Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-05-20
the opnIR MINE.


To-day has been visiting day along the
lode, and the ophir incline has been M
Of the principal points Of inspection.
representative Of the NEws was Allowed
to accompany Superintendent Patton
and a number Of experts to this inter-
estins point this morning. Tho incline
is o day 55 feet below the $500 station,
and has passed 20 feet into the quartz
formation mentioned last visiting day.
The small advance made since then has
been on account Of opening up tho z'oo
station.
While the distance rus has not been
great. the change encountered has been
important as tending to show b nature
and make Of the formation. 1t Will 90
remembered that from below the 22OO
strinsers OF quartz were encountered as
the incline increased in depth. These
grew in size and richness till below the
$500 station ore o foot in width was
found giving some fair assays. Ihis
has also been encountered in the 23OO
station. Some 80 feet below the $500
station q strong clay wall. pitching
heavily to no west, was encountered
and from that point on the incline has
been in quartz.
The clay wall and the slips OF clay at
FIRST found in this mass OF quartz
pitched to the west; but after getting
down a little distance they took a
change and all now dip strongly to tho
east. There Is nothing indicative OF an
east wall in these slips but they are i'm.
portant as indicating what the dip Of
that wall will DO when found. These slips
are increasing in size and . notable and
significant fact is that the ore is richer
above them than below them. Some OF
the quartz Of this vein is good milling
ore, but the whole formation averages
but about Sl2 per ton.
The prospect was pronounced excel
lent one or two weeks ago when visited.
II is much better to-day. The kindli.
| ness OF the formation is remarkable,
and the approaches are also promising.
| Before getting into it, from the last
quartz stringer to the clay wall, the
formation Was for some twenty feet a
mixture Of clay and quartz. The sur
rounding porphyry is full OF life and
abounds in pyrites. There Is scarcely
an item OF promise wanting.
The opinion was expressed a fortnight
| ago that this was q new formation-one
never before encountered In the mine.
| This was the opinion Of Mr.. Patton and
he stilll clings to il. His chief reasons
are that the formation itself. as well as
its surroundings, differs 30 materially
from anything ever before Q in the
Ophir. The quartz, too, carries . larger
proportion Of gold than the Hardy vein.
These peculiarities have increased since
last visiting day.
There is still q possibility that this
may be the Hardy vein. That vein was
encountered four feet west OF No !
winze, 1900 level. 1t has been followed
TO the 2l00 level. where 1t was . little
east Of the Wine. Nothing is known
of il below this point. Should it &c
down, 1t might prove to be q feeder ol
this very body encountered below.
IL the top OF the present ore body
was likened to the roof Of q house. the
incline would DO running into the rooi
below the ridge and at . lesser angle
than the pitch Of the roof on the Other
| side. The result will be then that AZ
| the incline Is continued II must perfor-
| ate the moss. no TO speak, coming out on
the east side. How soon this may Ds
the case, remains to be determined.
There are no particular changes in the
slopes Of the mine. They yield about
| 50 tons per day. The sill floor. 1000
level, has followed the vein south till II
has widened from = foot and a half to
over five feet. At this point these Slopes
are almost perpendicularly above the
present foot Of the incline.