The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-28


Silver City, April 27.-Many extreme
" Interesting facts have been chron-
jcled concerning the past of the re-
narkable Sunbeam lode since its dis
covery in 1870, as well as the recital OF
subsequent marvellous yields through
the workings of many ieasers and ILL
starred managers. Data in the pos
session of Arthur Buckbee, present
manager OF the Sunbeam Mining com
pany, shows that this great VEN has
been worked continuously since 1876.
chiefly by leasers, almost wholly from
the surface and that more than $1,000,
geo worth OF ore has been extracted
from these shallow excavations, which
vary from ten to $50 feet in depth. ira
versing the vein continuously for a
distance OF more than 1900 feet.
The scene presented is truly an in
terestihg and remarkable one. The
great yawning chasm looks as if the
ground had been split by some furious
volcanic action or earthquake, and the
small mountains of waste and ore
heaped GD on either side of this abyss
gives evidence of not only the tremen-
dous amount of labor done, but also
how rapidly and inteliigently it must
have been carried on to determine at a
glance what to save and what to throw
away. When il is considered that in
earlier days nothing but very rich ore
could be adVantageously handled, ow-
ing to the lack of transportation, re-
moteness from markets, exorbitant
prices then charged by adj smeIters, as
well, also, as the limited means and
knowledge of treating refractory and
pyriHic ores, it viii be understood how
necessary. il was for the sorter to
maintain the grade of mineral saved.
1t viii also be easily comprehended that
in the hurried and almost necessarily
lndiscriminate separating of rich ores
from those of a second-class character,
in the accumulation of these vast
dumps containing thousands of tons of
waste and mineral, they must possess
enormous values.
The future of this property uncues-
tionably will be productive OF more in
teresting reading than the past has
been, but of the present, il a strict adj
'herence to facts is observed, not much
of a startling nature can be disclosed
now. Your correspondent was accord
ed adj the privileges and freedom of the
premises, and in Mr.. Buckbee'S unas-
Stunning way, told absolutely everything
That was to be told concerning things
we seen, which, in substance follows:
The Sunbeam Mining company con-
trois, through purchase priority of To-
cation and requirement, nearly 1900
feet of working ground on the parent
Vein, through which territory three
other hedges Of great strength. contain
ing ores of value, run parallel. besides
the West Sunbeam" the latter recent
addition being regarded as valuable
acquisition thus giving them all the
country they care to possess. 1t may
he well TO employ Mr.. Buckbee's lam
guage, practically verbatim:
In my time l have seen and worked
in number of great mines, and [
should know something about mining.
1T is my opinion that the Sunbeam
company viii, unless all signs fail. have
Dig proposition here. 1t has been
my purpose to give considerable time
10 all the details before commencing a
systematic underground campaign.
and 1t has taken time and required the
expenditure of money, but we have
ample means provided to go to work
properly, and are just about ready to
do it. At present we viii continue op
erations through the shaft we are
working in now, and in less than ten
days VIII start TO drift north on the /
800, waich viii carry us under the |
ground from which the Woodmansee
folks are extracting ore. The Wood |
mansee lease is positively of no concern
10 us. because il is Of short duration, |
terms of the lease prohibiting labor be- I
yond the 25O level. We will continue |
sinking the new vertical shaft. which |
IS now down 100 feet and finely timber |
ed. until the 500 is reached. 1t Is a |
ooupie-compaIrment shaft, arranged to |
accommodate cages and cars. At pres |
ent we viii hoist from the shaft in use,
which is covered by good surface build |
lnss ana supplied with sufficient power
\ of
ton needed. An additional force of |
twenty men VIII be put 80 work in a
lew DAYS, and we viii see what fate
has in store for us. 1 have an abiding
1alth III the outcome. and while all of
my means have been invested in the
project, / offer no advice. one way or
another, TO individuals Who may con-
! template buying or selling Sunbeam
Stock; We have everything at our COM
iDand, and believe the essential thing
new IS work-and that We propose do
ing IN a brisk and vigorous manner