The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-03-10
MInINe SUMMARY.
An Exteuaive Plant Soon to Commence
Operations---Notes.
CHARLES DICKENS.

mine at Bonanza, Custer county
during the past season, has beer
consolidated with the equally notec
General Custer mine. The nego
tiations were made in London, anc
the name of the present enterprise
is "Dickens-Custer, Limited"
A large and enthusiastic meeting
of the stockholders of the new or.
ganization was held recently ir
London, where the most satisfac
tory and harmonious feeling pre-
vailed. N. Treweek, the we'll known
mining man of Utah, and the pres
ent manager of the company's prop
erty in this country, was in attend
ance and gave a very interesting
detailed account of the extent O.
development work already done or
the property.
The Charles Dickens has beer
traced by various openings on the
surface at considerable length. both
east and west. The course of the
lode is nearly east and west, with a
dip of IS degrees from the horizon
Tunnel No. has been run east.
ward, following the course of the
lode distance of $50 feet, obtain.
ing depth of $50 feet from the
surface. 1t was above this level
that the. original owner, William
Norton, took the ore from which
he extracted nearly $4,000 with a
hand mortar.
No. 2, or lower tunnel, was com.
menced at a point 95 feet below
tunnel No. l, following the vein a
distance of 600 feet, all the way in
ore. Upon careful examination
it is estimated that there are 5000
tons Of ore in sight that will mill
20 ounces in silver and 50 in gold
per ton, which could be mined and
milled at the company's works for
S15 per ton, leaving a net profit OF
$13, or $4,000 remaining in the
backs. There is another vein OF
ore running parallel with the main
Charles Dickens and in close prox-
unity to it, known as the south vein.
Ore was taken from this vein which
sold as high as $4,000 per ton. The
manager calculates that it will take
about four months time after OPP
erations commence to obtain the
rich ore which is known to exist in
the south vein. A drift will be run
both east and west on the vein
from the 2OO-foot level, which it is
estimated will cost in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000.
GENERAL CUSTER.
On this mine five tunnels are be-
ing run on the lode, developing an
| ore body 600 feet in length, and
from two to ten feet in width. 1t
is estimated that there is fully 49,
600 tons Of ore in sight in this won
derful mine which will mill $22 per
ton, and yield a net profit of $780,.
600 in the block of ground already
explored.
The Custer mine and mill was
purchased by the London syndicate
for $4,000, and it appears that
there is more in sight in the mine
now than was paid by them for the
whole pant. It is the intention of
the company to commence tun-
mel at point on a level with the
mill to cut the lode at a point 1900
feet below the old workings of the
Custer mine. This will require a
tunnel 1900 feet in length, at cost
of $40 per foot. and occupy about
eight months time to complete it.
A Burleigh drilling plant for the
purpose, costing about $1,000, will
be put upon the ground as soon as
the roads will admit of the trans
portation of machinery. The COM
pany propose to dispense with
steam power and utilize the water
power which can be supplied from
the Yankee Fork creek. This will
require a ditch one and a-half miles
in length, to be constructed at a
cost of $4,000. With water power
it is claimed that a saving Of at
least 81 per ton can be made in the
reduction of their ores. The man.
ager expects to make regular ship
ments of bullion to the company
in England after about the 10Th OF
April next, or as soon as the roads
are in condition to haul ore from
the Dickens mine to the Custer
mill. It's expected that the monthly
production will be so largely in
creased that the company will be
obliged to double the capacity OF
the mill from 80 to 60 stamps. By
doubling the number of stamps it
is calculated that the gross profits
of the two mines would amount to
1881 600 per annum. These figures
seem to be based on low-grade ores,
regardless of the rich ores which
are known to exist in the south
vein of the Dickens ground.
The English syndicate start out
in their new enterprise under most
favorable auspices, and the coming
season will no doubt witness great
activity in mining in the rich b.