Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1901-06-14

The Advocate Is constantly receiving
from all parts of the country, letters
asking the above and following ques'
tions. 10 answer correspondents, to
give reliable, accurate ana authentic
information, and TO further advance
our great interests, is the object of this
article:
Is gold found at lIllsboro in quartz
veins or in piacers? In both. but prin-
cipally IN fissure veins. Between two
and three hundred claims have been To-
lated on these veins which show pay
ore AT the surface and the work done
on these varies from mere assessment
holes to the principal mines that have
been developed to depth Of 500 feet.
! What is the nature OF the oref Cop
per and iron sulphide and some COM
parativcly free milling quartz. with
depth the ore becomes smelling and
concentrating material. The percont-
age Of copper IN the ore shipped to the
|
in concentrates sometimes rs high as
twenty units. silica in crude ore from
forty to oighty-fiye. Smclter oertiti-
Gates show the ore TO carry from two
to fourteen ounces Of gold, from three
to sixty ounces silver. The hulk Of the
ore aud concentrates shipped, however,
VIII average ABOUT $40 per ton.
las there been any large produclAn?
The Opportunity group has produced
28eS0 tons Of ore and over half a nil
ion dollars The Bonanza mine 1900
tons aad 100000 The Richmond 5.0)0
tons ora over s200.00o These are the
largest producers 80 far.
Are tie milling facilities good? Prac-
tieally they are not-the saving has
beei! from City to seventy-lye per
cent. At the best. A modern custom
mill Is badly needed ana fortune
awaits the parties who VIII build one.
Sufficient water and an Ideal coueen-
tiatng ore, with proper appliances
ninety to ninety-nve per cent. would be
the saving.
VIII the owners let 10 eaey, or do
they want the earth? They are rcas-
onablc people bui they are not giving
away their mines, or giving bonds on
longtime ranbows. During the past
two years some thirty mines have been
sold, mostly around Amimas Peak, ana
the highest price paid was $1,000
That MIS-. Sas bacune the largest pro-
ducing ana The best paying In the dis
trtct aud the owners would now ask
q very large sum. The greatly iin-
proved price OF copper ana lower
smelling rates have Of late been very
beneficial to these mines. with good
custom mill the progress would be
rapid.
What are ore s.'Ighis? From the
mine to the III Taso smeiier from SO
to ~ per ten; from mine TO nIll 20
cents to $50 per ton.
What Is the geological formationi
An cruptlye country rock. by the OK
peris chased MS Andesite; the ore veins
are found accompanying diles Of fine
grained felslte and blrdseye porrhyry
which cut through the country north
east aud southwest. Most Of the veins
are fairly easy working, on drift con
tracts prices have been from So to SO
per foot incline shafis on vein are
chcaply driven, but vertical shafts IN
country rock have generally been found
very expensive.
l. there much snow IN wlnterf Not
enough to swear by; the climate, win
ter and summer, IS, from n miners
point Of view, perfect. No snowslldes
and no pneumonia for the miner to
dread.
Is there much placer minlngY There
is an extensive placer field which Is
open to locators and there are always
some men al work who make from 81
TO So per day. An occasional nuggcr
brings up the average or course GONE
men are luckier than others, here as
elsewhere. Most Of the gold * found
within a few feet Of the surface The
miners scoop up the pay streak dirt
ard run It through dry washing ma
chimes. The nearest water Is Distant
five miles and about 100 feet below the
gold level. Several companies have
been formed to work these placers on
a high scale, bnt the immense cost of
bringing In sufficient wafer has made
the project appear Of doubtful profit
A new company has recently been or
ganized to exploit this field with ma
chine of the Bucyrus fype--ilis Is
probably the very besi method ard
likely to succeed.