Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-12-20
THE PROBLEM SOLVED.
DEEP MINING PRACTICABLE
AT SLIGHT COST.

The Ophir Annual Report-A Bet.
ter Showing Than was Expected
Prospects for the Year.
The annual report of the Superin.
tendent of the Ophir mine, which
was read at the meeting Of stockhold-
era held in San Francisco q few days
ago, makes a much more favorable
showing than was anticipated. The
machinery at the mine is in good
condition for effective service, and
ore, or very good indications of the
approach to ore, is reported on all
the levels from the 1000 to the $500.
Although the various cross-cuts on
the several lower levels have been ex-
tended to . great length, none of
them have as yet reached the main
ore-vein as worked on the levels
above, or the west wall. This gives
good grounds for the belief that q
large ore-body will be exposed on
those levels before many months.
This is the most encouraging feature
Of the report, as far as the Ophir
stockholders are concerned. But
there 10 another feature which should
not be overlooked, as it is pregnant
with interest to all persons even only
remotely interested in mines. Tho
feature referred to is contained in
the following brief extract:
We are now attaching an improved
air compressor to our incline hosting
engine. The compressor is 80 con-
structed as to be driven by the weight
of the descending cable and giraffe,
and to stand without motion when
hosting Is being done. The practi-
cal result Of this arrangement will
be to give US over 5000 cubic feet of
air per hour, ut pressure Of 80
pounds to the square inch, at no ad.
ditional expense, and partially saves
the wear and tear of the brake ma
cliinery heretofore used to control
the descen; Of the cable and giraffe.
This is neither more nor less than
the solution Of the problem of deep
mining. II fresh air can be procured
at such slight cost, there Is prscti-
cslly no limit to the depth to which
mining can be carried. The econom.
ical production or procurement of
fresh air is all that is required for
this, and the compressor above re-
ferred to seems to be the one con.
trivance which will secure it. We
do not know who Is the inventor OF
that compressor; but, whoever he is,
he deserves to rank high among the
inventors Of the age.
In concluding his report Mr.. Pat
ton says:
In my last annual report l stated
that the probable yield Of the mine
during the ensuing year would be
more than sufficient to pay our run
ming expenses and render assessments
unnecessary. BY referring to the
Secretarys statement Of receipts and
disbursements you will see that not
withstanding the immense amount
Of work done In the mine during the
year, and the extraordinary expenses
incurred. my snticipations have been
more than realized. We have been
able to pay q dividend of 81 per
share, amounting to S100,S00, and
still retain balance of $134,892 80
in the treasury.
Our explorations in depth will be
continued during the coming year
with all possible energy, and at the
same time the different levels opened
and the ground thoroughly prospect
ed 10 all directions. The great i'm
provement met with in the charac-
ter of our ground as greater depth is
attained, gives reasonable hope for
. favorable result in that direction,
while the amount of ore still in place
10 the Hardy vein above the 300
level, and the strong probability Of
Its extending some distance below
that level, gives US reasonable hopes
of greater prosperity during the COM
ing year.