28.09.2023 (20:23:20)
Mining Scene Around the Golden Cycle Mine, Including Samplers on Victor Pass and La Belle Power Plant
Unknown
This view seems to have been taken from the road northeast of the Rigi mines group on Battle Mountain. At first I thought the small structure just to the right of the center in foreground, with the toilet shack a little bit further uphill/closer to the camera, might be a covered shaft on the J. I. C. Lode Claim.
* But further checks say it is more likely a home just north of that shaft, as the 1903ish USGS topo-map has a small square representing a structure, and a mining operation marking a bit further east, downhill; and they fit quite nicely with the foreground view. If I am right, that foreground 'hole in ground' is on the Clyde lode claim.
* Going from same base, there is a larger dump seen more to the left, about middle from the small home and left side of image, a powerpole is sticking up from the bottom of the image, and almost touch that dump, and if I am right, that dump is the Discovery Shaft of the Gracie Darling Lode Claim, also marked on the 1903ish map, as a shaft, not a prospect. The photo has more smaller dumps showing, and they are showing up on the Plat Map of the Clyde Lode Claim, so I buy into my own understanding of the image here. :-)
The timeframe of the view is about sometime after April 1902 and at least till August of 1908, and it holds quite much varied hints about that timeframe in this area of the District. I see the T. & B. Sampler structure being marked so on Victor Pass, and that structure was later renamed Copeland Sampler, sold to them in August 1908.
—> I came to look more at this image due to it showing something that might me think this might be more 1905ish as the Ide lode claim workings that is visible do appear on the USGS 1903ish topo-map, published with the 1906 Geology Report of the District.
* In this view both workings on the Ide Lode Claim, on northwestern slope of Big Bull Mtn, has their structures visible. Both the Discovery Shaft, that is the upper structure and appears to be a small log structure with a flattish roof, and it's southern working, just north of the Eagle Sampler branch of the Short Line spur.
—> Both can be seen best on the 1200dpi scan where the southern workings can be seen behind two smokestacks of what I believe to be the Theresa mine, and about 75mm more up to the left, along the Short Line mainline, is the lower, more flatter structure at the Discovery Shaft of this lode claim.
My Collection; Photographs; 300dpi.

• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ Mining Scene Around Golden Cycle Mine, Including Samplers on Victor Pass and La Belle Power Plant
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ A Look Towards the Vindicator Mine Area with Huge Dumps [Straightened; Cropped; Colored 300dpi]

P-00370
Photograph/Image [#543]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#54312.11.2022 (16:14:33)
The Black Sampler or Cripple Creek Sampler of the Cripple Creek Sampling & Ore Co., Up on Victor Pass
H. & H. Studio [Hileman & Hill]
This postcard view shows the Cripple Creek Sampler, aka Black Sampler, of the Cripple Creek Sampling and Ore Company at Victor Pass on Bull Hill. Photo is taken from Goldfield side, looking uphill in a north direction from a spot just above the Short Line yard which was below the T. & B. Sampler who would have been about 100 degree to the right.
The Black Sampler was connected to all railroads of the District so there where dual gauge rails at this sampler so the 3-foot narrow gauge Golden Circle could bring cars here, as well as serving both the Midland Terminal and the Short Line tracks. Both samplers at this location had dual gauge, as seen on the parked boxcars about middle top/down on the right-half part of this view, where there are a C.M. boxcar, a F. & C.C. boxcar and a Short Line/M.T. boxcar visible at the yard that was part of the T. & B. Sampler.
My Collection; Postcards.

• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ The Black Sampler or Cripple Creek Sampler of the Cripple Creek Sampling & Ore Co.
• My Website; Postcards Backsides: ⊞ p-00346_n29_cc-sampler-bull-hill_h-n-h-studio_bck.jpg
• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ Black Sampler/C. C. Sampler of the Cripple Creek Sampling & Ore Co., on Victor Pass {Colored 300dpi]

P-00346
Photograph/Image [#493]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#49302.11.2021 (22:48:38)
Bull Hill Sampling Works of The Cripple Creek Sampling and Ore Co.
Unknown
Sadly being from a printed source this image is not very good, taken from the New Year 1903 issue of the newspaper Cripple Creek Times, appearing in a group of three pics in what is more an advertisement text feel then an actual article about the company.
  This pic shows the Black Sampler, or Cripple Creek Sampler Bull Hill Works of the Cripple Creek Sampling and Ore Co., located at what is, was known as Victor Pass also. It is taken at the south end, and that makes it a rare view as I only seen this before in shots from more southeast, and I like this shot, not because it is a good one, because that it is not, the quality of the image suck!
  But I like it due to it in addition to its being a rather closeup view, it shows better this side of this large imposing structure and while it is hard to make out details, I still get a basic view of this structure normally appearing more in a distance in views from the area. This sampler was served by all three railroads of the area.
  I did procure the colored version of this image. Source was greyish, or in common speech black & white. Used an online service and tweaked and worked with image to get what looks best to my eyes at the moment.
My Collection; From page 62 in the 1903 New Year issue of Cripple Creek Times. I did procure the colored version of this image. Source was grayish, or in common speech black & white. Used an online service and tweaked and worked with image to get what looks best to my eyes at the moment.

• Page 62; The Cripple Creek Times; New Years 1903 - Published in 1903.

I-00027
Photograph/Image [#426]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#42602.07.2018 (11:15:54)
View west on Victor Pass, showing Railroads, the T. & B. Sampler, the "Black Sampler" of the C.C. Sampling Co., and the Victor Mine
Unknown
Sadly, the image quality is not great on this view, my second copy, larger than my first one but suffering badly from bad storage and I've lost about 1/7 of the width on the left due to exposing to light/sun. When viewing this on a high-resolution scan like 1200dpi one can see what appears to be dirt or similar appearing on the source original that this is a copy from. Makes me think this might be a photo of a glass plate negative laying on a light-table or similar, and that means there might be a chance of a better sharpness on the source image, but I can't tell for sure as I've never seen the original, thinking this view was an original one as per seller's info but it is a copy…
The whole view appears sort of foggy which is sad as it holds so much very interesting info. Got slightly better when I enhanced the view, but it still is a long way from what I thought I had got hold of. This goes for both copies of this scene that I own from same seller.
Location is at what I know as Victor Pass, direction of View is westerly, and when I scanned this I see that there are rails of all three railroads in this area; the Midland Terminal, the Short Line, and the Golden Circle 3-foot railroad. There are many railroad cars seen along the M.T. mainline, there is also railroad cars at the Short Line grade, both up along the mainline passed the 'Black Sampler', also seen in the left lower third of the image below the T. & B. Sampler, where The Short Line had a small yard. Also, the even more interesting part, the view of two Samplers and several Mines!
* Foreground just left of the sideway center, the whitish structure is the Taylor & Brunton Sampler, which later seems to have been also known as Copeland Sampler and Eagle Sampler even later some info indicates – and this photo was marked as Eagle Sampler on the backside, so that might be the reason, but further research is needed to get the story line of the ownership of that Sampler Structure in order. What is cool, and I did not know till I saw this photo on my 1200dpi scan, there are Dual Gauge tracks at this Sampler! It seems to be at both levels of it also, for sure on the upper level as I count 3-rails going into the shed. The Golden Circle seems to have had a spur down the southern leg of the M.T. wye seen about 1/4 in from right-hand side and following the track down the hill using a sort of switchback method to reach the sampler. I first suspected the connection was behind the House/Office seen about 2/5 up from bottom and about 1/3 in from left-hand side, but that seems to be a dead-end switching spur only as there is a height difference I can't make out to have been evened out, so I think they dual-gauged the M.T. tracks instead, using the wye and switchback spur down to the Sampler.
* About center top/down and just to the right of the sideway center is the 'Black Sampler', of the Cripple Creek Sampling Company, also known as the Cripple Creek Sampler, or Bull Hill Works and other names it appears, at one time served by dual gauge as the Golden Circle railroad had a spur here. Also served by the Short Line I assume as it runs straight passed it.
* Up near right-hand top corner, the Victor Mine is seen in its glory look, located along the Golden Circle Mainline tracks towards Vista Grande, with the Bull Cliffs part of Bull Hill seen at the top left of the mine structures. Looks to have been a Huge Mine structure!
* In addition, the Easter Bell Mine is seen to the right of the 'Black Sampler', about middle top/down and just over 1/4 in from right-hand side. Seen with a small Head-frame and a small single slope Hoist House.
* Further up the hill, about halfway up to the Victor Mine from the Easter Bell, and about 1/6 in from right-hand side the structures of the Little May Mine are visible on my enhanced view, with other mines also seen, but my 1903 topographic map has not numbered those, so I can't tell who they are at this time.
* The Venture Mine is seen to the left of the Victor Mine structures but are hard to pick out as a mine up there as the structures in that area blends into each other from this angle.
My Collection; Photographs. Enhanced, Straightened version of my 300dpi scan.

• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ Victor Pass; Samplers and Mines-1 [4x6-inch Photo; Enhanced]
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Taylor & Brunton Sampler-1 [Enhanced 1200dpi]
• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ Victor Pass; Samplers and Mines-2 [5x7-inch Photo; Enhanced]
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Victor Mine-2 [Enhanced, Straightened 1200dpi]
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Little May Mine-2 [Enhanced, Straightened 1200dpi]
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Easter Bell Mine-2 [Enhanced, Straightened 1200dpi]
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Black Sampler-2 [Enhanced, Straightened 1200dpi]
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Taylor & Brunton Sampler-2 [Enhanced, Straightened 1200dpi]

P-03715
Photograph/Image [#317]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#31720.06.2018 (09:17:36)
#11-8; Cripple Creek Sampler, Blue Hill R.R.Terminal & Eagle Sampler
H. & H. Studio [Hileman & Hill]
Title of this card is partly very badly written, not sure why. The scene is from Bull Hill, where the climb up from Cameron is ended and the downhill trip towards Victor is starting, I think this area is named Victor Pass in more modern time, at least I think of it as that name.
The Midland Terminal had a wye up here and a small yard, same did Short Line for a time, the yard of Short Line is seen about middle of this view, this side of the structure I know as the Taylor-Brunton Sampler on top of Bull Hill – on this card named as the Eagle Sampler for some unknown reason. M.T. had its yard on the higher side, behind the T. & B. sampler and outside the view at right-hand side.
On left-hand side of this view can be seen the very large Bull Hill works of the Cripple Creek Sampler, and I think at one time it was served by all three railroads with some dual gauge tracks to it.
The spur seen curving near lower left hand corner is part of the Short Line mainline, also High Line tracks for the Trolley, coming down towards Victor through the town of Goldfield, way down left if the photographer had turned towards left in about a 180 degree turn.
My Collection; Postcards/Postcard Album.

• Postcard; Unknown Publisher; titled Cripple Creek Sampler, Blue Hill R.R.Terminal & Eagle Sampler - Published in ????.

• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ Cripple Creek Sampler, Blue Hill R.R.Terminal & Eagle Sampler [from Poscard Folder]
• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ Cripple Creek Sampler, Blue Hill R.R.Terminal & Eagle Sampler

P-00312
Photograph/Image [#163]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#16322.05.2018 (09:03:58)
A View at the Slime Dam East of the Independence Mill, with Bull Hill/Bull Cliffs in the Distance
Unknown
Sadly, not the best quality view, blurred, possible due to the copy nature of this view? The view itself is from the Slime Dam below/east of the Independence Mill, possible by time this view was made, also known as the Portland-Independence Mill – can't tell for sure as I have no date on this view. It is looking up the valley where Wilson Creek ran, Bull Hill/Cliffs in distant background.
* The covered Head-Frame of the Vindicator No. 1 Mine appears to be visible about center sideways and about 2/5 down from the top.
* Smokestack of the La Bella Powerplant Structure is also seen, just left and below of the before mentioned Vindicator.
* The Black Sampler, or Cripple Creek Sampler upon Victor Pass is seen about 2/5 down from the top and about 3/7 in from the right-hand side.
* The Eagle Sampler is seen also about 2/5 down from the top and about 1/4 in from left-hand side, seen as a whitish structure against the background hill.
My Collection; Postcards.

• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ A View at the Slime Dam East of the Independence Mill, with Bull Hill/Bull Cliffs in the Distance
• My Website; Cropped Postcard View: ⊞ A View at the Slime Dam East of the Independence Mill, with Bull Hill/Cliffs in the Back [enhanced]

P-03640
Photograph/Image [#307]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#307

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