The Arizona sentinel., 1903-02-18
THE OLD
 PICACHO Enormous Bodies of Pay ing Ore Uncovered. Probably the Greatest Gold Mine in the United States.

have any comprehensive knOwl- edge of the magnitude of the old Picacho mines. For forty years they have been worked, off and on. Today a human beehive; tomorrow an abandoned deSOla- tion. That it has ever been con- sidered a great property is pat ent to the least observing, and to work it successfully has been the dream of it's score of ambi- tious owners. That it is not a "poor mans mine" is evidenced by the numerous failures to sue cessfully work it; that ample capital to control the situation was not forthcoming earlier is wonder to many. It has been in court and out of court, and it is not drawing the long bow to state that almost every old-timer on the Colorado has at one time or other had more or less inter est in it. "Reminiscences of such ownership are brought to the surface by the success of its present owners, the California King Gold Mines Company.
 Hon. R. F. Pettigrew, ex- senator from South Dakota, is heavily interested in the proper ty. Quite recently he was at the Gandolfo with Mrs. Petit grew, en route to California, and was interviewed by the Sentinel man. The senator had recently returned from a four weeks visit to the property. He expressed himself as being we'll pleased with it; that every cross-cut run or tunnel driven had exposed enormous bodies of ore carrying satisfactory and paying values. At this time 300 tons of ore are being sent to the crushers daily, but within the next sixty days the output will be doubled, and not less than 600 tons a day will be treated. An open cut across ledge 5 feet deep is the present ore supply. The ledge is known to be 160 feet thick, and is probably larger. Every pound of ore that is broken from this enormous body is sent to the mill. It's lowest assay value is S3.60 and the highest 40. At first glance these values ap- pear to be rather low; but when it is known that the ore can be quarried-not mined-for ten cents per ton; can be taken out, crushed and leached for less than one dollar per ton, the Dutch mans one per cent on the lowest assay value of the ore is readily apparent.
 The rock is gold bearing. It is crushed to No. 20 mesh, and is then subjected to the cyanide process, by which 90 and 95 per cent of the values are saved.
 In addition to the great vein now being cut through, two oth- CTS are being exploited, one of which is thirty feet wide and has an average value of $5.60 per ton; the other is twenty feet wide and runs from S6 to $15 per ton. On this latter vein a shaft has been sunk to a depth of 200 feet. Beside these enormous and comparatively high-grade lodges, there are, he says, mil lions of tons of ore that is worth from S1. 50 to $2.00 per ton, and which it is the purpose of the company to eventually work.
 Thus far the company has ex- pended S4O0, GOO in development work and improvements. The average working force is 12O men. MT. Emerson Gee, form erly connected with the Du- quesne company, III the Patago- nias, is superintendent.
 Although the Picacho is in California, it is practically work ed from Arizona and Yuma gets the benefit of it. By the wind ing Colorado river the distance is sixty miles from Yuma. By stage it is but twenty-five miles, and the trip is made in few hours.