The Mining Stock Exchanges of Colorado in 1896.

The speculative excitement in Colorado in 1895 attendant upon the Cripple Creek discoveries, increasing output, larger development, heavy investments in mining ground, and the formation of many new companies, abated considerably during 1896. The Cripple Creek boom had passed its culminating point; yet on the whole trading was fairly active throughout the year, and if compared with the years 1892-94, may be said to have been satisfactory to commission brokers, notwithstanding the fact that there were so many more in the business than there had been before the boom.

Crowd Outside the Cripple Creek Stock Exchange

Interest was pretty closely confined to the gold mining stocks, as, ever since the great decline in the price of silver in 1893, not only mining operations, but also investment and speculation have been mainly directed toward gold. Of the gold camps Cripple Creek naturally attracted the most attention, there being comparatively few transactions in Gilpin County shares, which latter, in fact, are for the most part not on the market.

The relative volume of business as compared with that of 1895 may be thus stated:

From May 15, 1895, to the close of that year the Colorado Springs Mining Stock Association handled 18,721,122 shares of listed stocks, valued at $3,653,150, and 36,357,997 shares of unlisted stocks, a total of 54,979,119 shares.

In the same seven months the Colorado Springs Board of Trade handled 75,991,070 shares, valued at $3,402,126, while there were considerable sales in the Consolidated Exchange in the same city. There were then three exchanges at Colorado Springs, but in the early part of 1896 the Board of Trade and the Consolidated united.

For the year the whole business in listed stocks at Colorado Springs amounted to 42,867,424 shares, for which, taken altogether, much lower prices were obtained than ruled in 1895. The most active stocks at Colorado Springs were:

Mining Stock Exchange, Colorado Springs.

• Isabella, 5,113,198 shares sold at quotations ranging from 38½ c. to 66¼c.
• Pharmacist, 3,530,000 shares, 5¼c. to 20¼c.
• Cripple Creek Consolidated, 2,797,512 shares, 8½c. to 22½c.
• Creede & Cripple Creek, 2,610,150 shares, 2c. to 9c.
• Work, 2,222,150 shares, 6c. to 26c.
• Union, 1,969,500 shares, 23½c. to 60c.
• Fanny R., 1,227,550 shares, 2⅝c. to 12⅝c.
• Garfield-Grouse, 1,220,206 shares, 3⅛c. to 10¼c.
• Alamo, 1,203,017 shares, 3c. to 10½c.
• and Jack Pot, 1,000,650 shares, 2½c. to 15c.
• Portland, which may be taken as a representative Cripple Creek property, opened at $2 in January, sold down to $1.07½ in August, and closed at $1.28 to $1.36, the total sales for the year being 638,474 shares.

Of the Aspen stocks, Mollie Gibson sold at 54c. in January, and was fairly steady throughout the year, the lowest quotation being 40c., while Argentum-Juniata, which touched 70c. in March, went to 41c. in August, and in December stood at 44@50c.

NOTE.—Total sales for the year, 42,867,424 shares.

Cripple Creek Mining Stock Exchange Ass'n. Structure

The Colorado Mining Exchange at Denver is the oldest board of the kind in the State, having been opened in July, 1889, since which date it has had various vicissitudes. Business at this exchange was very dull in 1892-93, but revived when the Cripple Creek boom began and the Leadville gold belt came to the front. In 1896 the total sales were 142,837,824 shares.

The largest week's business was in the week ending January 18, when 8,271,750 shares changed hands; the smallest, in the week ending May 9. The heaviest trading was during January, February, and the beginning of March, and again it was fair in October to December. The highest business was during the summer months.

The course of prices was the same as at Colorado Springs, and at both places the disastrous fires at Cripple Creek, and the prolonged strike at Leadville, had a depressing influence.

Besides these there are the Gold Mining Stock Exchange of Cripple Creek, the exchange at Pueblo, and there have been others of less note in the State.