Arizona republican., 1901-08-22
THE ALTAR COPPER MINING
 COMPANY.


 Since the return of Messrs. Robert Mitchell and Arthur Cordiner from their visit to the properties of the Altar Mining Company in Altar dis trict Sonora, Mexico. so many inquir- les have been directed to them concern- ing the results of their investigations that they have decided to give out for publication a statement of what they saw and learned ,for'the information or those who purchased the first issue Of stock. as well as the public generally Accordingly they have authorized the following, with the assurance that spe- cial care has been observed to avoid exaggeration in every detail, and give only the exact facts. This assurance coming from these well known gentle- men is quite sufficient to satisfy those acquainted with their characters and high standing in this community. For the benefit of others. however, it may be added that they are both old resi- dents of Jerome, and men in whom their friends and acquaintarces nave found reason to place implicit conn- dsnce. MT. Mitchell, who is metal lurgist of many years experience, IS the present superintendent of the unit cd Verde Copper companys smelter. Mr. Cordiner is a member of the firm of Hoover & Cordiner. proprietors or the Fashion saloon in Jerome. and has had much practical experience in min ing:
 The properties of the Altar Copper Mining company consists of two groups comprising 13S pertenenclas. or about 345 acres, all under patent from the Mexican government. The Montana Verdi group which contains 62 perten- encias, CT about I55 acres. is situated three miles from the Altar river. ana about 40 miles northwesterly from san | ta Ana. a town on the Sonora railway, Ca miles south of Nogales. It is easiiy accessible from Santa Ana by splendid wagon road and the cost of freighting ! to and from that point is only $lo per ton in Mexican money. or 8 in gold. ] The town of Altar. the seat of the district. is 23 miles distant in a south westerly direction from the group, by an equally good road. The altitude at | can very easily be made available for use upon the Montana Verdi by the construction of ditch to tap the stream a short distance above the mine. and the company is now negotiating
 with the owner of large water rights in the river. for the purchase of right to
 divert sufficient water to supply the property in this manner for all time
 to come. 'ty
 The group as 2 whole Is not especial
 ly rough, being rather unduating, pu'
 the surface over nearly the entire area
 is much broken by almost innumerab'e
 rock croppings and prominences or al
 shapes and sizes. These croppings de
 not appear to be in ledge formation
 but project in the form of great de-
 tached masses and boulders Withou'
 any regularity whatever in the manner
 of their emplacement. EVerwnert
 they show a vivid green in color, anc
 examination shows them to be largely
 carbonates of copper. oxides of copper
 and oxides of iron, of all kinds ant
 grades. the carbonates predominating
 Tn the depressions between these mass
 es of croppings, the surface IS earti
 which evidently has been formed 10
 considerable extent from the decompo
 sition of the rock croppings, judging from its appearance. and is strewi
 over with small pieces of float or th
 same general character as the rock This earth or dirt, however, is yer! superficial, and it is only necessary t' dig a short distance before rock closer.
 resembling the surface crcppings IS eh yountered. Assays of this surface rocl made after returning to Jerome, sho' that it will run on an average SIX pc cent in copper, and MT. Mitchell IS , the opinion that there is enough or ] in sight to fully justify the installation at once of a 100-ton blast furnace oi
 the property and the commencement 0 !. smelting operations on a substantial : scale. The cost of freighting to am from Santa Ana would be more thal overcome by the cheapness of Dot ! labor and fuel. The established wage l of drill men is g per day in Mexican 7 money. or $1 in gold. Outside men re
 ceive sl.75 per day, S7h cents in gold Hard wood for steam can be bought a l s2.5o per cord in god.
 2 The work already done upon Tn v the Montana Verdi is about 200O fee a above sea level Along the Alta a river. within a few miles of the prop ? erty. are number of productiv d ranches and couple of flour mills { The face of the country on and m tn 3 vicinity of the group may be said | e be mountainous. though the mountain : are not high or steep. and resembl P more rolling hills. There is an abund ance of timber suitable for both rue . and mine timbering within easy dis F tance and accessible by wagon. Tn :. Altar river is a perennial stream, hay . ing a good flow of never-failing watel
 more than sufficient to supply tn r ranches along it's banks. Its water property is not extensive. A vertica r shaft has been sunk to depth or
 feet. An examination of the walls a this shaft shows an exceedingly irregu |. liar formation and multiform character e of rock, varying from rich sulphides
 copper near the surface, to blue sla'
 impre gnafed to some extent wit = quartz, streaked with sulphides at tn bottom. Assays of the ore taken frol the upper part of the shaft run froi 4 to 10 per cent copper It is the IT tention of the company to continu the shaft att depth of 100 feet, and the