The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-12-21

mount OF oTehdallY LOT u mlll tnat
would successfully treat their ores.
With these inducements, and under
these conditions, | presented the mat
ter to several moneyed men. and as a
result the Black Range Milling COM
pany was formed. The test with
which you are familiar was made at a
total expense Of over $500. conducted
as economically as was possible as the
result Of not one or two trials, but of
six, the proper machinery vas found
and 10Y lies upon the mill site. 1t is
patent to all that if the concentration
could be kept running twenty hours
out of twenty-four and every day in
the year, 1t could do the work much
cheaper than if running but ten hours
a day and three days in a week. 1t is a
matter Of experiment yet as to STEADY,
continuous and sufficient supply of ore.
The ease or difficulty of working the
different ores is yet to be deter
mined by actual trial. In good faith
the Mill company has gone on with its
part of the work, as is seen by all, and
its beneficial effects are already begin
ming to be felt. The mill is going up
rapidly and Will have its ore buns ready
for the reception of ore in four or five
weeks. Yet those mines that were to
supply a steady amount of ore show no
signs of doing their part in the work.
With n or two exceptions, not a road
has been touched, not a pick struck,
not a shot fired. One more load will
bring in the rest of the machinery.
Yet not "A move has been made as to
redeeming the promises of the Range
rs to the freight from Engle. Is it
any wonder that under these circum-
stances there should be difficulty in fix
ing charges?
/ have not heard a word of complaint
against paying ordinary workmen $3.50
per day while in other places work
men of the same class receive but $3.50
to Sl.75. When upon my side l seek to
place the mill charges according to the
standard of wages fixed here by your
selves, a small murmur Of d~issatis-
faction is heard from those not having
a dollar at stake in the enterprise, ex-
cept as the coming of the mill en-
hances the value of their prospects,
and makes of value what hitherto
has been worthless. Fixed according
to your own standard of figures "a
charge of $40 pei ton would be in exact
accord with prices charged by similar
works in Colorado, but it is too much.
Your wages asked are too much, your
mining charges per foot of drifting,
sinking or stOpIng are too much. You
Will have to come down from the wages
of occasional jobs to the wages of every
day work, but as long AS you keep
wages at the prices they are | ask the
right of keeping up with you in your
charges. Now down to business. |
have after consultation with Mr.. Will
ford who has been in the work all his
life, made a schedule of prices by which
we shall commence work. The con-
Linuance of those prices depend
ing entirely upon the fuliilment Of
the promises made to us At the in
ception Of the work. The men back
ing the Mill company are sensible,
business men. For risk to their capt.
tai they want adequate compensation.
If after running IA few months they see
that the promises made are being full
filled, that ore is being supplied steadily
and abundantly that they are reaping
too great a proportion of the benefits
before they are asked they will put their
prices to correspond with the work, and
mutually share with the camp the
benefit of working the ore. In max
ing their calculations miners can rest as
sured that those supplying ore regularly
either daily or in quantities Of twenty
tons or oyer will not have to pay over
eight dollars per ton for their mill char
ges. For sample tests the mill charges
will be from nine up to twelve dollars,
according to the quantity. From a care
full computation it will be safe to go to
work on ore bodies of good coneen-
trating ore running $50 per ton. This
allows four dollars per ton for mining
and four dollars for hauling from the
mines to the concentration. If you can
mine the ore for less than four dollars
per ton and get it hauled to the son.
contractor for less than four dollars the
profits will be 50 much more.
What | mean Is that, under the
present schedule of prices ore ayerag-
ing 800 per ton in the mines, and of
of good concentrating qualities. will
! with four dollars for mining and four
dollars for hauling to the Concentrator
pay tor itself and all charges Of mining,
hauliuu fratiOu Shinninu and