Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-11

of the stock, but it is believed that in real
ity he owns 80 per cent.
Correct information concerning the
formation, the extent of the underground
workings. the richness of the ore, the con-
dition of the company's treasury and the
dividend disbursements are not easily OBJ
tanned. Nevertheless, the Boston News
Bureau believes that the following infor-
nation is just as accurate as Mr.. Clark
could himself give.
The United Verde Mining Co. owns
thirteen claims in the heart of Jerome.
Arizona. situated just north of al enor-
nous dixie, which stretches through no. TIL
ern Arizona from northwest to southeast.
No mineral is found at the south of this
dixie, but on the north side several very
rich silver and Upper mines have been
opened, and Senator Clark controls the
two most valuable: the United Verde and
the Equator. the latter being about six
miles southeast of the former. The Units
ed Verde was frs a gold and silver mine.
but about 100 feet from the surface OPP
per began to come in. ana from the next
400 feet there has been taken enough gold.
silver and copper to give to shareholders
$14. 0o0. 600 in dividends. leave SIG. oGo. zoo
in the treasury and have a block of ore
underneath the smelling works. which
cannot yet be removed. but which is es-
timated to contain S14. 600. 600 more. Moth
ing of moment has Yet been taken out be-
low the 900 foot level. bu, at this point the
mine is opened in a face Of ore 1900 feet
long, carrying 10 per cent copper.
The vein is 800 feet wide and a lamont
drill has been sent down 1900 feet from
the surface without finding any variation
in the richness of the ore. The Vein has a
dip of about - degrees from the horizon
tai, making it very nearly vertical. In
tluding into this vein of copper sulphide
ores is a quartzite dike 20 feet wide, car
rying only ! per cent copper, but from 2
ounces to IS ounces in gold. This gold
quartzite is used to line the furnaces. and
the gold thus impregnates the copper and
is extracted therefrom to such an extent
that the entire opppe PREDICTION of the
mine is clear profit. constituting. this. the
most profitable copper mine in the world.
Everything else about this mine is also
remarkable for the natural economies in
the operating processes.
The works are on a mountain, 1000
feet above the valley. and there is but one
shaft-a double compartment one--to the
mine, but there is a l.300 foot tunnel. 500
feet down the mountain, through which
all the ore is first sent to the hillside,
where it is roasted by firing the sulphur
in it, and then it is sent back through the
tunnel and up the shaft to the reduction
and refining works. From the water
that flows from this tunnel, 700 pounds of
copper per day are recovered. by permit
ting the water to filter over iron scraps.
AS the ore Is extracted. the m ou1tain
above is tunneled and great masses Of
4o&h ~ SALIooCu oAId AA1llGlS" wv "
fill up the denuded ore chambers. This
takes the place of timbering, but is cen
sldered a very dangerous process. should
there be any break in the bikes formed
to hold this mass of rollong stone. How
ever there is no mining inspection law in
Arizona, and when recently the COM
pany's office building. a three story. stone
structure. dropped into the mine. killing
three men, including Mr.. Ciark's own
ne phew, there We're no authorities to in
VeStigate or correct the methods OF MN
ing here practiced.
1t is in contemplation to build a tunnel
in the future at a depth Of ] GOO feet. and
gradually remove the smelling works to
the mouth Of this tunnel, and remove $l2.-
coo, 600 to SIS. 600. 900 worth Of ore now
blocked out in the mine. underneath the
works. Until this is accomplished there
can be no great increase in the output of
the mine, as with the present tunnel and
shaft it is being worked to It's full capac-
ity. The highest days production re-
corded was 1906 tons of copper. hut so tons
of copper per day is the average and as
coo 900 pounds per annurn can be reck-
oned as the coprer@oatlS1t Of thus mine
from its present equipment. There must
be another shaft or another tunnel, with
the smelling works removed before this
output can be materially increased.
This ore is not concentrated but is
roasted III heaps Of 800 tons each, by con-
tract With lahorers in the district and it
taxes dDout SIN Ntehs ~ io@St edtH Hedp.
1t is estimated that about 81. 0G6. coo worth
of ore is always burning in the roast
heaps. At the smelling works there are
two huge electric cranes. each of 80 tons
capacity. 10 converteis, and six furnaces,
each of a capacity Of 260 tons.
The dividends began III 1892. a the rate
of 25c a month. In 1895 these dividends
We're doubled. and sc c per snare per
month was paid. In 1888 they We're again
doubled. and in 1858 and 1899 81 per share,
or $500. 900 per month has been given to
the shareholders This makes a total in
eigh: years Of about sl4, 400 zoo paid N di-
vidends. allowing the present year to be
completed.
Against the So, 600. coo paid last year,
the net earnings are declared 20 have been
$780, zoe and the company is believed to
be earning more tina / 1000 Coo per an
mum upon the present price Of copper.