Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1875-12-03

the surface. not By large rough crop !
pings, but by a clearly visible for'nstion |
Of carbonate Of lime, oxide OF iron. ana
iron ochre. often intermiIed with green
carbonate Of copper. and distinguishaoie |
all the more as they are generally ioubn
in bedrock of blue or dark brown state
Most Of these veins are, from the sur
face down, possessed OF such wonder
fully true underlay, that tunnel 10
them can be calculated within few feet
to certainty.
NATURE OF THE ORES.
On The eastern slope OF the Sierra
Madre. and through to the gulf, all ell
yer-bearipg veins carry down to a certain
den,b n variety of ores, some OF which
are found in no other part of the world.
The most prominent are Iodite and
R,omarsyrite, or iodite and bronze silver.
Roth species are called "plata verde,
or green silver, and are found in scales
or small crystals on carbonate of lime OF
the afore-nade description OF groupings.
This matter extends in the District OF
Catoru, for example down to depth OF
400 metres in Zacatecas, only fifty miles
in Tresnillo, Mineral do Plateros 100
metres, showing pockets OF the iodite
and bromargyrite, as also oil kerargyr,
or horn-silver, the assays OF which are
often no less than from four to five hun
bred dollars to the cargo of three hun
dred pounds.
At the indicated depths, the transition
commences, being no less than fifty
metres deep of vein matter of the des-
cription OF Comstock clay, iron pyrites
being strongly prevalent. This transit
ton very rarely carries metal, but if it
does, nothing less than native silver.
Now follows a vein matter which can be
said to be almost like that of the Com.
stock. only that the appearing ores are
silver ores pure, of much finer grade
than those found here. In the mine San
Agustin, Catorce. there is no less than 5OO
tons of prousite or ruby silver ore,
brought to the surface every week. The
mine La SUI, in Zacatecas, produces that
much and more Of Pyrargynite or anti
monial silver ore, and pockets of fill
gram silver are not unfrequently found
giving from two to ten million dollars.
But the imperfect mode of working
leaves most OF those treasures hidden in
the mountains. Coyoting ia the best
name for 1t, working down with crow
bar until little pocket is struck, eating
out all the ore, then driving for another
one-tbat is the general plan. Regular
shafts are seldom thought of, because oil
the lack OF hosting machinery, the most
complicated being 4-horse power wind
lasses. Peones carry the ore on theil
backs to the surface or to the bottom o.
some shaft, and it is astonishing how
these people take weight OF 200 to 30t
pounds over ladders made Of one log
through drifts which they have to pass
on their knees, and up and down slip
perry steps where fall would mean Ger
tain death. Their compensation is fou
bits day, which suffices to keep then
on beans and chile, and furnish then
, Sundays with a quantum of mescal o
aloe brandy sufficient to make them unti
, for work on Monday. The regula
miners OF carretero receive 81 per day
but prefer to work on shares. This sys
ten Of working on shares is an enorm
: GUS loss to the mine, but cannot be dis
pensed with where you have miners VIII
require foreman each to keep them t
work. The plan alluded to is simply t
give the miner one-third, one-fourth @
I one.fitth Of all ores brought out to th
surface in his name, each batch beiD
dumped separately, and divided accord
ing to grade, into three, four or fiv
{ parts, and the miner selecting his share
This mode has almost become privileg
= and the writer OF this narrowly escape
lynching in trying to substitute day Ii
: Dor for this expensive system of dividing
It Drifting is done by contract altogether
d one meter in the bedrock costing froI
=. $50 to $50, while on the vein it cos,
from $40 to $50 per meter.
= The ores brought to the surface ar
;. according to their assays, ranged in,
AZ seven classes: Especial, :" Bonito,
70 Amarillo, deg.." Amarillo, 2 deg,
10 Amarillo, 3 deg" Million, l deg,
= and Million, 2 deg" and in this ord
'S shipped to the
HAcIENDAs OR REDUCTION WORKS.
10 The transportation is done on mule {
Of donkey back, large herds of these arri
10 ing every morning at the the gates of Il
N mine and leaving packed with 200 or 81
pounds each for the haciendas. Th
% institution covers generally not less tina
"a from ten to fifteen acres of ground, beir
Ut surrounded by buildings and high wall
B. carefully guarded against intrusion. II
10 ore is hrst broken to a small size, abo
% as large Us hazel nuts by the ''mortero
C. acted upon by a dozen or So hammer
c. which, by very simple piece of mocha
O. ism, are raised and drop by themselve
IN four horses furnishing the motive powe
u From there it is taken to the arastras,
which some haciendas have as many
k 100 going. Being well pulveriz
nv in these the pulp of all the oxides. brol
. argyrites and kerargyrs or horn silver,
10 taken to the pans, where by pure mt
Z. curry, together with stirring and gent
s. heat the amalgamation is effected in eig
,is hours. Low grade ores Of the same ella
,s' are taken to the patio. Here 100 to
ar. tons are spread out in large cake, wi
nt mercury, salt and sulphates of copp
oh added in proper time, and the whole
liz it worked through by mules and shuffl
,lv every few days for the time of about o
N, month, at the end of which the amall
n ton has taken place. All other ores
70. principally sulphurets are first roast
do with salt, that is chloridized and tn
undergo the same treatment as t
former. The roasting furnaces
Is, merely an open iron plate, below viii
m the fire plays and the stirring is done
49, hand. All this will demonstrate wha
ei' large field there is in Mexico for ent
he prising mining and milling men. I
in country abounds in mineral wealth,
av has as yet hardly passed the first stage
he development.
ne #
nd sl@1nrried