Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1891-07-23
TIN IN CALIFORNIA.
Nashyiile American.

An interesting interview with the Hon.
:. g. Niedringhaus. late Tin plate cham
pion In congress. appears in a telegram
from St. Louis, In which Niedringhsus
admits having bought $500 pounds Of
pig tin from a mysterious mine reputed
TO be located neal Pomona. Cal. Mr..
Niedringhaus in the interview states
he placed the order with the COM
pany upon the recommendation Of Mr..
Buttorf, Of the Phillips & Butiorff Man.
ufacturing Company. The entire article
makes light of the fact that there is tin
in paying quantities in the United States
and quotes the tin plate man as saying
that he did not have much faith In the
mines and that he did not expect his or.
der to be filed.
Mr.. Buttorff was seen by an american
reporter yesterday afternoon and smiled
when the article was shown HIM. He
said that some months ago. while on a
pleasure trip to California, some friends
In Los Angeles told him of a tin mine OF
marvellous richness. which was located
In the mountains near a little town
called South Riverside. about seventy
miles south of Los Angeles. He said
that he laughed at them. thinking II
only a specializing scheme. but they told
him they would prove 1t If he would go
with them. He went to South River
side, and there was transported over IN
exceedingly steep but we'll worked road
TO the mines, seven miles away.
"The road led through the most DESC
late mountain region / ever saw" said
he. AFTER leaving the valley and start.
ing up the mountain vegetation ceases
and there is absolutely nothing but
bare, bleak rock. My surprise was
great when / arrived at the mines. The
works, which are only the experimental
plant put there for the purpose of test.
ing whether the tin was in paying guam
titles. have a capacity Of ten tons d day
and are in full blast,
"They are put up on the most substan.
tial scale. Unlike most shaft and other
houses around mines. these are fur
nished up elegantly as dwellings. Even
the cross braces and heavy timbers are
painted and vanished, while the pave.
ments around and about the works alone
cost $40, 900. The brick for the pave
ments, timbers, in fact everything, had
to be transported from Sonth Riverside
by wagon, but the English syndicate
that is developing the mines seem to
care nothing for expense.
The ore vein CROPS out on the very
crest of the mountain, and Is very
peculiar in Its location. Unlike ordin.
airy strata, which generally lie In a hori.
zontal or inclined position, the stratum
of tin is perpendicular. Where 1t crops
out 1t is only about four feet thick, but
spreads like a pyramid. To give an
idea Of the way 1t broadens as 1t descends.
1t is four feet at the top, at a depth OF
1900 feet it is twenty feet thick, and so
on.
1.-THE Company Is erecting works In
the valley five miles away which are to
be Of enormous capacity. The machin-
cry for these works is lying at South
Riverside.
"The tin Is reduced from the ore In
pretty much the anne name as silver.
1t is first crushed. then put in a stamp
mill: n stream Of water runs through
the stamp mill and carries of most Of
the ligher impurities, leaving a black,
sticky mud which Is 70 per cent. pure
tin. The ore, just as 1t is dug from the
ground, Is so per cent. pure tin. The
manager said in connection with the
above fact that the ore mined In Corn.
wall, England. contained only from two
and one.half to three per cent. OF tin,
and that it would pay 10 work orc that
contained only two per cent. l was told
that the 40, 900 acres which the company
owns came to them in the form Of a Mex.
lean grant many years ago, and that the
title had been in the courts for the past
twenty-five years. The government fl
nally decided that the company IA en-.
titled 10 that amount Of land somewhere,
and as this was the only unowned land
In the neighborhood the company was
given a title to 1t.
THE works have made several hun
dred tons of tin since they started a short
while ago, but this was all made OF the
outcroppings and ore removed while
digging the first shaft. While / was
there the first cage load of ore regularly
mined was drawn up. The ore is a dark
greenish looking disk. with dull crystals
interspersed through II, and i, compare :
lively soft"
MIR. Buttorff has a specimen of the ore
In his possessions. The supply he said,
Is simply i~nexhaustible, and the plants
for working 1t. he thinks, will surely
bring the price Of tin down with a jump
when operations are begun there in ear.
nest. Mr.. Bultorff %pronounces the tin
made TO be of the finest quality.
| Some fancy the charms Of The lilv. white