The herald., 1897-10-06
ARIZONA GOLD
A Revival in the Mining
Industry
WORKING PYRITIC PROPERTIES
DECLINE OF THE PRODUCTION OF
SILVER
The Basest Ores Are Now Successfully
Worked by Improved
Methods
DECLINE OF THE PRODUCTION OF
SILVER

Special Correspondence to The Herald.
PHOENIX, Oct. 2.-Arizona seems to
have profited by the decline in the price
of silver. This statement, of course.
should be accepted as general, yet the
only portion Of the territory to which
it might not apply is Mojave county, to
the northwestern portion, where large
number of "chloriders," men Of limited
means, found occupation in working the
numerous small silver-bearing veins
that form almost a network through the
mountains.
. Arizona abroad has ever been classed
with Mexico as mining region produc-
ing little beside silver. This was true in
the earlier days. The Silver King, an
immense chimney Of silver ore, so rich
offtimes as to malleable, produced
SIS, ,O0O, 900 worth Of the metal; Tomb
stone produced 100000, 000 and millions
more came from the noted mines of
Millen, Pioneer, Riverside, Quijotoa,
Gunsight, Planchas de Plata andfrOm
several Bradshaw mountain properties
south of Prescott. But not one Of these
mines referred to was in operation at
the time silver dropped below a dollar
an ounce. Gaining water forbade fur
ther working at Tombstone, the Silver
King chimney had beer cleaned out,
worked out were the Mack Morris and
fnJ,o n rr,ff I've
others, and in others again low grade,
rebellious ores prevented reduction at
cost within the value of the ores. Yet,
of the $125,0O0,000 worth of valuable met
ais produced in Arizona for the twenty
preceding years, fully three-fourths had
| been silver.
A CHANGE IN METHODS
| Gold in Arizona had heretofore beer
considered by-product, and the idea
had been that gold veins would attain
no considerable depth. This. despite the
record. of several gold mines, chiefest
among them the Vulture, with total
product of about $9,000000. But the gold
was curiously placed. contrary to al.
accepted theories of mining, and the
ores, below the grass roots, were mainly
in the earlier mills so that tithe Of their
values could be extracted. But the sii-
yer slump brought to the southwest
scores Of Colorado, Montana and Ne
vada miners, many of them men of con-
siderable means. They introduced new
methods Of reduction and success ap-
peared to attend all their ventures
Now the iron pyrites are treated with
ease through concentration ard lixivl-
alton and the gold product is steadily
increa sing. For the twelve months end
ed July 30, 1897. the output of gold is
estimated to have been nearly $6,0O0,CO0,
gain of fully million over the preced-
ing similar period of time. For this
same past fiscal year the copper produc-
h ton of Arizona was valued at about
| 81, coo 900, while of silver there were pro-
duced only 100000 ounces decided de-
crease from the production of the pre-
ceding twelve months.
THE CHIEF MINES
| Gold is found irs any part of Arizona
without regard to geological formation
and ir, combinat ton with almost every
other metal known. There is little doubt
that the chief gold producer of the terri
| tory is the United Verde at Jerome, tbs
| property of multi-millionaire w. a
Clark of Montana. The workings an
| product Of the mine are kept secret, art
it is usually considered only coppel
producer. Yet the copper that pour:
| from the immense smelling furnaces i:
locally known 10 be exceeded invalue by
| the gold contained in the bullion an
matte.
Second on the list is the Congress
eighty-five miles northwest of Phoenix
owned by n. X. Fairbanks ard othe
Chicago capitalists. by the estate OF
Diamond Joe" Reynolds c. D. Arms o
Youngstou E B. Gage and Franz
| M. Murphy. 1t is a model mine in char
acter and in management. There are
| two parallel veins. each with about fou
feet of quartz bound pyrites. The work
ings are down 1900 feet and the onl,
change ia that the ore at the bottom rum
about $40 to the ton instead Of $40, thu
average nearer the surface. There is {
fine 40-stamp mill, and the gross outpu
is about $4,000 day.
Near Tombstone lie the Pearce mines
owned by Philadelphia company head
ed by Senator Penrose. Though dis
covered only year ago. the property i
! already among the great producers, anC
the product for 1897 is expected to nearl,
approach $1000,000.
NEW DISCOVERIES
The King mine. in the Southwestern
part of the territory, twenty-five mile
from the Colorado river, is only few
months old. yet it is expected to join til
million a year class Much Of the or
taken from the surface of the main ledg
ran 81 to the pound and $1,000 ton il
reported to be realized from much of tn
rock taken from the shallow working
of this remarkable desert claim. Th
vein appears permanent and is abou
five feet wide. 1t is owned by Eichel
barger, its discoverer, and the men VIII
grub-staked him, County Recorde
Gleason and Superintendent Epes Ran