The gold output reached nearly twenty-five million dollars, while the development proves that the District is hardly scratched.

The year just ended has been the most important one in the history of Cripple Creek, from the standpoint of development. Never before have there been seen such strong indications of the permanency of ore shoots with depth.

The year has been noted for the enormous amount of development work, in which millions of dollars' worth of gold-bearing ore has been added to the reserves of the great producers. Properties have been developed into great producers and, taken altogether, development proves that the outlook for the district was never brighter.

During the year more good strikes of large and heretofore unknown ore bodies have been made than during any three years previous in the history of the camp.

While the ore-bearing zone, as defined some years ago, has not been widened, the work has proved that the district is hardly scratched and that we little know of the future greatness of the Cripple Creek district, as a gold-producing camp.

Miners at Work Underground in Candle Light

From an underground and geological standpoint, the mining men could not ask for a better showing than prevails at the present time, in the mines that dot the hillsides.

One of the most important developments of the year has been that underneath the barren zone, which has puzzled mining men, there lies a rich ore body, only waiting for the miner's pick and hammer to remove.

The indications in the Blue Bird mine on Bull Hill point to a secondary enrichment, and should such prove to be the case, what may we expect with a little greater depth? If the zone, nearer surface, which yielded extremely rich ore, be the impoverished one, what is to be expected of the second zone?

During the year no less than twenty new ore bodies have been opened, that, with development, are showing fabulous wealth for the people operating the properties.

Bull Hill Scene

Besides the new finds the ore bodies in many of the old mines are developing into bonanzas, while many mines that were called "has beens" are producing heavily, under careful management. With such a condition prevailing, it is readily seen that the development of the year has been most gratifying.

And, again, Cripple Creek leads the world in the annual production of gold.

During the year just closed the mines of this district outputted $24,508,311 worth of gold-bearing ores.

California, the golden state of the Union, was passed in production a few years ago by this district alone. The Cripple Creek gold fields comprise six miles square and the gold produced in a single year exceeds that of the combined production of Nevada, Montana, Utah and Idaho, while it exceeded that of the entire state of California.

Think of it. A total of $24,508,311 worth of gold ore bearing was mined and that, in the face of the fact that many of the great producers were not worked to the limit. Development, was the watchword of the managers, whose orders were to block out and only break what ore was necessary to pay the current expenses.

• For the first nine months of the year, the Last Dollar, on Bull Hill, was undergoing the blocking out system.
• The Ajax is still blocking out.
• The great Portland, on Battle mountain, had two-thirds of its force on development.
• The El Paso, on Beacon hill, installed a new plant of machinery and sank a large three-compartment shaft. Only sufficient ore to pay expenses was broken and shipped.
• The Mary McKinney only broke sufficient ore to pay expenses and the regular dividend. There is enough ore broken in the various levels of the Mary McKinney mine to keep up the regular production for six months, without pulling a stope or working a face.
• The Blue Bird and the Empire State and many more were simply under development. Yet, in face of that, the output of gold ore amounted to the enormous sum of $24,508,311.

The total tonnage of ore produced amounted to 674,327 tons, of which 515,327, valued at $15,177,811, were treated by the mills and the balance, 159,000 tons, valued at $9,330,500, were treated at the smelters of the state.

The following is the tonnage handled by each of the mills and smelters, together with the total value of ores produced in this district during 1902: