Silver mines closed and the state fell into a deep economic depression. In Leadville, 90% of the miners were unemployed. While the price of silver fell, the price of gold went up. After the silver collapse, John F. Campion hired Brown to find a solution for the mine's shafts that continually filled with dolomite sand with the intention of mining gold at Little Jonny. Brown's engineering efforts proved instrumental in the production of a substantial gold and copper seam at the mine. The gold was particularly pure. Brown, who was the superintendent of all the Ibex properties, devised a method of using baled hay and timbers to stop cave-ins. His invention paid off. When the Little Jonny mine opened, vast quantities of high-grade copper and gold were found. It was reported to be the among the most substantial gold strikes in the country at the time and helped trigger economic recovery in Leadville and throughout the state. By October 29, 1893, the Little Jonny was shipping 135 tons of gold ore per day. Brown was awarded 12,500 shares. The Ibex Company and its owners, including the Browns, became extraordinarily wealthy. Entrepreneur After serving Smith and Moffat for 14 years, in 1894, Brown decided to operate his own mining enterprises in Leadville and other locations. He moved to Denver that year and continued to advise Moffat and others, which led to the first major mining boom in the Creede area. He was the director and one of the major owners of the Ibex Mining Company (Little Jonny Mine) and had mining enterprises in Leadville, other Colorado sites, Arizona, the Southwest, Cuba, and Mexico. He became one of wealthiest mine owners in Colorado. Ice Palace Brown, whose Little Jonny Mine continued to produce gold, sought to save Leadville by creating an Ice Palace to draw tourism. Opening in January 1896, it drew tourists from across the country and Europe, and operated until March 28, 1896. Three railroads brought visitors to Leadville, where there was a wide range of entertainment, winter sports, and contests. Beet sugar production Brown along with other successful miners sought to diversify their holdings to include agricultural products. Sugar beets were suited for Colorado's arid climate. Along with Eben Smith and others, Brown was an investor and director of the Colorado Sugar Manufacturing Company, which was established in 1899. The Great Western Sugar Company was founded by the same