Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1901-05-24

| lie AuNOtNle Is tOlrtuhtiy i'''s
from all parts OF the country, letters
asking the above and following ques
tions. To answer correspondents, K
give reliable accurate and authentic
Information, and to further advance
our great interests, is the object OF this
article:
Is gold found at Hillsboro In quartz
veins or In placers? In both, but prin.
cipally in fissure veins. Retween 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 n depth OF 500 feet.
| What is the nature of the ore? Cop
per and iron sulphide and some COM
pnratively free milling quartz. With
depth the ore becomes smelling and
concentrating material. The percent
age Of copper in the ore shipped to the
smelters Is from one to twelve units
In concentrates sometimes as high as
twenty units. Silica in crude ore from
forty to eighty-tve. Smelter certifi-
| 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,
VIII average about $40 per ton.
Has there been any large producti,n?
The Opportunity group has produced
23.0O0 tons of ore and over half a mil
Lon dollars. The Bonanza mine 1000
tons and S200000. The Richmond 5000
tons ond over S2O0,ooo. These are the
largest producers so far
hie tae milling facilities good? Prac-
tically they are not-the saving has
been from fifty to seventy five per
cent. at the best. a modern custom
mill is badly needed aud fortune
awaits the parties who will build one.
Sufficient wnter and an ideal concen-
hating ore, with proper appliances
ninety to ninety-fiye per cent. would be
the saving.
VIII the owners let go easy, or do
they want the earth? They are reas-
enable people, but they are not giving
away their mines, or giving bonds on
longtime rainbows. During the past
two years some thirty mines have been
sold, mostly around Amimas Peak, and
the highest price paid was $1,000
That min. <as become the largest pro-
ducing and the best paying In the dis
trict and the owners would now ask
very large sum. The greatly i'm
proved price of copper and lower
smelling rates have OF late been very
beneficial to these mines. with good
custom mill the progress would be
rapid.
What are ore eSclghts? From the
mine to the El Paso smelter from SOL
to 81 per ton; from mine to mill IS
cents to $3.50 per ton.
What Is the geological formation?
An eruptlye country rock. by the ex-
perts classed as Andeslte; the ore veins
are found accompanying dikes OF fine
grained felsite and brdscye porphyry
which cut through the country north
east and southwest Most OF the veins
are fairly easy working, on drift con
tracts prices have been from So to So
per foot. Incline shafts on vein are
cheaply driven. but vertical shafts in
country rock have generally been found
very expensive.
Is there much snow in winter? Not
enough to swear by; the climate, win
ter and summer, il. from miners
point OF view, perfect. No snowslides
and 10 pneumonia for the miner to
dread.
Is there much placer mining? There
In an extensive placer Iieia winch IL
open to locators and there are always
some men at work who make from 81
to IS per day An occasional nugget
brings up the average. or course some
men are luckier than others. here as
elsewhere Most Of the gold Is found
within few feet OF the surface. The
miners scoop up the pay streak dirt
and run It through dry washing ma
chimes. The nearest water Ia distant
five miles and about 400 feet below the
gold level. Several companies have
been formed 10 work these placers on
a high scale. but the immense cost OF
bFingng In sufficient water 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 type-thIs Is
probably the very best method and
likely 10 succeed. -.~---l--