The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1904-10-22
OBSERVATIONS ON
TONOPAH AND G0LDFIELD.


phate (CuSO4) and salt (NaCD are
added in q heated solution. As the
mill revolves, amalgamation takes
place, and the amalgam is drawn on al
the bottom. yielding between $1,000 and
$500 o day. Power is supplied BY q
three.cylinder engine, run by direct
combustion Of crude oil mixed with
compressed air. furnishing 80 horse
power.
This mill is treating ore from the
Valley View claim Of the Tonopah Min.
ing Company. It is not expected that
the mill will handle all the ores Of the
district. since some Of it carries man.
ganese, which interferes with ANAL
gamation, and some carries sulhu-
rets, which would have to be roasted.
At the McNamara they carry stephan.
ite, an antimonial silver ore. The bulk
Of the ore Is shipped to Salt Lake City
smelters. During August the Tonopah
Mining Company was loading nat cars
with unsacked ore from it dumps by .
self.acting tramway. There is no
water in the mine, and very little
timbering 10 required.
So far the scarcity of water has inter.
fered with the milling on large scale.
But new water plant is now being
installed by the Rye Patch Water Com.
pany. It is expected that this will
lower rates about one-half and permit
the milling Of gold ores running $l5 to
$40 ton, which are found within s
miles or SO of camp and are at present
unavailable. The water
is secured from wells arranged in
series, with central pump station, aud
is to be sent to camp through l6 miles of
l.foot diameter pipe. It will have
of 2.O00. 900 gallons in twenty.
four hours.
The largest mine, the Mizpah. owned
by the Tonopah Mining Company. is
opened by three connected shafts, all
vertical. The main shaft is equipped
with an extensive surfacs plant. having
q steel gallows frame. and is wired for
electric lights. 1t will hoist cages in.
stead of buckets, as at the other mines.
and has three compartments-thel larg.
est shaft at Tonopah. 1t is down 800
feet, but not yet in active use, as the
railroad cannot handle the ore now
on the dumps on the surface. The ore
lies in defined veins in this mine, as in
the others. Values are said to run as
high as $500 a ton. though the average
is between $50 and $50.
At the Midway mine, down 835 feet.
they are under 450-foot Gaping Of
greenish lava. known as the later
andesite. which forms blanket over
the veins in most mines Of the district.
They have cut three veins underground,
none Of which cropped out on the sur
face, but were prospected for by sink.
ing through the Gaping, having first
chosen place that seemed likely. cal.
on the trend Of the veins in
ground, for most of the
veins strike regularly east and west.
dipping little north. The Gaping
above mentioned is absent in the Miz-
pah, having been removed by erosion.
thus giving that mine more backs than
most Of the others at q corresponding
depth. The values in most of the
mines are not uniform. Bunches of
rich ore are found here and there.
which have been followed In short
or small Slopes.
AS the mines develop aud extraction
of the ore begins in earnest, the camp
s likely TO become a good.sixed town,
owing partly to the number Of men
likely to be employed, and partly to the
TACT that many districts opened near by.
such as the Ray district and Goldfield.
look to Tonopah at present as their
There is a plan on foot
to move the county seat from Belmont
to Tonopah. which. however. would be Of
doubtful advantage, as it would facili.
tate suits at law. where now the dis
tance of the court across dreary des-
ert forces most to settle their disputes
out Of court.
One Of the strong influences in build.
ing up mining town--a smelter--is
not likely to be realized. owing to exist.
ing conditions. and at present every
thing is being planned to ship to Salt
Lake. At present the camp is an ir-
regular gathering Of wooden and adobe
cabins. with tents here aud there
on the outskirts. Through the
middle runs broad street along which
an occasional stone house of one or two
stories will be found. The ground on
which the camp Is built is owned by
the mining companies, held by posses
sorry rights, none of the mines being yet