Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-08-01

the gold
The black sand found on the ocean
beach near the mouth of Rogue river
or Gold Beach, is almost wholly titan-
ite of iron, and is not attracted Dy
the magnet. 1t is quite heavy and the
gold being so much finer, makes 1t eX'
tremely difficult to separate, ana
many machines have been invented
for this purpose, but all have failed
to make a complete and profitable
separation.
The annual production of gold IN
this state at the present time is not
less than six million dollars, part OF
which might be attributed to the pla'
Ger mines in operation, whereas the
government only gives credit for about
one million eight hundred thousand.
The renewed activity in the search
for and development of these sources
of wealth Is due to many causes. II
is apparent that under the present
economic conditions, that though all
other products may fall in price from
overproduction, the production of gold
cannot be overdone. The low price
of labor, the extension of steam trans.
portation, and the highly improved
methods of production and treatment
of ores, are important factors in the
development of the mining industry.
When Kustall first announced his
process of treating base ores by the
chlodination method, about 80 years
ago, it was claimed that the ores must
be worth at least $25 per ton to make
this process profitable. This method
has now been improved upon so that
today base ores worth not more than
five dollars per ton can be worked to
advantage.
Many of the quartz mills running
on free milling ore twenty-five or thir-
ty years ago, estimated their loss to
be $40 per ton, whereas the loss today
on free milling ore need not be over
sixty cents per ton.
Base ores running two dollars in
gold, ten per cent in copper, three
or four ounces in silver, and two or
three per cent in lead are abundant in
tha Cascade papua
While this section, particularly on
the Santiam river and its branches,
has long been known as a great min
eral region, until recently the broken
and mountainous condition of the coun.
try, and an absence of trails suitable
even for pack animal, have pre-.
cluded the possibility of a thorough
by mining men. In the
past years many attempts nave been
made to reduce the ores by different
methods but. owing to the fact that
the work was undertaken by mex
perienced operators, it has, in every
instance proved a failure. During the
past five years, however a more
thorough examination has been prose.
cuted with renewed energy and vigor,
In consequence of which large deposits
of what may be called low grade con.
centrating ores have been revealed
m many of the claims much high
grade ore has also been found. demon.
strating beyond a doubt that this sec.
tlon is destined to become one of the
greatest mineral producing sections
OF the state of Oregon, since added
TO It's vast productiveness, no better
location and facilities for the transpor.
tation and reduction of ores could be
desired.
In my Judgment none of these veins
are contact veins. They appear to be
enclosed in porphyry rocks, and are
more in the nature of segfregatiop of
ore bodies of large dimensions; and
yet In their course and strike thew
have the appearance Of fssure veins
AS to their size and dimensions
conclusion can be only speculative
beyond sight, Their continuity seems
perfect in crossing the creeks and
country all in one direction. and can
not doubt their permaneucy at great
depth.
There are three kinds of mineral
veins-veins of segregation. veins Of
infltration and great assure veins of
these three, one graduates into the
other In such manner that it Is often
diffieult to distinguish the difference
but FOR all practical purposes I shall
call them segregated veins. The ore
Is chslcocite. with occasional bupcbes
OF 0ornite, carrying silver and gold
| see no reason why tais section ot
the country should not produce hund.
red Of tons of concentrated ore na,
day, worth $40 per ton. The wafer.
falls Of the various streams of thass
fountains emptying in,o the William
cite ana its tributaries are too numsr
Gus 10 mention phara a.. -,