Arizona republican., 1898-04-19
RANDSBURG MINES.
Recent Investigations Made by Cor
 pondent-Interesting News.


 The ores of the Randsburg district are generally siliceous. The vein mat ter is an oxidized quartz, small per centage of sulphurets. As depth is at tained on the various properties, there are indications of the ores becoming more refractory. The depth of the various workings ranges from 125 to 400 feet, and it is estimated that the water level may not be reached inside of 1000 feet, and it is not likely that the free milling character of the ore will materially change above that level The speculative and town building period has passed, and the business of the district is becoming one of mine development and ore production.
 The properties of the district have received very little outside financial help, and it may be generally stated that they have paid their own way, so far as developments and improvements are concerned. As consequence, progress has been slow, but the showing made, so far as develop ment goes, has been encouraging.
 The water supply for the town and the mines is hauled several miles in wagons, though a pipe line is being put in to convey it, which is com pleted as far as Johannesburg, two miles from Randsburg. The principal milling facilities are at Garlock, twelve miles northwesterly from RandSburg, where an abundance of water is obtained from wells. There is a ten stamp mill at Johannesburg and one of two stamps at Randsburg. both in operation. The two mentioned are run by gasoline engines. At Gar lock there are four ten stamp mills, one of two stamps and one Hunting ton. Three of these ten stamp mills are operated by steam, brush from the desert being hauled in, like huge loads of hay, for fuel. As an indica- tion of what the three principal mills are doing, it may be stated that within fifteen days in March they milled $50 tons of ore, cleaning up therefrom an average of s33 per ton. Besides, a small cyanide plant is operating at Garlock on mill tailings, by which a saving of from s5 to sS per ton is made.
 The Rand group, at Randsburg, now owned by the Yellow Aster Mining company, is developed by three verti- cal shafts, four tunnels and about 5000
 
 crosscuts the formation, cuts through seven distinct lodges of ore with 200 feet system of tunnels, one above the other, will be connected. A deep CT shaft is to be sunk on the lower portion of the property, from which drifts on the veins will be made at much greater depth than the present workings. The deepest shaft at pres ent is about the 200 feet, but the bulk of the ore has come from the system Of tunnels which cut into the side of the mountain above the shafts. This property milled 1920 tons of ore in February, from which the mint re- ceiptS showed a return of S35,234 For the first eighteen days of March the same property mi1led 800 tons, reaIiz- ing therefrom $26,320. The February output averaged $23 per ton, and the output for the first eighteen days of March, which came from deeper work ings, averaged S33 per ton. The com pany estimates that not to exceed s5 per ton of values are left in the mill tailings. However, the building of a cyanide plant is contemplated. to work the tailings of this ore In this prop erty the vein walls are not always distinct, much of the gangue rock ap- bearing to be mineralized to some ex- tent, as well as the high grade pay streak. In all the specimens noticed, which banned out readily, it is ob- served that the free gold is very coarse. The Rand group has pro- duced s135,000 since December 1, 1897, and about s200,000 all told. An un- usual thing about this property is that it is being developed into a big mine by the original locators of the claims.
 The Napoleon mine, in the Stringer district, about two miles from Rands- burg, is being developed from six diff ferent shafts, varying in depth from seventy-five to 160 feet Incidental to development, about twenty-five tons of ore per month is being milled. The shafts all go down on veins. A sin gular thing here is that the numerous