Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1900-10-05
BUFFALO HUMP MINES.
Charles Sweeney Talks 10 a Tribune
Reporter,

of the. greatest, il moi thr gr,at,s
OF gold camps iii Anlelica.' Gail
Charles Sweeney, head If the big
syndicate that is operating the R,s
Buffalo group, to the Tribune
yesterday. Mr.. Sweeney is re
turning from the camp where he
has been inspecting The piogrc,s
Of work and the results of the mill
tests that have just beea e,u
pleted. 1t was the success of the
mill runs in particular that brougat
forth Mr.. Sweeuey's emphatic
expression, as the extent of the
ore bodies had previously been
proven, and it only remained to
show that the values could he
economically saved to assure for
the mines of Buffalo Hump a
career Of productiveness unexcellcd
in the mining records of the coun-
try. Mr.. Sweeney then related
his plans for the expenditure of
81, 100000 in developing the
property and the conditions that
justified such an outlay, as fol
lows:
"The Big Buffalo ledge is
opened by shaft 200 feet deep
with three crosscuts anda drift
$50 feet north and south, all in
ore. This ledge is from six to
thirty feet wide, and its value
right through is $3.50. This ledge
contains proven ore enough to feed
the mill u life time. The shaft
will be continued 200 feet deeper
as soon as the air drills are in
operation. There are now 1,2OO
tons of this ore on the dump. The
Vesuvius is opened by shaft now
145 feet deep, which will be
pushed to $50 feet before drifting.
This ledge has an average width Of
l5d feet. There are 500 tons OF
this ore now on the dump taken
| from the S5 foot level that gives a
mill product of $l2 to the ton.
"The mill runs on Big Buffalo
ore, taken merely for testing pur-
poses, with an ordinary free
milling gold plant, stamps and
copper plates, saves "a percent OF
the assay values. The tailing'
carry only 60 cents to the ton
The concentrates are handled by
Whitley tables and long canya.
plant, such as is in familiar use il
California. The Vesuvius con
centr..tcs carry $40 to the ton
! and the cost of carriage and treat
ment at smelters will be $35, th'
difference being the margin on thu
investment. The ~ Buffalo
concentrates Z ,;,ld, 81!
! silver and slight Values in copper
and lead. AS will be seen thu
! larger values Of Big Buffalo Or.
ars saved simply by milling, wh.a
!. in the Vesuvius the larger value
are in the concentrates. Thes'
mill tests are of the highest i'm
portance to the camp, as they hav
d demonstrated conclusively tina
J. the treatment is simple an
g efficient and will save all tn
values in that zone. HavinI
q established the extent, value an
h treatment of the ore, there i
nothing now to do but proceed t
realize on the property. To d
IS this most effectively our inves
i ment will he Immediately increase
,. to 1000, 900.
e "Our expenditures TO dat
It amount to between $500, 900 an
1t $500, 900, about equally divide
g between purchases and improv'
rs ments, and 80 we still have gres
n n deal of money yet to be put il
J. The big compressor plant at tn
q. mill will cost $4,000. I'll
"a machinery for this is on the wa,
y 1t will be a 6O-drill plant and wi
es furnish power for the hoist
pumps, etc, at both mines. I'll
damming, Harvesting water, an
Pelton wheels will take s25, 90
~ We now have 500 horse pow
!, from Crystal lake, but shall al
"a harness Wild Horse creek, ,
~ outlet OF two large lakes, al
secure 800 horse power. Befo
70 y a year is over we shall be opera
~ ing 1d0 stamps, which will co
py 81 900 each. We now have tt
hu in operation, and 80 more en- rop1
~; =. By January Ist the 40 stamps W
Ut he handling l2O tons of ore I
day. We shall at once begir
pc @ tunnel 4 ZOO feet long to tap
ne AZ Big Buffalo, which will get do,
,r, on the ledge at depth of abe
ny 1900 feet. To drive this tunl
py will cost $40 per foot, amounti
Ah to sl00, 600. 1t will be eight f
a wide and seven high and equipr
with air motors for transport
NJ ~ ore. A 1900 foot tramway Fl,
'"' the Vesuvius to tbs mill has j.
been completed, and grav
EiE Tram will now be constructed fr
&C. the Big Buffalo to the mill to G
$1,000. Our local telepht
:. system viii shortly be extended
:: outside connections.
~ uThere are now employed
~ eEs the properties $50 men and
w. expect to have $50 all win
her Twenty eight teams are busy
DAD tho ground, besides 80 four he
ey. teams and Is pack animals b,