The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-12-28


mine owners have to pay the same
figures. as himself, andi that is the
reason for high rates Of concentration,
it is the very thing that would make
the mine owners insist on low rates.
If this camp promised to pay the
freight charges from Engle, it was a
promise it is utterly unable to fulfil, for
he money is not here to do it. If as
lntlmated, in his communication, the
high charges are because of that. the
sum of mOney-SlOOO probably-would
be a mere "~bagatelle,' and by running
less than a week, at rates he indicates,
he would more than get back that as
IN assessment on the ore, and according
TO his Questioning he would then have
TO drop on his prices. Now, Mr.. Cas-
tie is a good business man, he went
about this business in a most intelli-
gent, careful and painstaking way. and
since be came here has had all of his
work done at prices that not n man
in fifty would have believed he could
have secured. His test on the ores sat
isfed me with this camp, and as | have
repeatedly said to YOU, that very test
would bring other concentrating works
to this camp. The known ore bodies
of this camp would supply two con-
centrators at good paying rates, and
without the least possible conflict be-
tween them. Why, if reports are true
about concentration elsewhere, at five
dollars per ton Mr.. Castles stock ought
to enhancesfrOm 200 to 800 per cent. in
a single year, If he has the ore to ruD
full capacity, which would likely be the
case at five dollars per ton. Then there
is another thing Mr.. Castle overlooks
AS understand it, he dose not propose
to buy the ores at assay value,atte con
centration, 50 that from the profit,
which his estimate figures to the
mine owner, ~mustlagain be deducted
transportatiOn-nOt less than thirty
dollars; treatment fifteen dollars, and
ten to fifteen per cent. off assay value,
per 800, or from $40 TO $50 on the con-
centrate ton, for his published test
shows $500 to $500 concentrates. Why,
if you will think Of it for d moment,
you Will see that his concentrating
prices viii nearly out-average the rates
chargedIby stamp mills, for free milling
%Ores-g0ld and silver-where the mine
owner sacks up his product free of the
expenses Incident to concentrates.
For example, | am informed, only re-
Gently, by Mr.. Fields, Of Socorro,
the Terrence mine with the eXpen-
oiye process of a~malgamation with
stamps, pans, settlers and ~retorts, re-
duced their ores at a cost of only five
dollars per ton. The prices he names
might DO for sampling lots, but il
seems to me Il very grave error on his
part to make such rates on treatment
VI OlC III lOlo hOLIIO VIC az
tentiOn of treatment"
Henry WesterInan, said: while, ]
know nothing particularly of concen-
trating prices, ! am OF the opinion that
eight dollars is entirely too high. ]
have heard of rates elsewhere, and the
personal knowledge | have Ihad that
ore was concentrated at Georgetown.
n. NJ, for $3.50 per ton, leads me to
think that i've dollars per ton here
would be a strong figure, and still one
that the camp would bear"
w. F. Caldwell, of the Silver Monu-
ment, said: He thought eight dollars
for concentration was unreasonable.
That lie had ore that would pay .even
ut that rate, but he would not work ii
at those figures. He might prospect
his mine, and fun nish "a few lots fol-
test, but he would not work 1t as a
business on such figures"
Nate Ayers, Of The King Nos. / and
:, SAID; The way concentration
charges go elsewhere, the rates that
Mi. Castle charges are not reasonable,
even if the grade of ores in this camp
would stand the charges. -Four dol
lars would pay him big on his invest.
ment, but the camp | think will stand
i've dollars"
Mr.. James Wilson. of the White Sig
nal, sad: "Cannot atfold to pay ii.
The mine will not stand it, and, if it
could, the rate is unreasonable. would
not furnish $1,000 rock on such rates. |
know too we'll what concentrating
should cost to stand any su h figures.
such rates run up toward smelling
prices. The Socorro smeltel offered
Forbes and Elliott, of Kingston, to treat
their lead ores at Sl2.50 per ton. MIR.
Pitcher thinks as | DO on this subject"