Mohave County miner., 1901-01-05
Largest Low Grade Mining Plant il
the United States.


the Colorado desert, constitutes tn,
most extensive low grade mining in
dustry in the United States. The mine:
are located in group of low, barrer
hills, marking the eastern termination
of the San Bernardino range of noun,
tains.
The existence of gold in these hills
has been known to the natives living
along the Colorado river, for years.
Ever and anon when his supply OF
frijoles became low, and credit at the
Yuma store lower, the native San
Diegau of the desert aroused him self
from the lethargy of his natural in.
heritance and pushed out for the hills.
driving his er.laden burro before
him. La a few days he would return
from some hidden arroyo with empty
casks bnt we'll filled bottle of coarse
gold. Such was the earlier mining in
the Cargo Muchacho district, by which
term these hills are locally known
The Golden Cross group of mines at
Hedges were originally located in 1884
by section boss on the Southern Pa
ctic railroad, named Walters. During
the following eight years they changed
hands frequently and the place WAS
the scene of claim jumping, ore steal
ing aud many gun plays. la 1893 the
int
chased the property for 400O0S, and
built forty stamp mill. Their sue.
cess was phenomenal and in 1885 they
erected a hundred stamp mill, the
largest on the Pacific coast. In this
year they also built an extensive pump
ing plant on the Colorado river, seven
miles below Yuma and laid fourteen
miles of six inch pipe to the camp. In
1897 this company was succeeded by
the Free Gold Milling and Mining
company.
Since this time the property has been
under the efficient management of c.
W. Pauley. 1t Is due to his careful,
conservative efforts that All indebted
ness of 40O,O0OS has practically been
liquidatei and the mine put on a sue
cessful basis. The present receiver of
the mines is Isaac Trnmbo.
The property consists of fthirty. seven
claims, of which the principal produc-
ers are the Golden Crown, the |
Golden Cross, the Golden Queen aud F..
the General Miles. These range from |.
SOJ to l,lOO feet in depth with dip of
about 30 degrees. They represent
vast amount of development work, |
something like Il mile, uf shaft, tuu-
nelS, crOsscuts. drifts aud wi IZes having |
b zen eXcavated IN the variou- niue.
Tney are all well tim bered with 6 and .
S'Inch Oregon pine The fact that not .
a single life has been lost in the under
ground work in four years atte.ts the
carefulueSs with which the work is
CONDUCTED NJ st of the drilling is !
done by Bnrleigh drills, p1wer for /
which il furnished by 100 horse pow
er Kicks compressor. The company
owns five large hoisting plants, BE-
sides several small portable equip
ments. Five hundred tous of ore are
put through the Gates rock crushers
and consumed by the 100 stamp mill
daily.
The 4) sta mp mill is at present not
in operation, but it is the boast of the
that the stamps of the
large mill have dropped increasingly
for 10 months without hold up at any
time exceeding six hours. The average
yield Of the ore is placed at % per ton.
" hch is reduced for 73 cents. 1t is
claimed this price is less than it is
done for at any other plant on the con-
tinent, not excepting the noted Tread.
well mines in Alaska.
The ore-bearing body is extensively
distributed, but it bears so close a re-
sem blance to the barren country rock
of similar lithilogical character that
only the most exact knowledge and
study of the conditions prevailing
MAKE the mining of this low grade ore
a success. There is little quartz in
the formation and gold is found in
horn. blendic micacious schist. With
these are associated more or less gneiss
orthaclase, epidote and chryscolla.
Traversing in almost every direction
are seams of pegmatite. Above ground
these white lines crossing and recross-
irg present odd effects on the brown
hillsides devoid of all vegetation.