Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1903-05-13


stockholders of the Merchants Min
ing company to the properties of tn,
company, a Journal-Miner reporter
was allowed the privilege of person
ally inspecting the work that hao
been done on these properties, and
will give somewhat detailed account
of what he saw
The property belonging to the Mer-
chants Mining company consists OF
seven full claims. located in the won
derful Big Bug mining district, a Sec
ton of the county that is filled with
good properties, and contains some of
the largest and best mines in the
northern part of the territory. 1t is
about D miles from Prescott by rail-
road and about Is by wagon road.
The Poland branch of the P. and E.
railroad runs across a part of the
property and is within few hundred
feet of the workings of the First Home
claim, the grade being an easy down
grade to the spur IF road which has
been built to afford the company the
convenience of loading its ore direct
from wagons which haul it down from
the ore bins. This will afford a great
convenience when the company gets in
a mill, which will not be very far in
the future, as it will enable them to
handle the ore by the force of gravita-
ton, sending it from the ore bins
into the crusber. from there through
the mill and land the product of the
mill right on the cars, thus affording
a great saving in handling and trans
porting the ore and concentrate. A
contract has been let and at present
the higher grade of ore is being load
ed on cars from the bins by wagon
freight at 30 cents per ton. While the
party of stockholders were at the mine
the first two car loads of shipping ore
were being'loaded for the Val Verde
smelter, the railroad charges for which
are only so cents per ton, which is
only few miles distant. This ship
ment will be followed by regular ship
ments of ore to the FL Paso, San
Fracinsco and Val Verde smelters,
which means that from now on the
Merchants Mining company will be a
dividend payer.
Messrs. Ed Block, the president of
the company. and b. II. Gray. the
superintendent, worked this property
for three years with their own capital
and labor before the company was or
ganized. which was about Is months
ago, and all the work done up to six
or eight weeks ago, was done with a
within, which made the development
very slow, but they are now where
they can make good progress with
the work, and all who know these gen
tlemen know that the work will be
vigorously and judlciously prosecut-
ed. A fine hosting plant has recently
been installed which has a capacity of
sinking to depth of 1000 feet. The
hoist is 50-horse power of the Hendrie
Il Bolthoff make and is what is known
as friction clutch gear hoist, and is
as fine hoist of the size as there is
in the west-in fact there is nothing
better made. The boiler is a 60-horse
power Kewanee make and works with
the greatest degree of satisfaction.
This makes hosting plant that will
be in keeping with the character of
development work that has been done,
which is along the line of "only the
best" The working shaft of the mine
is the admiration of every one who
sees it and everything that has been
done shows that it has been done with
the idea ever in mind, of not expend
ing cent that will not be a perma
nent and useful improvement of the
property, and at the same time to
spare no expense in securing the best.
Three large new ore bins have Just
been completed for the convenient
handling of the shipping ore. These
are capable of holding 125 tons of ore
each. They are arranged so the wag-
ons drive under an ore chute, trap
door raised and the wagons are filled
without shoveling. a new boarding
house and bunk house have recently
been completed.