Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1901-07-05

The Advocate is constantly reccivin,
from all parts of the country, letter!
asking the above and following ques
tions. To answer correspondents, t.
give reliable. accurate and uuthenti,
information, and to further advance
onr great interests, is the object of this
article:
Is gold found at IIillsboro In quartz
veins or IN placcrs? In both, but prin.
cipally in assure veins. Between two
md 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 ore? Cop
per ard iron sulphlde and some COM
paratIycly free milling quartz. With
depth the ore becomes smelling and
concentrating material. The percent
age OF copper in the ore shipped to the
ohfNitNiN 10 fi0tii viz " lNtiNe UIillH-
in concentrates sometimes as high rs
twenty units. Silica in crude ore from
forty to cighly-tiye. Smclter ccrtin-
Gates show the ore TO carry from two
to fourteen ounces of gold, from three
to sixty ounces silver The bulk of the
ore and concentrates shipped however,
Will average about $40 per ton.
Has there been any large prohucti5n2
The Opportunity group has produced
23,OoO tons Of ore ana over half a mil
Aon dollars. The Bonanza mine 1000
tons and 100000. The Richmond 5000
tons ond over $2oo,OeO These are the
largest producers so far.
Are the milling facilities good? Prac-
ueully they are not -the saving has
been from fifty to seventy five per
cent. at the best. m0dcrn custom
mia Is badly needed nnd fortune
awaits the parties who viii build one.
Sufficient water and an ideal cpncen-
hatlng ore, with proper appliances
ninety TO ninety-five per cent. would be
the saving.
VIII the owners let 20 easy, or do
they want The carthy They are rcas-
onahle people, but they ARE not giving
away their mines, or giving bonds on
ongtlme ralnbows. During the past
.wo years some thirty mines have been
sold, mostly around Amlmas Peak, and
he highest price paid was $4,000.
That mih. >as become the largest pro-
iucing and the best paying In the dis
rict and the owners would now ask
very large sum The greatly I'M
proved price Of copper and lower
rates have of late been very
to these mines With n good
ustom mill the progress would be
apld.
What nre ore ..'ights? From the
nine to the III Paso smoitcr from so
o ~ per ton; from mine to mill 70
cnts to $3.50 per ton.
What IL the geological fornationl
N eruptive country rock. by the cx-
erts clnssed ns Andesite; the ore veins
ralned felslte aud blrdseye porphyrs
'hich cut through the country north
lst and southwest Most Of the veins
re fairly easy working, on drift con
acts prices hive been from SO to SO
rr foot. Incline shafts on vein are
lenply driven. but vertical shafts in
,untry rock have generally been found
FRY expensive.
Is there much snow In winter? Not
Rough 10 swear by; the climate win
r and summer. IL, from miners
)lnt Of view. perfect No snowslides
nd no pneumonia for the miner 10
'ead.
Is there much placer mining? There
an exicnslse p,i,ct Ae,u ahitt IS
zen TO Iocntors aud there are always >
me men at work who make from 81
s. per day An occasional nugget ;
'ings up the average. or course some :
en are luckler than others. here aa :
sewhere, Most OF the gold Is found
thin few feet Of the surface The y
lncrs scoop up the pay streak dirt
ID run II through dry washing ma =
ines. The nearest water IL distant y
e miles aud about 100 feet below the .
Id level. Several companies have e'
en- formed to work these placers on '
high scale. but the immense cost of 9
lnging In sufficient water has made
e project appear Of doubtful profit - -
new company has recently been or
nized to exploit this field with ma ~
Inc OF the Bucyrus type-this is ~
1bably the very best method and -
ely TO succeed. -