Sierra County advocate., 1904-05-20

tions. To answer correspondents, TO
give reliable, accurate aud authentic
Information, and to further advance
our great interests, is the object OF this
article:
Is gold found at Hillsboro in quartz
veins or In placersi In both, but prin-
cipally In fissure veins. Between two
and three hundred claims have been To-
lated on these veins which show pay
ore ut the surface and the work done
on these varies from mere assessment
boles to the principal mines that have
been developed to a depth OF zoo feet.
What fs the nature Of the ore7 Cop
per and iron suiphide and somo com
paratively free milling quartz. With
depth the ore becomes smelling and
concentrating material. The percent
age Of copper In the ore shipped to the
tmslters Ii from one 10 twelve units
IN concentrates sometimes as high as
twenty units. Sllica In crude ore from
forty to elghty-flve. Smeltcr ccrtifl-
Gates show the ore to carry from two
to fourteen ounces Of gold. from three
TO sixty ounces silver. The bulk Of the
ore and concentrates shipped, however,
will average about $40 per ten.
Hns there been any iarge productioni
The Opportunity group has produced
R3.D00 tons of ore and over hnlf mil
hon dollars. The Bonanza mine 1000
tons and 100000. The Richmond 5000
tons ond over 100000 These are the
largest producers so far.
Are the milling facilities good7 Prac-
tcHlly they are not-the saving has
been from fifty to seventy pei
cent at the best. A modern custom
mill IL badly needed and a fortune
awaits tho parties who will build one
Sufficient water and an ideal concen-
tfnting ore. with proper appliances
hinety to nInety-dve per cent. would be
the saving.
WIN the owners let 20 easy, or do
they want the earth? They are reas
enable people, but they are not giving
away their mines. or giving bonds on
longtime ralnbows. During the past
two years some thirty mines have been
soid, mostly around Amimas Peak, and
the highest price paid was $1,000.
That min. <as become the largest pro-
ducing and the best paying In the dis
trlct and the owners would now ask
very large sum. The greatly Inn
pro sed price OF copper and lower
sreiting rates have OF late been very
s>enefcinl TO these mines. With good
ssi..bm mill the progress would be
rapid.
What are ore sirights7 From the
mine to the lei paso smNlter from so
TO ~ per ton; from mine to mill 10
cents to $3.50 per ton.
What Is the geological formatiorf
An ernptNe country rock. by the ex.
perts classed as Andeslte; the ore veins
are found accompanying dikes of fine
grained felslte and blrdseye porphyry
" lich cut through the country north
east and southwest Most OF the veins
are fairly easy working. on drift con
tracts prices have been from S3 to So
per foot. Incline shafts on vein are
cheaply driven, but vertical shafts In
country rock have generally been found
very expensive.
Is there much snow in winter? Not
enough to swear by; the climate. win.
ter aad summer. IL, from miners
OF view, perfect. No snowslldes
and no pneumonia for the miner to
dread.
Is there much placer mining? There
u an extensive placer field which 10 !
open to locators and there are always !
Beme men at work who make from 81 !
10 IS per day. An occasional nugget
brings up the average. or course some
men are luckier than others, here as 1
Most of the gold is found
within a few feet OF the surface. The
miners scoop up the pay streak dirt
and run II through dry washing ma
rhines. The nearest water Is distant /
ave mi'es and about 400 feet below the
gold level. Several companies have
been formed to work these placers on
4 nlgn soaie, 1a, tle ilA.l.Nase So. ot I
bringing ID sufficient water has made
the project appear OF doubtful profit
A new company has recently been or
ganized to exploit this field with ma
thine OF the Bucyrus type-this is
srobably the very best method and
4l,kely 10 succeed.
Ia nax ~ soar estimate OF the total
utput OF the HIllsboro minss. al.
njs, . doliarsi Between two and
=, and a qnsa. 81 millions.
Has anyore made big money at min
ng In Sierra county, In the Kingston
district the Lady Franklin, Black Colt
5uilon Superior, Comstock. Caledonia,
Brush Heap. Illinois, Tenn
,iar. V.1gnius, keystone. Cumberland
sray Eagle ana a few other properties
,ad up to ls98 made IA output Of
,ver eight misNcn onnces 81 silver soit
Ii aa aNeraee price ~ eS ceats pc
,unce. All 81 these mine. made lars
,rofts. from twenty per cent on m
ray Faeie to eighty ami rinefy et