Arizona silver belt. [volume] (Globe City, Pinal County, Ariz.) 1878-19??, 1883-07-07
Railway Screed No. s.
The Precious Metals.


an abandoned industry. The causes
that have ope, ated to produce this
condition of things are, bad manage
ment, poverty Of mine owners and
distance from the railroad The lat
ter is the prime one, because, while a
great deal of rich ore has been taken
out Of Globe District, and very much
still remains in small veins, the larger
veins which stand in tie relation of
probably fifty to one, tons of ore con-
sidered, are untouched. The cost of
taking out ton of ore is say, 81, cost
of transportation, &-much sof it is
done on pack animals-cost of work
ing it at the mills, an average of $50;
loss, fifteen per cent. Ore that would |
run $50 per ton would cost, by the
time the silver in it reached the bull
lion stage, $45,5O, leaving to the miner,
S.. The major part of the silver ores
of Globe District are much below $50
per ton. In the gold ores, the cost of
extraction and transportation remains
the same, the cost of working is less,
the percentage of loss, where the ore
is not a sulphuret, less, but the value
of the ore is very much less, too.
While the silver ores will average $35
per ton, the gold will scarcely exceed
more than $12. Under existing con-
ditions it is simply impossible to work
them. The building of the Arizona
Mineral Belt railroad, and the con-
struction of reduction works ON the
Salt river, as proposed by the Con!
struction and Development Co. alters
the aspect of things to this extent:
Taking out-ton-$4; transportation
to railroad, $4:-this will be reduced
by better system of wagon roads
transportation to the mill over the
railroad, 81; loss-reduced by more
perfect system of working and better
plants--ten per cent; cost of working,
SLOT would probably be less; total,
S24; leaving to the miner as clean
profit on $50 ore, $26 per ton; or, Sc
more on $35 ore than. can be made now
on $50 ore. We said that the cost Of
working would probably be less than
$40. A careful estimate, made by one
of the most experienced mill men on
the Pacific slope, Nixon Palmer, is
our basis. He says that, 'in 100
stamp mill, run by water power, free
silver ores can be reduced for 50 per
tom The railroad will make the
development of the low grade mines a
certainty, and their development will
give employment to the railroad. The
silver and gold bearing zone which is
embraced in Globe District is about
4Ox3O miles. The veins vary from a
few inches to 20 feet in width; the
character of the ores varies, running
through all the changes from the
freest to the basest. The matrix, at
the surface, is generally cellular
rusted quartz, showing a complete
disappearance of pyrites and other
sulphides, but changing with depth.
The country rock embraces, granite,
diorite, porphyry, lime, slate and
euartzite, and the veins run in many
cases, through and between the sue
cessive formations. Comparatively
little work has been done in the Dis
trict. The Mack Morris mine has been
sunk 800 feet, and the Stonewall Jack
son nearly as far; outside of these there
has been done only the baldest pros
pecting. The District has produced
several millions of dollars. The Mack
Morris alone contributing over $780,
600, and the Stonewall Jackson, send
ing, in one shipment, nine tons of
native silver. An examination of the
books of some of the assayers discloses
the fact that the average assay is more
than $50 An estimate of ore, now
on the dumps, in this District, that
will average $35, gives $500 tons; the
quantity of that grade practically in
sight is incalculable. One source of
wealth, not usually taken into consid-
Grafton in this District is the argen-
tiferors galena; with railroad, the
secondary product, the lead, would
have value, and its transportation
afford large amount of business.
Outside of Globe District, and between
it and the A. & p. road, the foothill
country is all mineralized. Gold and
silver are found all the way along the
mouth of the Tonto to the Verde water
shed, and on the east side of the Tonto
from the Sallie May in the Sierra An
chas, past the Delshay basin to the
Verde divide. Passing this it extends
through the country lying north of
the divide, and reaches up to the tim
Der line. 1t is almost a terra incog-
nita SO far as the prospector is con-
cerned. He has run over it, but
nothing suited him except the rich
~ 80