print and seal. 8 x 11. Printer
- Goes. A consolidation of the Mancos
Mining and Development Co., the Cliff Dwellers Gold Mining Co. and the White
Quail Copper Co. Had 31 claims in Rush Basin, part of the California mining
district in Montezuma and La Plata Counties. The property has thus far failed to fulfill
the extravagant claims and promises of the White Quail promoters, or their
successors (Mines Handbook, 1916, p. 446). See story on James
Doyle in Cripple Creek section of our Auction #9, Vol. 2 catalog. Minor tears at fold edges, some discoloration
along edges, very fine. Est. $100-200 LAKE 732. Lake(?). Leadville(?). New Leadville GM&MC. Inc.
in CO. Cert.#64, issued to George
D. Tower for 1000 shares in 1902. Signed
by pres. W. T. Deaner and sec. P.C. Callen. Vignette o f miners working underground.
Brown border and safety print. No
printer noted. Uncancelled. 11 x 8. Very fine. Unable to find reference to this company in
our library. Est. $25-50 733. Lake. Alicante. Revenue Leasing & MC. Incorporated
in Colorado. Issued to Harold M.
Willis for 150 shares, cert #4464, in 1907. Signed by Guy M. Speer President and James
P. Hughes Secretary. Datelined Leadville,
Colorado. Vignette at upper right
of a miner with a wheelbarrow and another reclining on rocks. Green border
and underprint. Uncancelled.
5 X 8. Printer - Francis Doane & Co, Boston.
Mines at Leadville printed on certificate.
This company was a successor to the Revenue Mining & Milling
Co. They owned and leased out the Revenue placers and lodes in the Alicante
District. The mine was first developed
about 1880 in quartz and galena ore, rich in silver. (Corregan & Lingane, 1883.) Two inch tear from top down into the letter
R of the name of the Company. Creases
and some discoloration. Fine. Est. $50-100 734. Lake. California (Leadville) Lawrence M&SC. Inc. in Colorado. Cert #766, issued to O.F.Myers for 50 shares in 1881. Signed by vp P. O Thocher and sec. Oscar F. Myers.
Unusual vignette at top of many horse-drawn, covered wagons traveling
across the valley to a mountain range in the distance. This is very possibly
a very early view of Leadville (FH opinion) Black border. Printer Collier & Cleaveland, Denver.
9 1/2 x 7. Uncancelled. Two folds, extremely fine. Four
tunnels and six shafts developed this property. The milling ore was 40 ounces
per ton silver. Not to be confused with another Lawrence mine in Saguache
County. [ref: Corregan & Lingane] Very choice because of the vignette
and rarity. Rare. Est. $250-500 736. Lake. California.
Leadville Cons. MC. Inc.
in NY. Cert.#A12057, issued to Sheppard
Knapp for 100 shares in 1895. Signed
by pres. R.C. McCormick and sec. C.A. Cameron.
Vignette of trapper on horseback with valley scene and buffalo in
distance. Small vignette of Colorado State Seal at bottom.
Black border and print. Printer National Bank Note Co., NY. 11 x 7. Uncancelled.
XF. Datelined New York. The company
owned the Carbonate and a number of other claims on Carbonate Hill.
The ore ran 25-50% lead and 25-200 ounces/ton silver.
By 1882, the mine had nearly two miles of underground workings. This was one of the most important producing mines in the California
district. They paid $316,000
in dividends. (Corregan and Lingane.
1883) Est. $100-200 737. Lake. Lackawanna.
Wabash Mining & Smelting Co.
Incorporated in New York 1880. Issued
to Joseph R. Bodwell for 500 shares, cert #339, in 1881. Signed by A. McDonald president and Willis
A. Barnes secretary. Vignette of
horses pulling ore carts to two large wooden buildings all surrounded by
trees with a headframe visible to left.
Black border. Uncancelled. Printer - Collins & Seshon, NY. 7 x 11. The
company owned the Wabash group of eleven claims that were prospected for
silver and copper in Lackawanna Gulch at Lackawanna (Burchard). Slight stain at top edge at right fold. Extremely fine. Est. $300-500 738. Lake. Lake Creek. South Side M&MC. Cert.#315.
Incorporated in Colorado. Issued
to N.T. Mills for 2500 shares in 1882.
Signed by vice-president J.G. Tobar and secretary John McGowan. Vignette of mining scene on hill above valley. Small vignette of miner in lower right. 1882 gold RN facsimile in center of certificate
Gray/black border on crème paper. Printed
by Empire Lith. Vf, fold at top
edge. 8 3/4 x 10 1/4. Not in Burchard, and was listed dead by Dunbar. Colo. Office in Leadville. Owned 2 full sized claims,
located in Lackawanna Gulch, 18 mi from Leadville. Operated on a Gold quartz vein. [Corregan & Lingane p436]. Rare. Est.
$250-500 739. Lake. Leadville. Amie Consolidated MC. Incorporated
in New York 1879. Cert. #15367,
issued to A.F. Schermerhorn for 100 shares in 1883. Signed by president Robert Lewell and J. S.
Lockwood secretary. Attractive vignette
at top center of 4 miners workings above ground on new claim with horse
at side. Vignettes at each edge
of robed woman in green underprint. Vignette
of womans portrait at bottom.. Green
border and underprint. Uncancelled. 7
x 10. Datelined New York. Printer - American Bank Note, NY. Owned by Amie claim, 300 x 1500, located on
Fryer Hill, three quarters of a mile from Leadville. Ore ran 30% lead and 15-30 oz/ton. Five shafts in place with considerable drifts and tunnels. Production resulted in $1.3 million with $350,000
paid in dividends. (Corregan &
Lingane, p. 397-98). Very fine.
Est. $150-300 740. Lake. Leadville. Bald Mountain MC. Cert
#5395. Incorporated in New York.
Issued to B.P. Wokes for 100 shares
in 1880. Signed by president Samuel
L. Harris and secretary Chas. Wendell.
Vignette overlooking mine dump, buildings and a tent on rolling,
tree dotted hills. Black border. Fryerhill, Leadville, Col. printed on
certificate. Uncancelled. 7 x 11. Printer
- Franklin Bank Note, NY. Located
on Fryer Hill. Gold was discovered
in California Gulch in 1860 where the Bald Mountain MC was located.
Sixty-nine minerals reported to be found at Leadville.
(Shannon, 1985). Edges wrinkled,
a couple small tears, discolored at edges, very fine.
Est. $200-300 741. Lake. Leadville.
Bald Mountain MC. Incorporated
in New York. Cert. #A591, issued
to Henry A. Jones for 100 shares in 1880. Signed by president Samuel L. Harris and secretary
Chas. Trudell. Vignette overlooking
mine dump, buildings and a tent on rolling, tree-dotted hills. Caption beneath vignette: Fryerhill, Leadville,
Col printed below vignette. Green
border and print. Printer Franklin
Bank Note, NY. 8 x 12. Uncancelled. Some discoloration along edges, wrinkles and chips at bottom.
Very fine. Est. $200-300 743. Lake. Leadville. Brookland MC. Incorporated
in Colorado in 1882. Cert. #65,
issued to Wm. H. Gelshenen, Treasurer for 1000 shares in 1882.
Signed by president Thos. Adams and secretary James Dunne.
Black border and print. Two
large diamond-shaped cutouts at left edge.
Minor discoloration/stains in a couple of places on certificate. 7 x 11. The
reverse has a map of the mining claims of the company. The Brookland got into an apex issue with their
neighbor and lost. Very fine.
Est. $50-150 744. Lake. Leadville. Catalpa MC. Cert. #10637.
Inc. in NY, 1880. Issued to J.E. Doucette & Co. for 100 shares
in 1904. Signed by J. P. Whitney
president and W. J. Downing secretary. Vignette of miners working underground with candles on their hats
for light. Black border, embossed
seal, uncancelled. Leadville,
Colorado printed on certificate. 7
X 9. Discovered in 1877 high up on Carbonate Hill,
a shaft penetrated the ore body at 170.
The mine was reported to have been producing regularly and that the
eastern incline had been run 585 from the main shaft disclosing ore which
averaged 13 ounces of silver/ton and 40% lead.
Joel P. Whitney was a native New Englander who was among the
most talented and energetic promoters of Colorado mines. His mining activities spanned some 40 years. He developed many mines and volunteered to
serve as the delegate from Colorado to the Grand Paris Universal Exposition
which opened in the Spring of 1867. He
took a large quantity of minerals and ores from Leadville and other Colorado
mines to be displayed and promoted. He
was given a gold medal at the Expo. When
the famous French mining engineer and author of La View Souterraine
ou Mines et Les Mineurs, Louis Simonin, visited the U.S. Whitney (who
spoke fluent French) was his guide. (Burchard, 1883; Emmons, 1886; Griswold, 1951). Two folds with some discoloration along folds.
Very fine. Est. $200-400 745. Lake. Leadville.
Colorado Mine Development Co.
Prospectus. Incorporated
in 1879. The company owned several
claims including: Grey Fox, Red
Fox, Honest John, War Eagle and Windsor.
These properties cover 43 acres on Mt. Zion in the California district
about four miles from Leadville. The
prospectus describes the claims individually.
The pamphlet outlines the stock offering of ten percent of the company
for a total of $2000-
the purchaser of
these shares will in effect become a prospector
.
The president of this company, Hno Jno F. Humphreys, was the mayor
of Leadville at this time. The vice
president, J. L. Loomis, is listed as the general manager of the Robert
E. Lee Mining Co. Reference to this
company was only found in the Colorado Mining Directory 1883. No other reference was found within our library. 4 x 5. Printer
- Democrat Printing, Leadville. Extremely
fine. Est. $100-200 746. Lake. Leadville.
Commercial Mining Co. Papers
of William H. Vandeventer, treasurer and later president and agent of the
Commercial MC in New York. Archive
of about 100 pieces, consisting of 41 letters, 8 telegrams, 6 maps, 4 legal
documents and 1 billhead. The archive traces the dealings of Pete Randolph
as either a grubstake prospector or as a land man in search of good property
for Vandeventer. Along the way, M. B. Carpenter a Denver attorney begins
detailed correspondence with Vandeventer. All of the correspondence is about
the start-up of the company early in 1880 through its demise after 1890.
We dont know if a single ton of ore was ever mined. The archive has six maps. Of these, a very early, perhaps
about 1878 map of Leadville by Ayers stands out. The other maps are for
various properties all along or near California Gulch. The companys prospectus
shows the property near the Highland Chief. The Company was never listed
in Corregan & Lingane. Carpenter continually rails Vandeventer for inaction,
and it is perhaps this inaction that led to the no-show in C&L. Nearly all of the letter stationery is printed letter
stock for various hotels or businesses in Leadville and Denver. The letters from Pete Randolph are fairly positive.
Most of the letters date during the period June 1880 through January 1881.
The struggle for operational capital is evident throughout the letters.
Pete is continually describing neighbor mines and their activity. Carpenters
letters takes a much tougher tone. He talks of being in to help in exchange
for stock, but seems to have trouble getting Vandeventer to deliver. Carpenter
tried to get Vandeventer to but his stock, which was 1/8th of the company.
The relationship starts out bad because Vandeventer makes a promise he cant
keep about getting Carpenters stock bought. An upset attorney is not a
good way to start a company, and Vandeventer chooses the tough road approach
and ultimately causes everyone to lose. Carpenter is a keen observer who notices that inactivity
on the Commercial MC property is severely harming the company. The inaction
by Vandeventer drives Carpenter crazy with rage, evident in the letters.
Numerous letters discuss how the lack of activity might affect the
property package, allowing encroachment. In a good move, Pete writes that he will try
to consolidate with neighbors, but the venture fails without the necessary
capital. Clearly, the Commercial MC has no operational money. About November
1880, Carpenter begins a series of By May 1881, Carpenter seems to have had the property
to patent stage. The patent would have fallen through if Vandeventer did
not pay the agents, which is appears to be what happened. In 1882, resignations
of officers and directors begin. Meanwhile Carpenter paid the taxes and
kept the property alive. In 1889,
the property was sold for back taxes, and in 1890, Vandeventer filed a redemption
certificate and regained control of the property, which was still inactive
through 1895. The Fisk Mining Co
archive in the Black Hawk section of this sale also involves Vandeventer. Outstanding archive of the life and death of a Leadville
mining company. Est $1000-3000 747. Lake. Leadville. Continental Cons Mines Co. Incorporated
in Wyoming. Cert. #1083, issued
to Frank Lewis for 835 shares in 1907. Signed by president (illegible) and R.A. Marshall
secretary. Black border with green
seal. Uncancelled. 7 X 9. Printer
- W. H. Kistler, Denver. See lot
below for the story. Small chip
at left bottom edge. In 1881, there
was a legal relocation of the Legal Tender Mine which brought a lot of interest
to this spot. The new mine was Nellie
S. and they shipped a lot of high-grade silver ore. New locations were made nearby and the Continental
was one of them. It appears, though,
that this mine never really got going, but it is still listed in Emmons
et al. (Burchard, 1883, p.362; Emmons
et al) Very fine. Est. $25-50 748. Lake. Leadville.
Eaton & Cary Hardware, Stoves billhead. Datelined Leadville, 1888. Nice vignette in masthead of blacksmith in
shop. Printed by Collier & Cleveland
Lith. Co. 8 1/2 x 14. Vf, fingerprint smudges at right, folds. Very
fine pictorial Leadville piece. Est.
$25-50 749. Lake. Leadville. Grafton Consolidated MC. Cert
#103. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued
to Mrs. H.S. Curran for 10 shares in 1901.
Signed by president A.D. (?) and John A. Ewing secretary. Vignette of Colorado State Seal. Gold border with green underprint. Datelined Leadville, Colorado. Uncancelled. 7 X 10. Property located
at Poverty Gulch. (Ref: E&MJ,
vol. 23, #21, 1902, p738.) Extremely
fine. Est. $150-300 750. Lake. Leadville.
Grafton Consolidated MC.
Incorporated in Colorado. Cert.
#87, issued to Mrs. H.G. Curran for 2 shares in 1901. Signed by president (?) and secretary John A. Ewing. Vignette of State Seal of Colorado with small
scene of miners working at right and eagle on rocks at left. Gold border on creme paper with black printing.
$1,500,000 printed in green underprint. Datelined Leadville. Printer not noted. See lot above for the story. 11 x 7. Some
folds. Very fine. Est. $150-300 751. Lake. Leadville. Highland Chief Cons MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1879. Cert. #141, issued to Geo. W. Treiuble
for 100 shares in 1879. Signed by
C. A. Manners president and Horace Steele secretary.
Vignette of several workers in underground setting. Green border and underprint. Embossed seal shows stacked gold bars.
Highland Chief, Highland Mary, Robert Burns, Gilderoy, Aztec all
printed around vignette. Uncancelled. 7 X 10. Printer
- American Bank Note Co. Stains
near bottom edge and spotted along all edges. Owned the Highland Chief, Highland Mary and
Robt. Burns located on the summit of Breece Hill 3 miles from Leadville. Assayed at 30-50% lead and 15-30 oz/ton silver.
There are more than 7 shafts with the deepest at 370.
Numerous tunnels and drifts and a 34 horse-power engine to raise
ore. Daily shipments of ore average 15 tons. (Corregan
& Lingane, p.417) XF. Est. $300-500 752. Lake. Leadville.
Iowa Gulch Mining Company of Leadville, Colorado. Incorporated in Colorado in 1879. Certificate # 8014, issued to N.M. Zook for
1,000 shares in 1883. Datelined
Philadelphia. Signed by President
John Ruhl and Secretary B. Tucker. Uncancelled.
Five vignettes: at top center, below masthead, 7 men working with
picks & shovels among boulders, steam train in background; top left
of miner working underground; top right two huge tree trunks with sawyers
in background; left middle Great Seal of Colorado; right middle Great Seal
of Pennsylvania. Gold border, safety print and underprint on
white paper. 9 x 12. Printer - Breuker & Kessler, Lith. Phila.
The town of Leadville is located about 3 miles east of the Arkansas
River on the ridge between the Evans Gulch and California Gulch, tributaries
to the Arkansas. Iowa gulch is located south of California Gulch and about 753. Lake. Leadville.
Iron Silver Mining Co. Inc.
NY, 1880. Cert. #2239, issued to
H.B. Parker for 50 shares in 1907. Signed
by vice-pres Wm. R. Cobb and sec (?). Surface mine vignette of four miners and a pack mule. Orange border with orange/black printing
on white paper. Location of Property
Lake Co, Col printed on certificate. Printer ABN. Mines included
the Iron, Iron Hat, Luella, Tucson, Stone, Rock, Dome and Seventy-Six mines,
located two miles east of Leadville. (These
are considered the most productive mines on Iron Hill.) Burchard (1882) states the Iron property is
worked through two inclines and the Rock and Stone through two inclines
and a shaft. At the eleventh level
in the main incline, a large body of galena was disclosed in the lime formation. (Ref: Shannon,
1985; Blair,1980, pp 22, 26-27; Emmons, 1886, pp 389, 394-395; Griswold,
1951, p29.) 111/2 x7. Cancelled.
VF. Est. $200-400 754. Lake. Leadville.
Leadville Directory 1913.
This hardbound directory has 313 pages and lists the people and businesses
of Leadville at a time when mining was booming. Many of the entries are noted as miners.
There are several pages of ads at the front and back.
Mint Condition. Est. $300-500 755. Lake. Leadville.
Leadville Postcards, c. 1910-1920. Lot of 5 pcs. The first
card is of the Hospital in Leadville taken by Sanborn, W-2013. The second is an overview of Leadville and
appears as a poor photographic print. The
next is a colorized photo of Leadville, postmarked Buena Vista, 1914.
The caption at top states that Leadville is the Highest Incorporated
City in World at 10,153 ft. The fourth card shows a scene of Leadville
with a backdrop of Mt. Massive, the highest peak in Colorado, and a view
of the Little Johnny Mine, colorized card.
The last card shows California Gulch with several different mines
and mills and looking very crowded by mine companies, colorized photo. Very fine.
Est. $40-80 756. Lake. Leadville.
Legal Correspondence, 1894. Lot
of 4 pieces. There are three
Western Telegrams and one manuscript letter. Two of the telegrams are to H. R. Pendrey in Leadville from Harman
Bell in Kansas City, Mo requesting that Pendreys client (his father) settle
a financial matter at once, dated Oct 6th and Oct 10th, 1894. Pendrey responds to Bell on Oct, 12, saying
that he will write him about the matter.
The letter is written on Oct 13, on Phelps & Pendrey letterhead
and handwritten. It seems that Pendreys
father owes some money to Bells client.
Pendrey promises that if Bells client can wait, his father has stock
in a new mine near the Little Johnnie and hope to hit ore within the next
100 feet. Once the ore is found,
his father will easily be able to pay off the debt.
There was $600 sent from the sale of stock worth 3 cents are share
in an unmentioned company. The fascinating
part of the letter occurs towards the end when Pendrey appears to be whining
about the political climate in Colorado.
He claims that times have been tough due to the populist administration
that has entertained anarchistic ideas which has the effect of keeping capital
out of our state
He goes on to
say that they are all praying for a change in the upcoming election. Extremely fine. Est. $100-300 757. Lake. Leadville. Long & Derry Hill MC. Inc.
in NY, 1880. Cert.#135, issued to Edward P. Moxey for 500 shares in 1882.
Signed by pres. Prescott Rudback and sec. S. Olphant Paibos (?).
Datelined New York. Vignette
of miners working underground with what looks like a foreman standing with
his hands on his hips watching them. Green
border. Printer Rufus Adams &
Co., NY. 11 x 7. Uncancelled. Two
small holes at bottom right edge. Trimmed
tight at left edge. Very fine. On the opposite side of Iowa Gulch is located
the Long and Derry Hill mine. The Long and Derry group of mines was comprised
of the Faint Hope, Dana, Porphyry, Platener, Stip, Triangle, Mary Jane and
Mary Ann. It was among the first to make shipments of ore from the vicinity
of where Leadville now stands. It was shipping a fair amount of ore c1882. 1883 production was expected to exceed that
of previous years. The ore was found
chiefly in limestone. (Ref: Burchard, 1882, p413; 1883, p497) Est. $100-200 759. Lake. Leadville.
May Department Stores. Lot
of 3 different certificates. Cert.#32208,
016769, C59133. Incorporated in
New York in 1910. Issued to The
May Dept. Stores Co. for 100 shares in 1932; issued to Bertha Lantz for
2 shares in 1929; issued to Cohu & Co. for 100 shares in 1954.
All three have printed signatures.
One red and two olive green borders.
ABNC and Columbian BNC. All are cancelled by hole punches. 8 x 12.
David May opened the first store of what was to become the May
Department Stores Co. in Leadville , Colo. in 1877. He and his brothers purchased some other department
stores in the 1890s and in 1905 moved the company headquarters to St. Louis.
The company incorporated in 1910 and continued to make acquisitions
of other stores for the next 9 decades.
Today, the company has outlets in nearly every state under numerous
names. Includes a 1 page summary of the corporate history downloaded from
the Internet. These were the only two certificates to surface with the May Co.
archive of about 2500 pieces. Est.
$50-150 760. Lake. Leadville.
Merrimac Consolidated Mines Company. Cert.#1732. Incorporated
in Colorado in 1900. Issued to A.W.
Reno for 1000 shares in 1907. Signed
by vice-president J. Dunsmuir. Vignette
of covered wagon and tent in foreground among pine trees, snow-capped mountain
in distance, crossed pick and shovel on either side of vignette. Small mining scenes in each of the corners. Gilt border/seal with gilt underprint. Printer Reinert Printing Co., CO. 8 1/4
x 10 1/2. Uncancelled. Very fine, minor tears at bottom edge. The company owned three patented claims in
the California district. (Emmons
et al) Est. $50-100 761. Lake. Leadville. Miner Boy MC. Incorporated
in Colorado 1879. Cert. #3321, issued
to G. Brown for 100 shares in 1881. Signed
by A. A. McLeod President and Geo. Hart Secretary. Vignette of miners working underground. Black border with green background. Uncancelled. 6 X 9. Printer - Hatch Lith Co, NY. Folds. Located
on eastern slope of Breece Hill just above Evans Gulch. The mine was located March 27, 1879 by Peter
Conley, M. C. Kennedy, James Dahoney, J. Buchanon, H. Leaser and Dennis
Sullivan who sold it on June 17, 1879 to A. A. McLeod for $75,000. The mine soon had three shafts, down 490 5
levels and 250 of tunnels producing 20 tons per day. Assay showed 1029 ounces of silver, and 945 ounces of gold per ton.
The minerals produced were pyrargyrite, free gold and tetrahedrite.
By 1880, the mine was employing 35 miners with assaying showing the
ore was producing 600 ounces of gold per ton.
(Griswold, 1996; Shannon, Min Rec v16, No 3 1985) Foxing along
edges. Very fine. Est. $150-300 762. Lake. Leadville. North Star Cons. MC. Cert. #677.
Incorporated in Colorado. Issued
to H. A. McIntyre for 4500 shares in 1893.
Signed by president A. Sherwin and secretary Sm. R. Hall. Uncancelled. Vignette of mining camp and mill in mountainous setting, and a small
vignette of a miner with pick-axe in underground mining scene at lower right.
Black border and print. Empire Lith, printers. Vf, tear away from lower left corner. 7 1/2 x 10 1/2. The companys office was
on the Bank Block in Leadville. They were in business through at least 1898.
Rare. Very attractive. [Dunbar] Est. $200-400 763. Lake. Leadville.
Paris Consolidated Mining Co.
Incorporated in Colorado. Issued
to Jno. Livesley Jr. for 100 shares, cert #110, in 1882. Signed by R. A. McCruchen president and secretary. Vignette at top center of a steam train traveling
through scenic mountains and along a lake. Vignette at right edge of a cross sectional view of a shaft with
miners working underground and above ground.
Black border with a light gray seal and gold underprint. Uncancelled. Printer - St. Louis Bank Note Co. 9 x 11. This was a short
lived company that was only able to perform prospecting and was dead by
1884. (Burchard, 1885). Trimmed a little tight at left edge. Extremely fine. Est. $200-400 765. Lake. Leadville.
United MC. Inc. in
ME, 1905. Cert.#C90, issued to Patrick
E. Stafford for 100 shares in 1905. Signed
by pres. John Thompson and asst. sec. John McKinnon. Nice vignette at top showing two stopes with miners performing different
tasks in each one. Green border
and safety print. Printer New
York Bank Note. 11 x 8. Uncancelled. Very small tear to right edge.
Very fine. This company was
a successor to the United Mining & Development Co. of America. This company had property all over the place!
They owned the King Solomon mine in Calaveras County, California,
which had not proven satisfactory and was idle by 1908.
Also owned the Century mine in at Brownell in Pima County, Arizona.
It had a 100 shaft showing a 2 vein carrying auriferous and argentiferous
copper ore of medium grade. United
also owned 320 acres of lands at Leadville and about 40 of these acres were
leased to the John Thompson MC. In
Montana, they owned the Monitor mine which was located at Saltese in Missoula
County. Also reported to own the Greene-Campbell mines
near Silver Star, Madison County and the Buckeye mine in Flathead County,
Montana. The company was reported
to have property in the Black Hills of South Dakota. United MC even had property in New Mexico, Mexico and Canada.
By 1910-11, the company was dead.
Was a bad egg, promoted by Albert Freeman proclaimed Stevens in
the 1911 Copper Handbook. Perhaps the plan by Freeman and the company
was to continue buying properties in order to reassess the value of the
company and reissue stocks and make more money. Albert Freeman was one of the vice presidents of this companys
predecessor. (Ref: Copper Hdbk,
1908, p1360; 1910-11, p1728.) Est.
$75-150 LARIMER 766. Larimer. Walden. Village
Belle GMC. Incorporated in Colorado
in 1898. Cert #948, issued to Arthur
M. Stiboell for 1000 shares in 1900. Signed by President Henry L. Tans and
Secretary Charles T Aubrey. Vignette of woman at upper left and eagle at
bottom center. Black border with gold seal, safety print and underprint. Countersigned rubber stamp at left.. 8 X 11. Printer - Montross, Clarke & Emmons.
Probably a predecessor of the Village Belle Gold & Copper Co.
incorporated in 1902. The company had four claims on an 8ft vein
that averaged 15% copper and 7 ounces silver per ton. Development consisted of a 100 ft shaft and a 150 ft drift. (Copper Handbook, Vol. XI, p. 951) Folds. Top
left edge, creased and a bit rough, very fine. Est. $25-75 MANITOU SPRINGS 767. Manitou
Springs. Hiawatha Natural
Table Water label and company check (unissued). Black and white vignette, with hints of light
blue, of an Indian crossing spring in valley, mountains in background.
Red and light blue print. Bottled by Pikes Peak Mineral Water Co. 4 1/4 x 5. Xf. The check has the same
vignette at the left, sans color. Both
printed by the Denver Lith Co. This
company was located in El Paso County. Est. $50-100 MARBLE 768. Marble. Marble Lamp Base with two marble-related
photo-post cards. The lamp base
is made of marble and measures 4 x 14 1/2 x 4.
The light fixture extends from the top.
The part the light bulb screws into is a bit loose. One post card of a Marble Finishing Plant at
Marble, Colorado. The other post
card is of the beginning of construction of the Colorado-Yule Marble Co.,
1907. This lamp comes from the Jones Collection.
Circa 1907-20. Est. $50-150 769. Mining. Colorado: Its Mineral and Other Resources
by R. O. Old, 1872. British
& Colorado Mining Bureau, London. Howes lists this work as a second edition to Colorado: Its history,
Geography, and Mining, 1869 (Howes, 58). However it is clearly a separate work. The two bear no resemblance and Howes, along with other bibliographers,
did not examine the contents, a critical mistake for future researchers.
This book is composed of 100 pages of information on the mines of
the Colorado Territory, a resume of the Facts, according to the author,
Old. The work is aimed at the Capitalists
- those who wish to invest in the mines of Colorado.
The author, Old, includes sections on lode and placer mines.
This book is arranged by County, and the districts within each county.
The mines, owners, ore, assays, and mills are described.
It also discusses the railroads, hotels and best routes of travel. There are four pages of advertisements as well.
General index. Professionally rebound. All pages original. 6 x 9. Extremely
Rare. Extremely fine.
Est. $1000-1500 770. Mining. Gold Ore Leasing Co. Cert.#370.
Incorporated in South Dakota. Issued
to Wm. E. Barnes for 5000 shares in 1903. Signed by president Kimball and asst. secretary
Pierce. Vingette of cross section
of two tunnels in underground mining scene. Orange border and seal. No
printer noted. Vf, folds.
We could find no reference to this company in our library.
Est. $20-40 771. Mining. Prospecting for Gold in North America
(pic in gold leaf of miner with title on cover. Arthur Lakes, 1897, 2nd
edition, 287pp. Hardbound with brown boards, all original, Extremely fine. Inscribed
H. J. Evans, Los Angeles, 1897 on inside left front fly leaf. Arthur
Lakes was a well respected geology professor at the Colorado School of Mines
and is today the namesake of their wonderful library. This book was considered
a classic beginners treatise on prospecting thought by some to be aimed
at the Alaska gold rush, but it really is a guide to Colorado ore deposits.
It discusses geology in general terms but more importantly talks about various
large scale ore deposits such as Leadville and other ores of Colorado. This
copy is in exemplary condition. Est. $100-300 MONTROSE 772. Montrose. Shenandoah Irrigation & Land Co. Inc. in CO.
Cert.#297, First Mortgage 6% Gold Bond issued in 1897. Signed by pres. William W. Morrison and sec.
Jesse E. Barnes. Fancy masthead
and vignette of farm lands, presumably irrigated by this company. Brown border with gold seal. 18 of 30 original coupons cashed in. 11 x 14. Printer
- Denver Litho Co, Denver. Shenandoah
was a village in Montrose County (Gannett, p 153) The company probably serviced the agriculture
industry of this Western Colorado County. Very fine. Est. $50-150 OURAY 773. Ouray
& San Juan. Mining Real Photopostcards,
c. 1930s. Lot of 3 pcs.
One of the cards shows the town of Ouray with the caption Ouray,
Colo. (Alt. 7709 alt.) on the Million Dollar Highway photographer Sanborn,
W-1643, unused. The second card
is of Mammoth Cliff, Creede, Colo and shows the mountain with a ranch house
at the base. Published by McGown-Silsbee
Litho, unused. The third card shows the Mayflower mill and mine at Silverton.
This card is bright, clear and crisp.
Small chips in photo near top edge, very minor.
Very fine. Est. $50-100 774. Ouray. Red Mountain. Mono-Baltic M&SC. Inc.
in CO, 1907. 6% Mortgage Convertible
Gold Bond, Cert #401, 1909. Signed
by pres. Edward Averill and sec. Stephen J. Ryan. Vignette at top of four miners working underground.
Dark blue border, safety/underprint.
At right edge, a coupon is glue to the certificate.
Printer Franklin Lee. 10
x 14. Folds, stains. Very fine.
Mine office is in Red Mountain, but the Works office was in Ironton.
The company owned about 180 acres known as the Saratoga group in
the Red Mountain district. The property showed fissure veins and contact
deposits having large ore bodies of oxidized silicious ores of low copper
tenor, but carrying high silver values and some gold, and bornite and chalcopyrite
associated with pyrite, all auriferous and argentiferous. Assayed at 3.5% copper and 12 oz. Copper per
ton, with small gold values. The
property was developed by four shafts and several tunnels with workings
totaling about two miles. A smelter,
planned to have been blown in July 1909, was not in blast in early 1913. (Ref: Copper Hdbk, 1910-11, p1201;
1912-13, p605-6.) Est. $50-100 776. Ouray. Sneffles. Mount Sneffles Terrible MC. Incorporated
in New York in 1883. Certificate
53. Issued to John H. Maugham for
1000 shares in 1886. Datelined New
York. Signed by President Jas. R.
Hopkins (?) and Secretary Alfred Peckham. Cancelled written across face in red and lines
through corporate signatures in red. Vignette
at upper left corner of three miners working underground. Black border and print on yellow paper. 5 x 9. Printer
Henry Seibert & Bro., NY. Stub
glued at left. XF. The boom years of the Sneffles district were
between 1881 and 1919 during which time it produced an estimated $27 million.
As many as 3000 people were employed in the district during those
years. This company was formed from
the consolidation of the San Juan Terrible and other mining companies and
claims. (Eberhart, pp. 364-365). Est. $75-150 777. Ouray. Sneffles.
Mount Sneffles Terrible Mining Co. Group of 58 documents relating to James L. Hathaway as Trustee for
the San Juan Terrible Mining Co near Ouray. Most of the documents are from the period 1883-1884, marking a transfer
of property from the San Juan Terrible to the Mt. Sneffles MC. Part of the collection contains documents from
the 1860s regarding the Alpine mine in Colorado. It is unknown if the Alpine is related to the
Terrible mine claim. Included in
this collection is Mount Sneffles Terrible MC Stock certificate, Cert
#2, Issued to A. E. Reynolds, in 1884.
Cancelled. See lot above
for the story. Very fine. Est. $500-1000 778. Ouray. Uncompahgre. Western MC. Inc.
in 1879. Cert #231, issued to Mary
B. Muffly for 200 shares in 1880. Signed
by pres. Frank H. Cheyney and sec. Sidney L. Muffly. Vignette at left of hunter with dog at his side scanning the horizon
for prey, at right of a woman holding up a U.S. flag, striking central vignette
of a mill site. Purple border and
print. Uncancelled. 11 1/2 x 8 1/4. Several folds, wrinkles, very fine. Did not find reference to this company in Burchard, Hollister or
Fossett. Corbett lists this company in the Uncompahgre district. It had
a 15 wide vertical quartz vein with a minimal pay zone one foot wide. Est.
$200-400 779. Ouray. Upper San Miguel (Telluride). Wisconsin & Colorado Silver Mining Co. Two certificates, unissued, 188x. Incorporated in Colorado. Green print and black print on pink paper.
Underground vignette at top. At
left is a vignette of two men with stars and stripes shield.
At right is the Colorado State Seal.
6 x 10 ½. This was considered a prospect in Bridal Veil Basin by
Burchard in 1882. Very fine. Est.
$50-100. 780. Ouray. Upper San Miguel (Telluride). Wisconsin & Colorado Silver Mining Co. Lot of 2 pcs. Incorporated in Colorado. Unissued,
188x. Underground vignette at top.
At left is a vignette of two men with stars and stripes shield.
At right is the Colorado State Seal.
Green border on pink paper with black print. 6 x 10 ½. These two certificates
are attached in sheet form from top to bottom. Very fine.
Est. $25-50 PARK 781. Park. Alma. Alma
Lincoln MC. Incorporated in
Colorado. Cert. #5507, issued to
Victor Pearson for 100 shares in 1935. Stamp signature of president C.M. Lyon and
signed by asst. secretary J.A. Stucka.
Vignette of spread winged eagle atop stars and stripes shield. Orange border. Transferred rubberstamped at right. 7 x 11. Printer - Rocky
Mountain Bank Note, Denver. No direct
information was found on this company.
There is, however, is a small town of Alma that was a center of mining
activity starting with the Silver Rush of 1879. A smelter was built there in the 1880s. Within the same area is Mount Lincoln straddling
the county line of Park and Summit. (Eberhart, 1969) Very fine. Est. $25-50 783. Park. Montgomery.
Mount Lincoln Con. Mining Co.
Incorporated in Colorado in 1880.
Cert #312, issued to A.A. Earhart for 100 shares in 1881. Signed by
vice president L. Comrade and secretary pro tem Geo. Stark. Issued at Philadelphia. Black border and print. Printer Loac. 7 x 11. The certificate
has Property Located Near Leadville, Colorado printed on it, but seeing
as this certificate is a Mount Lincoln Combination certificate with the
Combination crossed out the Con. Mining Co. written in, that piece of
information may not pertain to this company.
Uncancelled. Folds, a couple
very small stains, Very fine. Office
in Alma, Colorado. The mine was
on the north spur of Mt. Lincoln, eight miles from Alma. They owned eight
claims on which silver ore (50-150 oz/t) was discovered in 1871. Small stopes with minor production noted. Next
to Mt. Lincoln SMC. (Ref; C&L, Benson) Est. $150-300. 784. Park. Mosquito. London MC. Incorporated
in New York. $500 Bond, issued 1882,
cert #444. Signed by President and
H. Comstock Secretary. No vignette. Black border and print. Three coupons attached. Cancelled by red pen. 11 X 14. Owned
the London and Hard to Beat claims on the north slope of London Mountain
and on the North Fork of Mosquito Gulch. The ore was set in a quartz vein system along a major fault. The gold bearing quartz veins ran as high as
$35/ton. There was nearly 5000
of total workings and a 4500 long tram to carry ore to the companys mill
in London Junction via a short six mile railroad.
(Corregan & Lingane, 1883, p.545-46) XF. Est. $50-150 785. Park. Mt. Lincoln. Russia Silver MC. Cert.#358.
Incorporated in Colorado in 1876.
Issued to Joseph R. Bodwell for 100 shares in 1880.
Uncancelled. Signed by vice-president
Jno. H. Weber and secretary E. Graham Haight. Vignette of horses and miners. Company arms at left and spread-winged bald
eagle and shield at right. Green
border. Printed by J. Milton Ferry. 6 1/2 x 10 1/4. Xf. Located on Mt. Lincoln
and owned the Russia mine, the Pogue, Hoosier and Buckingham. On the Russia work has been systematically
conducive since the mine was first opened.
Vein is a contact with a pay of about 1.5 feet carrying galena, gray
copper, sulphurets, brittle silver, and copper pyrites. The mine was developed by a tunnel with side drifts and levels.
Ore reported to assay at the rate of $500 to the ton.
(Ref: Burchard, 1881, p421; Burchard, 1882, p524.)
Est. $250-500 PITKIN 786. Pitkin. Aspen.
Argentum-Juniata MC. Inc.
in IA, 1890. Cert #10724, issued
to N.N. Keanly & Co. for 1000 shares in 1901.
Signed by pres. C.E. Palmer and asst. sec. F.W. Itelr. Vignette at bottom of men prying rocks and
working drill underground. Fancy
masthead. Green border and underprint.
Location of mine, Aspen, Colorado printed on certificate.
Datelined Colorado Springs. Printer
ABN. 10 1/2 x 7. Folds. Uncancelled.
Very fine. C.E. Palmer was the mine manager c1898. The mine produced silver, was developed by
shafts and a tunnel and was going to build a 700-ton concentrator. They employed about 100 men. (Ref: Poole, 1898, p287.) Gorgeous certificate. Est. $150-300 787. Pitkin. Aspen. Aspen
& Glenwood Springs Telegraph & Telephone Co. Issued to W. W. Cooley for 10 shares, cert
#91, in 1889. Signed by W. W. Cooley
vice president and C. H .Jacobs secretary.
No vignette. Thin black border
and black print. Uncancelled. No printer noted. 4 x 6. Datelined Aspen,
Colo. This is an early telegraph
company that formed when Aspen began to boom.
Originally called Ute City until 1879 when B. Clark Wheeler changed
the name. Aspen then grew form 3000
people in 1886 to 11,000 people in 1893 (Hall, 1895).
Mint Condition. Est. $400-600 789. Pitkin. Aspen. Park Tunnel Mining & Milling Co. Incorporated in Colorado in 1917. Cert. #574, issued to W.D. Millen for 250 shares
in 1920. Signed by Robert Shard
President and Frank M. Yates Secretary.
Vignette at upper left of miners working underground. Two small vignettes of miners at left and right
edge. Black border with orange safety
print and seal. Cancelled by line
through signatures and manuscript across face.. 8 X 11. Property located
at Tourtelotte Park, 2 miles south of Aspen.
Included the Camp Bird, Iowa Chief, Best Friend and Edison claims
reportedly having produced $645,000. The
Park tunnel was 3,162 ft long and the Jenny Lind 2,000 ft long (Mines Handbook,
1925, p768.) Stain along left fold, small tears at tops and bottoms of folds,
tear and small hole just below issued to line. Fine. Est.
$25-50 PUEBLO 790. Pueblo(?). Buehla(?). Marion Creek GMC. Inc.
in AZ. Cert# 214, issued to P.M.
Sohlherg for 4000 shares in 1906. Signed
by pres. James Lambie and sec. James N. Lawhre. Great vignette at top of sluicing scene and
hydraulic mining. Two small vignettes
at either side of miners. Black
border and print with gilt seal and safety print.
Folds, small tear at top of left fold, slight ink stain at right
bottom edge. 1906. 11 x 8. Uncancelled. Very fine.
No direct reference to this company could be found in our library. Marion Mining & Milling Co. is the closest
in name and this company owned property on Marion Creek near Buehla in Pueblo
County, Colorado. This company may
also have operated there. (Ref:
Copper Hndbk, 1908, p913-14.) Est.
$25-50 791. Pueblo. Pueblo.
Majestic GMC. Incorporated
in Colorado. Issued to R. P. Kress,
Raton, New Mexico, for 1000 shares, cert #48, in 1934. Pueblo Colorado printed below company
name in masthead. Signed by Sellers
President and J. R. France Secretary. Vignette
at upper left of spread-winged eagle atop crag. Brown border. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer
- RMBN Co. We could find no reference to this company among our resources.
Wear and chips to edges and folds.
Fine. Est. $25-50 RIO GRANDE 792. Rio
Grande. Summitville. Gold Placer MC. Incorporated in Connecticut. Cert. #2903, issued to William A. Kimball for
100 shares in 1880. Signed by pres.
Edmunds (?) and sec. J. Banker. Datelined
New York. Fantastic vignette
at top of hydraulic mining with a flume and a sluice box. Black border and print. Printer Globe Staty & Prtg. Co. 8 1/4
x 10 1/2. Uncancelled. Some discoloration on certificate, top edge
a bit rough at left quarter, very fine.
The Little Amie was the biggest mine in the district. San Juan Consol.
was also located at Summitville. (Ref:
Eberhart) Est. $150-300 793. Rio
Grande. Summitville. San Juan Cons. MC. Cert. #128. Incorporated in Colorado 1875. Issued
to Charles F. Gillett for 100 shares in 187x (year not completed).
Signed by pres. Chas. M. Tankersly and sec./treas. Thos. M. Bowen.
Vignette at left of robed woman (Goddess of Prosperity) dancing and
sprinkling coins from her hands. Black
border and print, embossed seal. Datelined
Del Norte, Colorado. Printed by
J.McKittrick & Co., St. Louis. Cancelled by rubberstamp. Discoloration
at left margin/border. XF.
11 x 8. Owned the Little Ida mine near Summitville,
27 miles from Del Norte, Rio Grande Co., Colorado. In 1870 gold was discovered in the area by John Esmund, a rancher.
The Little Ida mine was located in 1874, immediately west and parallel
to the Little Annie mine. A rich vein of gold ore was discovered in the
Little Ida which assayed $1500 to $2500 a ton in gold ore. Four months after discovering this vein the
mine produced $250,000 in gold. By
1881 the company had a 30-stamp mill operating.
Thomas Meade Bowen was admitted to the bar to practice law at the
age of 18. He joined the Union Army
at the start of the Civil War. When
the ROUTT 794. Routt. Yampa. Rodeo
Real Photopostcard, c. 1925. Postmarked Steamboat Springs, Colo, 1926, which is also the county
seat of Routt County. The front
of the card has written Marchel at Yampa, Colo, Photo by Helgesen. Photo is of a close up of a cowboy, Marchel,
on a bucking bronco. There are several
automobiles lined up in the background.
Stains from postal service in the upper corner, but do not affect
the scene. Great photo even by todays
standards of rodeo shots. Very fine.
Est. $50-100 SAGUACHE 795. Saguache. Bonanza. Rawley
MC. Cert.#29. Incorporated in Colorado in 1901. Issued to H. Content & Co. for 100 shares
in 1917. Signed by president Key
Millard and secretary M. Lions. Brown
border, no vignette. Uncancelled. 9 x 11.
The company owned 64 claims on 400 acres covering a 6.5 ft vein. The ore was argentiferous galena, bornite and
chalcopyrite (silver, lead & copper).
Development included 10 levels on 1,200 vertical feet of workings. In 1917 they had 3 miles of underground workings,
97,000 tons at the mill and 225,250 tons of Smelting ore in reserve. They shipped ore to Ohio and Colorado Smelting
& Refining Co. in Salida Reserves were estimated at 90,000 tons in 1919.
Ore taken out at the 1,200 ft level trough a 6,235 ft tunnel (Mines
Handbook, 1918, p. 697; 1920, p. 566.) Vf. Est. $25-50 SAN JUAN 796. San
Juan & La Plata Counties. Gold
King Consolidated Mines Co. Incorporated
in Maine. Cert. #121, issued to
Austin & Souther for 30 shares in 1908. Signed by president Merle Gellert and treasurer
John Judd. Vignette of mill with
mountainous background. Green border
and seal with black print. Properties
in San Juan and La Plata Counties, Colorado printed on certificate. Printer Boston Bank Note Co. 8 3/4 x 12.
Uncancelled. All edges trimmed
unevenly, tight at left edge, top edge is torn, dirty and wrinkled with
tape repairs to reverse, other small tears as well, hole in upper border,
poor condition. Est. $200-400 797. San
Juan region. San Luis Mining
& Reduction Co. Inc. in
IL. Cert #807, issued to Geo. F. Culver for 500
shares in 1891. Signed by pres.
Gavis Poddart (?) and sec. F.A. Banister.
Fancy masthead incorporating vignette of three prospectors inspecting
a rock. Black border, gilt seal. Datelined East St. Louis, IL. Printer Woodward & Tiernan, St. Louis.
12 x 9. Uncancelled. Two folds. Small tears at
tops and bottoms of folds, plus one other small tear to top margin. Very fine. Rare. The San Luis valley was a
rich agricultural area with plenty of water and an ideal site for a mill.
There are records of several here, though our references did not mention
any names. Unfortunately, the San Luis Co. probably didnt last long. We
could not find its exact location without going to the local newspapers
of the period. We could not find this name in any of the Mississippi Valley
lead-zinc mines or mills, thus relatively sure of its Colorado association.
[Ref: Fossett, others] Est. $200-400 798. San
Juan. Amador-Lilla MC. Inc. in IL.
Cert #654, issued to D. McLaren for 100 shares in 1890. Signed by pres. F.R. Phillip and sec. J.T.
Albert. Vignette at top of steam
train rolling through mountainous countryside.
Black border and print. Datelined
East St. Louis. Mines located in
San Juan County, Colorado printed on certificate. Printer Buxton & Skinner, St. Louis. 11 x 8 1/2.
Folds, uncancelled, very fine. Not in Vanderwilt, Burchard, Dunbar.
Rare. Est. $150-300 800. San
Juan. Eureka. Inter Ocean Mining Co of San Juan. Incorporated in Iowa. Issued to Victor Vogel for 50 shares in 1879.
Signed by president James Reynolds and secretary Robt. A. Payne.
Datelined Chicago. In gilt
underprint is a fancy circular logo of the company name flanked by farming
tools and and plants with a steam train in the background. Black border and print. Location: Eureka District, San Juan, Colorado
printed on certificate. See lot
above for the story. 4 ¼ x 7 ½.
Uncancelled. Very fine.
Est. $100-200 801. San
Juan. Eureka. Inter Ocean Mining Company of San Juan. Incorporated in Iowa. Issued to Victor Vogel for 50 shares, cert
#149, in 1879. Signed by James Reynold
as president and Robt A. Payne as secretary.
In gilt underprint is ornate company logo flanked by farming tools
and plants with a steam train in the background.
Black border. Printer not
noted. Uncancelled. Location: Eureka District, San Juan, Colorado
printed on certificate. This
company reportedly had property a few miles north of Silverton.
The Gold King mine was one of the more important mines in the district.
The Sunshine district in Boulder County, and another in the Gothic
district in Gunnison County, had Inter-Ocean mines, but their relationship
to this company is not clear. The
Inter-Ocean appears to have never produced anything. Not listed in Corregan & Lingane. The company is listed in Corbett, but no other info is given.
Extremely fine. Est. $100-200 802. San
Juan. Lisbon Valley. Lisbon Valley Uranium Co. Lot of two slightly different certificates.
Inc. in CO. Both issued, 1954 and 1959..
Rubber stamp signatures. Vignette
of spread-winged bald eagle. One
green bordered certificate, one brown.
Mastheads are slightly different. Both cancelled by red rubber stamp. 9 X 12. Printer
- Goes. The company had over 2000
claims in 3 states on uranium, vanadium, copper, silver lead and gold prospects
including the Lucky Star and Lucky Strike claims in the Lisbon Valley district
of San Juan County. (Mines Register,
1956, p. 250) Staple holes at top left on both. Very fine.
Est. $25-50 803. San
Juan. Mineral Point. Rocky Mountain GMC of Colorado. Incorporated in New York 1864. 7% Mortgage Bond, #61, issued to Martin A.
Howell and George B. Satterlee in 1864.
Signed by pres. H.C. Beach and sec. E.D. Bolles, and trustees Martin
A. Howell and George B. Satterlee. Red
print with green seal. 17 x 11,
several folds, no coupons. Rubber-stamped:
Payment of this Bond extended with consent of the holder, to November 15th,
1872. Coupon sheet issued, payable
in Gold. We could find no information
regarding this company within our library. Small tear at fold at bottom right. XF. Est.
$200-400 804. San
Juan. San Juan. San Juan & New Jersey Discovery & Mining
Co. Incorporated in New Jersey
1880. Issued to A. T. Jennings for
500 shares, cert #182, in 1885. Signed
by R. A. Vail president and John Weaver secretary. No vignette. Black border and print on crème paper. Uncancelled. Printer - Maverick
& Wissinger, NY. 4 x 8. Property in Colorado printed on certificate.
Datelined Rahway, NJ. The Vail of this company is not related to
town of Vail. We could find no reference
to this company within our library. Slight
foxing along fold creases. Very
fine. Est. $150-300 805. San
Juan. Silverton. Boston & Silverton Mining & Reduction
Co. Cert. #366. Inc. in CO, 1897. Issued to Mary C. Vose for 100 shares in 1898. Signed by pres. Roswell F. Baker and treas.
Edwin R. Pirham. Vignette at top
left of several miners working underground, filling ore bucket etc. Six small vignettes of miners in border.
Black border and print, gilt safety print and seal.
Printed by Lyman B. Brooks, Boston.
Uncancelled. 8 x 10. XF.
Mine office located at Silverton. The ore carried gold, silver, lead and copper.
In 1905, it was reported to have employed 20 to 30 men, to have steam
power and a 10-stamp mill. (Ref: Copper Hdbk, 1905, p253.) Est. $50-150 807. San
Juan. Silverton. Union Membership book. 1906. Dues
stamp book for membership in the Industrial Workers of the World.
Union 112 issued to Louisa Leota, Sept. 16, 1905.
Signed by Chas. Mann, financial secretary.
Book consists of only two 2 3/8 x 5 1/2 cloth bound boards with
IWW logo. Instructions and entitlements printed on front
and back. Member information forms
adhered to the insides of boards. Seven
red stamps affixed to dues dates. Vf.
Est. $25-50 SAN MIGUEL 808. San
Miguel Colorado Uranium Stock
Certificates, Lot of 3. Two
Ute Uranium, Inc. certificates.
Inc. in CO. Cert. # 12123
and 11234, issued in 1955 and 1956. Signed
by pres. F.W. Ferguson and sec. Wm. W. Schley (one certificate is issued
to Schley). Spread winged bald eagle vignette, orange border
with black print. Cancelled by rubber
stamp. Glue stains at left edge
where stub was attached one still has part of stub still attached, staple
holes, small tear to top of right fold.
Printer Goes. 11 x 8 1/2. The company leased a group of uranium-vanadium
claims at Slick Rock, San Miguel County.
Steady drilling on Sage No. 11 claim disclosed ore body of more than
3,000 tons, while another shipped 79 tons.
The company was also drilling on the Bishop Canyon lease in San Miguel
County. They owned 16 claims in
Mt. Peale quadrangle, La Sal district in San Juan County, Utah and 160-acre
trace in Tallahassee Creek area, Fremont County, Colo. (Ref: Mines Reg., 1956, p488.). Uranium Company of America.
Inc. in CO. Unissued,
19xx. No vignette, orange border. 12 x 8 1/2.
Fine. We could not find reference
to this company in our library. Est.
$25-50 809. San
Miguel. Ophir. Argonaut Gold Mining Co. Incorporated in Arizona. Certificate # 64 issued to F. G. Huber for
1,000 shares in 1906. Datelined
Ophir, Colorado. Signed by President
Geo. R. Dolf and Secretary J. M. Belisle.
Uncancelled. Vignette upper
left corner of spread-winged bald eagle perched on dome. Black border with gold safety print and seal. 8 x 12. Printer - Goes; A. S. Carter, Stamps,
Seals and Printing, Denver. The
district is located 9 miles SW of Telluride. Access to the district was
difficult due to isolation, resulting in little production before 1900. Several important mines were located in the
district, including the Butterfly and San Bernardo. XF. Est. $50-100 810. San
Miguel. Ophir. Argonaut Gold Mining Co. Incorporated in Arizona. Issued to F. G. Huber for 1000 shares, cert
#49, in 1906. Signed by Geo R. Dolf
president and J. M. Belisle secretary.
Vignette at upper left of spread winged eagle atop domed building. Black border with gilt seal and gold safety
print. Uncancelled. Printer - GOES. 8 x 11. See lot above for
the story. Extremely fine. Est. $50-100 811. San
Miguel. Rosita. Chieftain Consolidated Mining Co. Incorporated in Colorado 1883. Issued to Wina Baer for 100 shares, cert #123,
in 1884. Signed by J. C. Ailley
president Harris secretary. Vignette
of three miners working underground. Gold
border with gilt seal and gold underprint.
Uncancelled. Printer - Jones
Litho, Chicago. 7 x 10. Offices Rostia, Col and Union City, Indiana
printed on certificate. The
company had one claim on the Cimarron vein located five miles east of Telluride.
The vein was silver bearing quartz and was only a minor producer.
(C & C). Extremely fine.
Est. $200-400 812. San
Miguel. Silver Bell MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Cert. #C18826, issued to Richard S. Zimmerman
and Mrs. Dorothy R. Zimmerman for 100 shares in 1955. Printed signatures. Vignette of allegorical woman with lion.
Green border. Cancelled by hole punches. 9 X 12. Printer
Columbian Bank Note Co. The companys mines included the Silver Bell, Cariboo,
Carbonero and Badger and produced gold, silver, lead and copper.
Several staple holes along top edge, small stain in bottom margin,
very fine. Est. $25-50 SUMMIT 814. Summit. Fisherman Gold Mines Co. Inc. in Terr. Of Arizona, 1903. Cert.#724, issued to P.E. Safford, MD for 100
shares in 1904. Signed by pres.
L.G. Hamstein and sec. Lansford F. Buttler.
Vignette at top of underground mining scene. Gilt border and seal, black print. 11 x 8. No printer noted.
Datelined Denver, Colorado. Uncancelled. XF. We were unable to find
reference to this company in our library.
No information found within our library concerning this company. Est. $25-50 815. Summit. North Star Mountain. Rilla MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1915. Issued to Frank A. Hines for 100 shares, cert #1084, in 1916.
Signed by pres. Frank S. Simmicks and sec. M.H. Woring (?).
Vignette of trees at the foot of a mountain.
Blue border. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Franklin Lee Division-American
Bank Note Co. XF.
Two orange Commonwealth of Massachusetts stamps on reverse, as
well as two red documentary stamps. A reorganization of the OReilly Gold
Mining Co. Owned the Bay state group
consisting of 13 claims, 65 acres all on the north slope of North Star mountain,
8 miles from Breckenridge. The ore is silver, gold and copper. The are four tunnels, the longest being 1300.
(Mines Handbook, 1916, p. 982) Est.
$25-50 816. Summit. Ten Mile Consolidated. State of Colorado MC. Inc. in NY, 1880. Cert #31, issued to John B. Scott for 1000 shares in 1880. Signed by Scott as president and by John Gnaz,
sec. Vignette of four miners working
underground, one pushing ore car along tracks. Black border and print. Datelined NY. Printer Arthur & Bonnell, NY. 11 x 7 1/2. Uncancelled. Stain at lower left, on fold. Trimmed tight on left edge. Very fine.
The Ten Mile district includes the valley of Ten Mile Creek and is
bound by Jack, Sheep, Elk, Chalk and Cooper Mtns.
Even by 1883, Ten Mile district was reported to have slowed down. The ores were generally low grade. (Ref: Burchard, 1883, p426.) Est. $200-300 817. Summit.
Breckenridge. Gold Pan MC. Incorporated in New Jersey in 1901. Cert. #706, issued to Carolina D. Tracy for
100 shares in 1901. Signed by president
Geo. E. West and asst. treasurer Chester R. Hoag. Very nice hydraulic mining scene at top. Brown border with black print. Printer - ABN, NY. 7 x 10 3/4. Uncancelled. Large chunk missing from upper left corner
(see scan), otherwise fine. Unable
to find reference to this company in our library.
Est. $10-25 |
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