Arizona daily citizen., 1901-08-06
The Altar Copper Mines.
lFrom the Jerome Mining NOVEL,

sOlIltG lUG vi NhNHCl NO'}Ni
Mitchell and Arthur Cordincr from thei
visit to the properties OF the Altar Min
ing Company in Altar District, Sonora
Mexico, so many inquiries have hceI
directed to them concerning the results
OF their Investigations that they have
decided to give out for publication {
statement of what they saw and learned
for the information Of those who pur
chased the first issue of stock, as we'll as
the public generally. Accordingly they
have authorized the following, with the
assurance that special care has been OBJ
served to avoid exaggeration in every
detail, and give only the exact facts
This assurance coming from these well,
known gentlemen is quite sufficient 10
satisfy those acquainted with their char.
acters and high standing in this com
munity. For the benefit of Others, how
ever, it may be added that they are
both old residents of Jerome, and men
in whom their friends ard acquaintance
have found reason to place implicit con-
fidence. Mr.. Mitchell, who is a metal
lurgist of many years experience, is the
present superintendent ofthe United Yer
de Copper Company's smelter. Mr..
Cordiucr is a member ofthe iirm of Iioov-
er & Cordiner, ,proprietors ofthe Fashion
Saloon in Jerome, and has had much
practical experience in mining:
The properties of the Altar Copper
Mining Company consists oftwo groups
comprising 1873 pcrtenencias, or about
345 acres, all under patent from the
Mexican government. The Montana
Verdi group which contains 62 pertenen-
cias, or about 1866 acres, is situated three
miles from the Altar river, and about 40
miles north westerly from Santa Ana, "A
town on the Sonora railway 65 miles
south of Nogales. II is easily accessible
from Santa Ana by a splendid wagon
road, and the cost of fre;ghting to and
from that point is snly $40 per ton III
Mexican money, or $5 IN gold. The
Town of Altar, the seat OF the district. is
% miles distant in n south-westerly di-
rectiou from the group, by an equally
good road. he altitude at the Mon
tana Verdi is about 1000 feet above sea
level. Along the Altar river, within
few miles of the property, are a number
cf productive ranches, and couple oi
-four mills. The face of the country ON,
and in the vicinity of, the group may be
said to he mountainous, though the
mountains are not high or steep, and
resemble more rolling hills. There is All
abundance Of timber suitable for both
fuel and mine timbering within easy dis
tancc and accessible by wagon. The Al
tar river ia perennial stream, having
good TOW Of never-failing water, more
than sufficieut to supply the ranches
along the banks, Its waters can be very
easily 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 rs now
negotiating with the O wner of large wat
er rights in the river. for the purchase OF
a right to divert sufficient water 10 sup
ply the property in this manner for all
TING to conc.
The group as a whole is not especially
rough, being rather undnlating, but the
surface over nearly the entire area, is
much broken by almost innumernh'e
rock Groupings and prominences ot all
shapes and sizes. These Groupings do
not appear TO bc IN ledge formation, but
project in the form OF great detached
masses and bonlders without any regti
iarity whatever in the manner of their
emplacemcnt. Everywhere they show
shows them to be largely carbonates of
copper, oxides of copper and oxides Of
iron, OF all kinds and grades, the carbon
atcs predominating. In the depressions
bet wecn these masses of groupings. the
surface is earth which has evidently
been formed to considerable extent
from the decomposition OF the rock crop.
pings. Judging from its appearance, and
is strewn over with small pieces of float
OF the same general character as the rock.
This Garth or dirt. however, is very su.
perhcial, and it is only necessary to dig
a short distance before rock closely re-
sembling the surface Groupings is en-.
countered. Assays of this surface rock
made after returning TO Jerome show
that it will run on AN average six per
cent copper, and Mr.. Mitchell is of the
opinion that there is enough of it IN
sight to fully Justify the installation at
once of a 100-tou blast furnace on the
property and the commencement Of
smelling operations GA substantial
scale. The cost of frcighting to and
from Santa Ana would be more than ov-
ercome by the chcapness of both labor
and fuel. The established wages of drill
men is So per day in Mexican money, or
81 a day In gold. Outside men receive
SITS per day, STA cents in gold. Hard
wood for steam can he bought for $3.50
per cord in gold.
: The work already done upon the pro-.
perty is not extensive A vertical shaft
has been sunk to depth OF 65 feet. An
examination of the walls of this shaft
shows an exceedingly irregular forna-
ton and multiform characters Of rock,
varying from rich sulphides Of copper
near the surface to blue slate imprcg-
mated to some extent withquartx streak
ed with sulphides Mt the bottom. Assays
of the ore taken from the upper part of
the shaft run from 4 to 10 per cent cop
per. 1t is the intention of the company
to continue the shaft to depth OF 100
feet, and then drift through the orc
body. A large force of men is now Mt
work.
II is impossible for any person to look
over this group, to walk over and among
the masses of mineralixcd rock and note
that characteristic grecnish appearance
everywhere in evidence, without forming
the positive conviction that underneath
his feet lies hidden an Immense body of
copper ore, greater perhaps, il the indi-
cations count for anything, than has
ever vet been uncovered. He cannot be
brought to the belief that this eopper ore
came from any other source or direction
than below, nor that the visible copper