A leasing company similar to the Isabella Leasing company, which was recently incorporated, is being contemplated by stockholders of the Elkton Consolidated Mining & Milling Co.
It is understood that the board of directors has been sounded as to the possibility of securing a lease that will ensure development of the Raven Hill estate at depth.

Connection will shortly be completed by cross-cut between the Moffat tunnel and the Blue Flag workings. On account of the Blue Flag adjoining the Ida May group of the Elkton company on the north, its development from that direction is impossible.

The movement is reported to meet with the approval of many of the stockholdere and a special meeting may be called to arrange for the organization of a leasing company.
No work is now being done on the estate, except by lessees who are making fair production from the leased territory south of the shaft.

In a crosscut being run from the Gregory shaft to the Ida May claims a stringer was encountered about the first of this month which indicates that it comes from a vein.

General Manager De La Vergne is arranging to start work in the Ida May claims, taken over by the Elkton some time ago.

Work in the Ida May claims, recently taken over by the Elkton Co., will be started up shortly. It is probable the work will be done from the Elkton shaft by a drift run to the north.

The property of the Ida May Co. has been purchased at a referee's sale by the Elkton Consolidated Co. for $14,000. The claims are on Raven hill and adjoin the Jo Dandy on the south, east and west. The Elkton may extend its 900-foot level into this group and make extensive development.

A vein of ore assaying $35 per ton was cut by the 25-ft. shaft at the Ida May property and a shipment has been made to one of the valley plants.

Sidney Bartlett and W. F. Burns, operating a lease on block 4 of the Ida May mine on Raven hill, opened a rich ore-shoot at a depth of 42 ft. The vein is from 18 in. to 2 ft. wide, 14 in. of which runs from $100 to $200 per ton. The lessees are preparing a trial shipment for one of the local mills.

A letter has been mailed the stockholders, announcing the proposed, reorganization of the Ida May G. M. Co. The new company will take the property over and will work it extensively.
The property has produced in the neighborhood of $50,000 cash.

Cripple Creek.—The strike made a month ago by Morris brothers on the Ida May property is holding out well, and shipments of three cars a week are being made. The ore comes from a depth of 37 feet and 35 feet from the shaft, where a two-foot body is carrying values of from three ounces to $80 in gold to the ton.

Ida May.—Leasers operating on this property are making regular shipments of $30 ore.

Ida May.—This property, on BullRaven hill, is being operated by Lessee Smith, who last week made a shipment of twenty two tons of ore said to run from $50 to $60 to the ton. The ore is being mined from a drift on the 100-foot level at a point about ninety feet from the shaft, where the ore shoot is about eighteen inches in width.

Considerable lateral work has been done at the 400-foot point, where a crosscut has been driven 250 feet east of the shaft with but twenty feet more work before the Joe Dandy dike will be intersected.

Stockbrokers and people who buy mining shares became greatly excited yesterday over Ida May, and there was excellent reason for it. This block has been fairly active of late, and the price has advanced quite materially.

On Friday it was offered at 23⅛, but last night on the local board 30 was the price asked.

The immediate cause for this is the opening in the 300-foot level from the old working shaft of a body of ore from 14 to 20 inches wide, that assays all the way from 10 to 17 ounces in gold to the ton. The block of ground where the discovery was made is under lease to a Mr. Ingersoll, and it is understood that some Chicago people are interested with him in the lease.

It is too early to predict as to the importance of the find, but the principal owners of the company firmly believe that a bonanza has been opened.

The Ida May owns 25 acres of ground on Raven hill, and great things have always been expected of it.

The 1897 production was approximately for the Ida May 1,200 tons.

Principal Producing Cripple Creek Mines - 1898:

Name: Ida May (Raven Hill)
Owner: Ida May Gold Mining Co.
Capital: $500,000
President: J. A. Hayes
Vice-President:
Secretary: J. G. Shields, Colorado Springs
Treasurer:
Superintendent:
Manager: James Murray, Cripple Creek
Lessees:
Description: main shaft, 200 feet; Davis whim.
Employes:
Contact:
Notes:

Ida May.—A rich seam of ore has been struck recently on this property.