Arizona republican., 1899-03-31

: process may be entirely replaced by
 the cyanide treatment of the original ore, and until this question is finally
 decided it is not desirable to make any changes in the present arrangement of
 the mill.
 Cyanide Works-In the spring of 1895 cyanide plant was built to work the tailings. It consisted of three 26 feet diameter by 10 feet deep solu- ton tanks, together with the necessary
 pumps, piping, zinc boxes. car tracks,
 etc, the whole being enclosed in sub
 stantial buildings. The process worked
 fairly well at first when the old OXi-
 dized and sandy taiiings were used, but
 when it came to treating the more re
 gently made tailin8s, which had not
 had time to oxidfze and which were
 quite fine, filtration difficulties ap-
 pearod which we were unable to over
 come by raw treatment. A thorough
 trial Of the agitation process. substan-
 italy as employed for shines in South
 Africa was made, but the process
 proved too WastefUl of cyanide and
 water As the result Of careful eXperi- n1ents made on a working scale, we are nov building g Brown mechanical
 lcaster Of 100 tons per day capacity, yvith the intention of roasting all the failingS previous to cyanide treatment. Only very slight roast is required to thoroughly Oxidize the tailings and put them in such condition that the so- lution will readily percOlate through them and give all excellent extraction 1 The process will be as follows: The 1 tailings will be plowed to partially dry them. They will then be taken by i wheel scrapers and dumped into a | Stednlan Dulverizer. from which, by i elevator. they viii be discharged into | a storage bin and thence to the self | feeder of the furnace. Emerging from the furnace after four hours roasting, they will be automatically carried | along or q cooling hearth and dis charged into a storage bin, from Which they will be elevated and spouted to l, the teaching tanks. This new plant is now in operation.
 ProductiOn-Th production Of the company in 1896 was at the rate ot about $500 ounces Of gold per month, al from the Congress vein.
 MT. Staunton states that this Gescrtp- ton of the Congress mine was 0rigi- nalIy written for Prof. William P Blake, October ,, 1896, and seems to cover the ground about a5 well now as t did then. The mines and works have run steadily ever since st maxi mum capacity and bid fair to continue lCing so for many years to come. FeW changes have been made beyond the replacing of old by new and more DOW q ful machinery. There are nctW two 2oists capable of operating to 8 depth 1f 5000 feet. and the cyanide works las been enlarged by the addition of cur ninety-tOn teaching tanks. Sink ng has been resumed and will be con-
 inued to the 2,500-foot level before ,esGng. The present depth is 1000 eet
 THE COMMONWEALTH MINE.
 During the year 1896 this mine be- .ame a large producer. IC is another zample Of the great amount of min ! al wealth lying dormant in Arizona ]
 waiting the prospector and the aid of :. a pital The croppings have been ! znown for years. but being in enc of he Host mountains of volcanic rock : Il the Sulphur Springs valley they were Gespised and neglected for years, some hand samples had been J Gken from the crOppings and assayed | without any satisfactory res4llt. This 5 also an example of the fact that sam | ,les may be taken from some parts of ! ven rich lode and not yield anything y assay. Many assays and tests are equired to properly ascertain the na- ure of a mineral lode
 The mine is about seventeen miles ast of South COchise station on the outhern Pacific railroad. 1t was ended in 1895, and was worked until ( lay. 1896. the ore taken out remaining : n the dump. It was then pu- chased | y the bCndhJ.d-rs at about $2!5,000, / nd shipments of the ore began. The haft is now dCiTn about 400 f-et deep, 5 nd makes a most satisfactory showing U the vein to that depth. Drifts have cen run each way from the shaft, and he ore is raised to the surface by st team hoist. il
 The ore in 1896 was shipped in bulk a 'om Cochise station to Pueblo at the Ii