WELLS FARGO EXPRESS GOLD MINING COMPANY Stock 1896. Cripple Creek, Colorado.
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:10018552 |
TheWells Fargo Express Gold Mining Company. Stock issued on April 17, 1896 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Incorporated in the State ofColorado. “Operating in Cripple Creek Mining District” printedbeneath company name. Gold embossed company seal. Certificate No. 409was issued to O. P. Shadts for 1, 000 shares of capital stock ($1 pershare). Company capital was $1, 500, 000. Original ink signatures ofcompany president L. L. Johnson and secretary S. P. Greenfield.Certificate is about ...8” x 10” Certificate has green overprint ofwavy sunburst lines with black print and ornate borders.
Condition:Very Fine-, folds and minor creasing, one fold reinforced witharchival tap on reverse, no tears, minor signs ofhandling/wear/discoloration, Uncancelled.Printer:(none indicated)
CompanyHistory:(no information was found on this company)
CrippleCreek, Colorado was the site of the last and greatest mining boom in Colorado, attracting tens of thousands of people to the western flank of Pikes Peak in the 1890s. After it was destroyed by fire in 1896, the townand surrounding mining district reached peak production andpopulation in the early twentieth century. The Cripple Creek-VictorMining District lies on the southwestern flank of 14, 115 foot highPikes Peak in Teller County, with an area of about 5.5 miles wide and6 miles long. Gold was the primary mineral mined in this district.Gold-rich ores were discovered in 1890 by ranchhand-turned-prospector, Robert Womack from the El Paso claim and theGold King Mine. Relatively meager placer gold led to the discovery ofrich vein deposits. The rush was on as thousands of would-beprospectors and miners again accepted the challenge of the 1859ers, “Pikes Peak or Bust.” By 1900, 500 mines had been discovered, thetowns of Cripple Creek and Victor had been established, and railservice had linked the district to the outside world by the Florence& Cripple Creek Railroad in 1894 and the Midland TerminalRailroad in 1895. Gold production peaked around 1900 with productionvalued at $18 million. From 1890 to 1910, 22.4 million ounces of goldwere produced. Production was not without its problems. Unlikediscoveries in other western mining camps, the gold in Cripple Creekwas contained in gold-telluride minerals. The mineralogy dictated theuse of the chlorination process rather than the conventional stampmilling and amalgamation. Later, chlorination was replaced by cyanideleaching. The district is noted for several large and famous minesand is said to have produced 30 millionaires. Winfield Scott Strattondiscovered the Independence Mine in 1901 and later sold it for $11million. The nearby Portland Mine at one time employed 700 miners.The profits from entrepreneur Spencer Penrose’s C. O. D. Mine builtthe famous Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. The district wasrocked by labor strife during several periods. In 1894, a five monthlong strike by the Western Federation of Miners was prompted when themine owners lengthened the workday from 8 to 10 hours. Violencebetween the striking miners and a company-paid militia of sheriff’sdeputies resulted in the declaration of martial law with the Governorcalling in the army to restore order. The strike was eventuallysettled by reinstitution of the 8 hour day and no cut in the $3 dailywage. The union victory strengthened the Federation in Colorado andelsewhere. In 1903 rising labor tensions again resulted in thecalling in of the National Guard during the Colorado Labor Wars.After an extended period of violent clashes between union andnon-union groups, the Federation was driven from the Colorado minesin 1904. As the mine workings deepened, water became a seriousproblem. A number of drainage tunnels were driven to drain the minesand prolong the life of the district. The longest of these was theCarlton Tunnel which drained from the deepest levels of theVindicator Mine. The tunnel was completed in 1941. Unfortunately theclosure of the mines during World War II limited its effectiveness.After the war, with the gold price pegged at $35 per ounce, mostmines became uneconomic and the district shut down.
PAYMENTAND SHIPPING Please read certificate description details shown above before bidding. Please contact me with any questions before bidding. Payment by PayPal only. Shipping within the U.S. is by USPS First Class Mail ($4.00 for packages weighing 13 ounces or less) – shipping for packages weighing over 13 ounces will be shown on your invoice. If another shipping method is requested, a revised invoice will be sent. International buyers need to wait for my invoice before paying. Combined shipping cost will be offered for multiple items won – please wait for invoice before paying, or if specific shipping method or insurance is requested. Multiple items will be shipped together in one package. All packages will be shipped with certificates placed in plastic sleeves with cardboard backing and marked “Do Not Bend”. I do not profit on shipping costs charged. Items typically shipped within two days of payment.RETURNSAND GUARANTEE: Buyer satisfaction and authenticity of certificate is guaranteed – returns are accepted with 14 days of purchase (buyer pays return shipping cost unless item received is not as described in this listing). All certificates are originals – no reproductions.
Condition:Very Fine-, folds and minor creasing, one fold reinforced witharchival tap on reverse, no tears, minor signs ofhandling/wear/discoloration, Uncancelled.Printer:(none indicated)
CompanyHistory:(no information was found on this company)
CrippleCreek, Colorado was the site of the last and greatest mining boom in Colorado, attracting tens of thousands of people to the western flank of Pikes Peak in the 1890s. After it was destroyed by fire in 1896, the townand surrounding mining district reached peak production andpopulation in the early twentieth century. The Cripple Creek-VictorMining District lies on the southwestern flank of 14, 115 foot highPikes Peak in Teller County, with an area of about 5.5 miles wide and6 miles long. Gold was the primary mineral mined in this district.Gold-rich ores were discovered in 1890 by ranchhand-turned-prospector, Robert Womack from the El Paso claim and theGold King Mine. Relatively meager placer gold led to the discovery ofrich vein deposits. The rush was on as thousands of would-beprospectors and miners again accepted the challenge of the 1859ers, “Pikes Peak or Bust.” By 1900, 500 mines had been discovered, thetowns of Cripple Creek and Victor had been established, and railservice had linked the district to the outside world by the Florence& Cripple Creek Railroad in 1894 and the Midland TerminalRailroad in 1895. Gold production peaked around 1900 with productionvalued at $18 million. From 1890 to 1910, 22.4 million ounces of goldwere produced. Production was not without its problems. Unlikediscoveries in other western mining camps, the gold in Cripple Creekwas contained in gold-telluride minerals. The mineralogy dictated theuse of the chlorination process rather than the conventional stampmilling and amalgamation. Later, chlorination was replaced by cyanideleaching. The district is noted for several large and famous minesand is said to have produced 30 millionaires. Winfield Scott Strattondiscovered the Independence Mine in 1901 and later sold it for $11million. The nearby Portland Mine at one time employed 700 miners.The profits from entrepreneur Spencer Penrose’s C. O. D. Mine builtthe famous Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. The district wasrocked by labor strife during several periods. In 1894, a five monthlong strike by the Western Federation of Miners was prompted when themine owners lengthened the workday from 8 to 10 hours. Violencebetween the striking miners and a company-paid militia of sheriff’sdeputies resulted in the declaration of martial law with the Governorcalling in the army to restore order. The strike was eventuallysettled by reinstitution of the 8 hour day and no cut in the $3 dailywage. The union victory strengthened the Federation in Colorado andelsewhere. In 1903 rising labor tensions again resulted in thecalling in of the National Guard during the Colorado Labor Wars.After an extended period of violent clashes between union andnon-union groups, the Federation was driven from the Colorado minesin 1904. As the mine workings deepened, water became a seriousproblem. A number of drainage tunnels were driven to drain the minesand prolong the life of the district. The longest of these was theCarlton Tunnel which drained from the deepest levels of theVindicator Mine. The tunnel was completed in 1941. Unfortunately theclosure of the mines during World War II limited its effectiveness.After the war, with the gold price pegged at $35 per ounce, mostmines became uneconomic and the district shut down.
PAYMENTAND SHIPPING Please read certificate description details shown above before bidding. Please contact me with any questions before bidding. Payment by PayPal only. Shipping within the U.S. is by USPS First Class Mail ($4.00 for packages weighing 13 ounces or less) – shipping for packages weighing over 13 ounces will be shown on your invoice. If another shipping method is requested, a revised invoice will be sent. International buyers need to wait for my invoice before paying. Combined shipping cost will be offered for multiple items won – please wait for invoice before paying, or if specific shipping method or insurance is requested. Multiple items will be shipped together in one package. All packages will be shipped with certificates placed in plastic sleeves with cardboard backing and marked “Do Not Bend”. I do not profit on shipping costs charged. Items typically shipped within two days of payment.RETURNSAND GUARANTEE: Buyer satisfaction and authenticity of certificate is guaranteed – returns are accepted with 14 days of purchase (buyer pays return shipping cost unless item received is not as described in this listing). All certificates are originals – no reproductions.
