The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-19

idends. For twenty-six years it has
not missed one monthly dividend pay
ment. The par value of the stock IS
$22,500,0OO and not more than few
months ago the owners refused an
offer of that sum. 1t is reported to be
blocked out for a production of similar
size to the present for thirty years or
more. and at LOO feet below ground.
the bottom Of the present workings,
: the lodes remain as persistent as
above.
1t is owned by Mrs. Phoebe Hearst,
Haggin Tevis and in small part by
miners in the Hills, and it's stock is
| never quoted on any exchange. Most
! of the mines operation is about the
6O0-foot level and above. At the sur
| face there are several veins separated
! by slate walls, but with depth some Of
| these walls have been found to be
swells in the roof, and three of the
| veins have united, giving an ore body
! from 800 to 500 feet wide.
Think of a uniformly mineralized
ore body at least 500 feet deep and,
wide and mile long! The wall rock
is carboniferous slate and the country
is cut by porphyry bikes which have
frequently formed Gaping. 1t is the
! biggest gold mine in the world, in
point both of tonnage and production.
Two Kinds of Ore.
This mine treats two classes Of ore,
! an OXydized open-cut ore and q slaty
| lower-level ore. The former is chiefly
| treated in three mills on the northern
end of the property and consisting Of
| $50 stamps. These stamps ceased
their awful roar at the funeral of
President Mckinley, but that has been
their only rest, day or night, for many
years. The leachable portion of this
ore is now treated in a large cyanide
mill at Blacktail, down the gulch.
Go ,,1c RIO TO hi | hv vic H11n
alternately steel bridges and cuts
along the steel vanyon Sides
The lower-level ore of this mine is
hornblende schst or slate, which has
been crushed in stu and infiltrated
with free silica and pyrites. The lat
! ter is from to per cent of the ore
and is mostly pyrite and pyrrhotite.
l How Treated.
The ore is first broken by large CEN
six set in the floor at the Ellison shaft
alone. It drops into bins and is car
ried to mills. Lower-level ore goes,
partly by compressed air tramming, to
three mills, comprising $40 stamps
There are, then, 900 stamps constantly
dropping on Homestake ore. The
| nearest approach to this, in all the
world Of gold mining, is at Alaska
Treadwell, where there are $50 stamps.
But it's production is only 100000 a
| month, while Homestake now adds
! S425, 900 every thirty days to the gold
supply of the United States. Simmer
& Jack Of the TransVaal makes $780,
600 a month, and comes next in point
of production.
Stamps at the Homestake are com
paratively light, weighing 900 pounds.
They have narrow mortars, very
high and rapid drop and small area
of screen opening. AS a result the
pulp is exceedingly fine. About rs
per cent of it passes thru a 1O0-mesh
and 60 per cent thru a 200-mesh
screen. There is so much water that
it's weight is about ten times that Of
easily and sharply, and each light
stamp does the remarkable duty Of
four tons every twenty-four hours.
These mills are noted for the fineness
of their pulp. the sands being SO in
flnitesimally small that 60 per cent Of
the stamped particles issuing from the
mortar will have less than .0OO1 inch
diameter. a
) In amalgamation, which goes on
both inside and outside the mortars,
there are four full plates in each
series. The upper is copper and the
of the latter saved more than $3.50, 700
the first year of their operation.
! Largest of Cyanide Mills.
From 20 to IS per cent of the gold
saved is by ordinary amalgamation.
The rest is by cyanide. The largest
cyanide mills in the world are To-
Gated here. They treat nearly 1900
q tons every twenty-four hours. In 1902
= the average value of material treated
: at these latter plants was s165 a
y ton: 1t cost 55 cents ton to cyanide
and the gross stamp mill costs were
> 40 cents. The Homestake shines are
: not treated. They carry from 80 cents
y to Sl.lO ton, and there is no known
method by which this can be econo-
: mically saved. Homestake costs have
I to be small and the proportion saved
large, for the ore yields only about
s 1884 ton.
5 Think of two-thirds of a gold five.
4 dollar coin filed up and scattered
: thru ton of sand and you have the
e value and character of Homestake
IS rocks Then you will be hardly able
n to believe that such rock gives ne
e profit of above 81 a ton.
a The Homestake is producing more
II month. and is selling it at New York
at S2O.42 net 1t is, therefore, yer.
5, pure. The mineral saved on pilates
II and from zinc averages 1894 ton
l. The mine is hosting about 100000
e tons of rock year, which is abou
# Minnesota. But the Fayal is thu
h largest iron producer in the world
is and at Homestake they not onl.
a mine and hoist this quantity of ore
"a but they break, stamp and amalga
n mate it, and cyanide about so per cen
q a of it, making the operation here o
magnitude unequaled anywhere b,
< any mineral property.
e Tin Mining Renewed.
1. Tin mining, which was attempted il
IS the southern Black Hills many year
% ago with dismal results. is again un
y der way, this time on ground adjoin
{. ing the Golden Empire, in the north
IS ern Hills. The linton company is :
e very new concern. 1t is composed o
c New York, Chicago and Englisl
= money. 1t is mining tinstone and i
, erecting 100-ton concentrating mill
[; which should be ready in the spring
e, Those interested in the project CLAIM
j. to be abundantly satisfied with re
" suits. both from mineral sent abroad
a and from actual results of mining.
" Well they may if current rumors o
At the percentage of cassiterite in thei
q matrix are correct. Their mining
r. captain says it is about per cent
i The company does not claim so much
- but it is known that averages ar
- better than their statements.
"a There is great deal of stream til
~ in placer ground in the vicinity an
j. for many years sluices have CARRIE
y tin as we'll as gold. On account o
=, II the specific gravity of cassiterite j
y has been impossible for the ordinar
Ixxy1c f1ar To 10 T