The Virginia enterprise., 1899-06-30
leases were made for 80 years.
royalty for every ton mined.

leases were made for so years
royalty for every ton mined.
THE COMMODORE.
Under the guidance of Capt. j
H. Pearce, the Enterprise scribe
was on Tuesday conducted
through the underground work
ings of the Commodore, which is
fast being put in shape to hold a
prominent place among the un
derground producers of the
range.
Going down the new underlay
shaft, sunk on an angle of IS de-
grees. 10 the third level, we found
ourselves among the new work
ings.af the mine, done since the
water was pumped some six
weeks ago. This shaft is now
connected with the old workings
on this level, opening intosa 400
foot drift east to the Jones liLe.
north and south crosscuts beng
! driven north and south at inter-
walls of 40 feet on either side and
opening the ore body for 500 feet
in width. This level is connect
ed with the old No. 3 shaft, sunk
two years ago, but which is now
used as pump or water shaft
only. all hosting being done from
the underlay, or new No. 8.
On the second level a greater
area is opened, the workings be
ing more to the south and west,
as is also the case in the first and
intervening sub levels. The
mine is worked on the caving sy-
stem, resulting iu an incredibly
small loss of ore as work pro
crosses.
The Commodore has had con-
siderable trouble with water, its
natural location draining the
Franklin and Bessemer mines to
a great extent, but with five
pumps the water is easily kept
under control the first and sec
ond levels being comparatively
dry.
From the first and third levels
is taken the Admiral, the best
grade of ore, while from the Sec
ond comes grade known as the
Commodore Non-Beesemer, a
seam of yellow ore.
The mine was first opened by
Capt. Pearce. for Corrigan, Nc
Kinney & Co., in the winter of
1923, and during the season OF
'93 shipped IS, 900 tons of ore.
The next season but 1000 tons
were forwarded and during '95
no shipments were made from
the property. In the latter part
Of '95 some testpitting and ex
ploring was done on the proper
ty and the depth of the ore oody
has been proven by diamond
drill. In '96 the mine again be
came an active shipper. closing
down early last winter when it
was allowed to fill with water, a
tact which has caused much
damage to the underground
workings.
The nine is fast being cleared,
however, and another fortnight
will find the entire force working
IN new ground, with room for
many more men. At present the
force is about 200. the amount
raised each day being about 1000
tons.
The management is also doing
a noticeable and commendatory
amount of surface improvement,
a neat new Office being nearly
complete. and commodious dry
and blacksmith shop having been
erected this spring. An addition
to the boiler and engine house
has also been built, and one
large new boiler added to their
power plant, while another is on
the ground and will be set soon.
The present state of affairs
at the mine must be highly sat
isfactory to the management, and
especially so to Capt. Pearce,
under whose supervision the
property has been opened and
developed. And the citizens of
Virginia, to whom continuous
work at this mlne means much,
welcome the evident intent to
work the property summer and
winter in future.
". c. I. U. MEETING.
I wish to call a meeting of the