A two days' jaunt on horseback took me from Rhyolite hill, on the north, to Grouse mountain, on the south, and from Pisgah, on the west, to Wilson creek, on the east, within which boundaries some four thousand claims have been located.
The greater part of those have nothing more than the assessment work done upon them, and in many instances, this has been so indifferently done, and with such an utter abandon and disregard of the statues, that they cannot be held for a moment to comply with the legal requirements.
But, in traversing Ennis, Globe, Gold, Bull, Tenderfoot, Womack, Mineral and a score or more of hills in the district, sources of Cripple, Wilson, Requa, Squaw and other water courses, I came upon scores of properties that were being developed with more or less vigor and intelligence, some with tunnels or inclines, others with shafts or open cuts, and the owners of each full of hope and expectations.
Among those having already good indications of mineral was the Republic lode claim in Squaw Gulch.

Johnson Lease Making Heavy High Grade Shipments.

Superintendent J. B. Bell returned yesterday from Denver and resumed his work as manager of the Johnson lease on the Republic. He expects to make the output of the property much higher even that it has heretofore been.
Ore is now being taken from the tunnel as fast as the teams can haul it. Two cars were loaded yesterday, and to-morrow a car of high grade ore will be sent out.
Mr. Bell predicts that September will be the banner month for the Johnson lease. The misunderstanding between Mr. Bell and some of the Mary McKinney company has been amicably adjusted, and he will retain the management of the property.

NOTICE.
Denver, Colo. Aug. 26, 1897.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Notice is hereby given that J.B. Bell has no authority to represent us in any manner in the working and operation of a certain lease on 700 feet of the Republic lode mining claim, situated on Guyot hill, in Cripple Creek mining district, El Paso county, Colorado, from the Mary McKinney Mining Company as lessor, to the undersigned as lessees, and that we will not be responsible for any debts or liabilities occurred by said Bell, in the working of said premises.

W.A. Johnston
A.H. Branch
F.W. Herbert

Principal Producing Cripple Creek Mines - 1898:

Name:
Owner: Mary McKinney Mining Co.
Capital:
President: F. F. Costello
Vice-President:
Secretary: A. C. Van Cott, Colorado Springs
Treasurer:
Superintendent:
Manager:
Lessees:
Description:
Employes:
Contact:
Notes: own Mary McKinney and Republic mines; leased.

Principal Producing Cripple Creek Mines - 1898:

Name: Mary McKinney Mine (Gold Hill)
Owner: Mary McKinney Mining Co.
Capital:
President: F. F. Costello
Vice-President:
Secretary: A. C. Van Cott, Colorado Springs
Treasurer:
Superintendent:
Manager: Lessees 1.
Lessees 2. J. E. Beich, Anaconda
Lessees: 1. Thomas Kenny et al., Anaconda
2. Jersey Gold Mining and Leasing Co.
Description: Lessees 1. 100-foot shaft; windlass.
Lessees 2. shafts; 70-horse power boiler; 7x10 quadruple friction hoist; Deane pump.
Employes:
Contact:
Notes:

Principal Producing Cripple Creek Mines - 1898:

Name: Republic Mine (Anaconda)
Owner: Mary McKinney Mining Co.
Capital:
President:
Vice-President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Superintendent:
Manager: J. B. Bell
Lessees: Johnson et al.
Description: tunnel
Employes: thirty employes.
Contact:
Notes:

UPRAISE FROM THE 210-FOOT LEVEL OF JOHNSTON'S LEASE REACHES THE TUNNEL LEVEL.
—————————
CONNECTIONS MADE.
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Tunnel Level Now United With the 210-Foot Level.
Connections have been made between the lower level of the Johnston lease of the Republic, and the drift at the tunnel level. This means better ventilation, and eventually the employment of a much larger force, and a consequent increase of the mine's output.
Next month the lessees will begin sinking for another level, and this will still further increase the capacity of the mine, which is now something like fifteen tons a day.

ORE ON THE REPUBLIC.
—————————
WILL WORK ON.
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Rich Strike in the Republic Stops All Thought of Quitting.
Some days ago a statement went the rounds of the press to the effect that the Johnston lease on the Republic of the Mary McKinney company was about to be abandoned.
The reason were that the terms of the lease call for ten feet of sinking every month, and the ore in the upper levels was thought to be pretty well worked out.
The water was growing troublesome, and the life of the lease was so short that it would hardly pay to sink for another lift. Now all this has changed.
Saturday night the drills broke into a big body of very rich ore, and the lessees at once set about putting the shaft down in order to fulfill the terms of the lease.
Yesterday the required ten feet were completed, and it is needless to say that the lease will be worked to the last minute of its life.

The Western Investment Co., which recently took a two years' lease on the Mary McKinney Cons. G. M. Co.'s property, has taken possession and will operate through the main shaft on the Republic.
This property comprises about 34 acres of ground on the most desirable portion of Raven hill. This will not include the holdings of the Anaconda Co. on the south slope of Gold hill.

The Western Investment Co., operating the main shaft and workings of the Mary McKinney Mining Co. on the Republic claim, shipped 725 tons in January, with a gross bullion value of $18,125. This ore was chiefly mined from the main Mary McKinney vein, northeast of the shaft at the bottom of the 650-ft. level.
Shipments were also made during the month from the Howard shaft on the Mary McKinney on Gold hill, and the Pressler and Burch shafts on Raven hill, located about the center of the two adjoining claims.