Arizona weekly citizen., 1895-03-23
THE MONTANA.
"a Big Property at Orc BlaDco, that
 Pays to Work for Silver.


 ''Stupendous" seems to be written all over the interior of the Montana mine, of the Gro Blanco district. It is told in the long winding tunnels, the great stCpes but quarter worked out, but above all in the big ore body itself. Ore is not often found in so large bodies. The one Fare sight in the Montana mine is the foot wall. So immense IS the ore body that 1t has Dever been worked through, but in a single place, and then only for that purpose. A crosscut near ly forty feet long was entered at the hanging wall. It Nas at the cpd of it the foot wall was found. The whole crosscut was in ore. To go through the mine one would think the whole interior of the earth was quartz.
 Or course in so large bol,s the ore could not average high grade, and here 1t does not. Yet some mighty rich ore could not average is good enough to work now. The miue has some shipping ore. The lead alone pays the cost of mining and milling. Few mines ID Ari- zOnG are now beiug worked for silver, in these ysys when the white metal is in disrepute. Silver is only about 50 yet the Montana, whose must valuable out put is that metal IS in full blast.
 A year ago, prior to the present oper- stions by George Cheyney, owner and manager. samples were taken for prac- tical mil test. These were from every part of the mIne. The result was SI2 ton. IL was on this basis operation were undertaken. The paying ore of the mine runs as follows:
 Lead, , to 70 per cent.
 Silver, , 90 75 ounces per ton.
 Gold, B to S20 per ton.
 In addition considerable zinc Is found on the lover levels, which will be utiliz- ed someday.
 Oo the lower level, where work was done for development than anything else, there is a cham OCT, free from props or piilers, fifteen feet wide, eight high and 200 feet long This part of the mine hes new problem for the Management, when it is worked. The ore here runs lead F per cent, zInc 15 per cent. In addition there is clay formation. All three carry silver and gold. This mix ture of lead and zinc sulphurets IS well adopted to some of the late methods for use in the arts. Lead and zinc being in com mblnatloE it IS possible the two will he used Tn paint manufacture-the making of zinc white. This could be done at the mill giving Arizona a new industry. The proposition has been worked successfully iD Colorado. The lead and zinc could first be separated as fsI as practicable with figs. The pre- clous metals would then be extracted from the clay, ths zinc and the lead separately. The residue of the lead zinc com OinatiOn would then be utilized for paint. But all this is matter for Ne future.
 The ore now being worked Is 6 cham her on the upper levels, large and when 1 was there, two weeks ago, sixty feet from the surface. All above is good working ore. About a score of miners, mostly Mexicans, are employed here. A new shaft, from the surface is now in the process of sinking, for the supply
 the mil in the early future. This work IS several hundred feet from the mine, but shows paying ore.
 THE MONTANA MILL
 The mil. was started up the first of last month. The stamps and engine did faithful service for the Tom bstone group in the early days. st Charleston. The mill comprise ten stamps, which numb- CT may be increased. with concentrators, revolting tables and briddles. The con- ceptrates say 40 tO 60 per cent Tn lead, besides their qrc gold and silver. The engine IS tnhl at present needed-120 hcrsas 2 ser. The future i will seq it's full capacity employed, how ever The capacity of the Iaiil is twenty ! to tbirty-fve tons a day, 10 additions to which a good deal of ihippjDg ore IS saved by hanGpickiug.
 THE STORAGE DAM. | TAe water Ffelsg system hereabOuts has the finest p'srt in the distiiet in the | dam at the Montana. It wss bailt a few months ago, and has not yet been filled. | The dam wall is thIrty-six feet high, and | l3O feet long. The masonry Is four to | ten feet thick. It is built across a nar- | row place in the cRnyOn, widening out above. The depth will range from | thirty-tw feet to nothing The dam | when fnll wIll be a mile around 1t. The mill is at present run on twenty-five minutes Bsiu. Prospects are today good for the dam soon being filled. | P. II.