Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-09-24
TONOPAH BONANZA.
NINE sAMPLING.
Some Valuable Advice on This
Important Matter.


responsibility than that Of a call to
examine and determine the value Of a
mine. He may be requested to fur
nish plans for a mill, smelter or con
contractor, or to devise an economical
method OF mining a low grade body
Of ore, or to suggest other practical
ideas and plans, all of which he may
do with confidence, but when re-
quested to give a professional opinion
on the value of a mine he IS placed IN
a position Of trust upon which much
more may depend than is at first
sight apparent. He cannot afford
TO report adversely and have the
mine prove a bonanza for the next
fellow who comes along, and most as
suredly he cannot afford to give a
favorable report when the property
does not justify such an endorsement.
Necessarily be must make a careful,
painstaking and thorough investiga
zion of the surrounding country, Civ
ing attention to the transportation
problem, the fuel and power problem
generally, making comparisons be-
tween steam, water and electric or
other power, if each is available, or,
if not existent, state under what con-
ditions and at what cost power may
be obtained. II it is a smelling prop
o%sition, the question of fuel, t1uxes
and water is important. Shall the
smelter be located at the mines or at
a distance? This he must determine.
The title to the property is all i'm
portant. He must be sure that II a
valuable mine is developed his clients,
should they purchase the property,
or their assigns, may work it unin-
terrupted by adverse claimants.
Where improvements are possible in
the future, as to transportation
power or other conditions, these
should be stated.
AS to the mine itself, he must in
spect the workings and decide about
what quantity Of ore will probably
be available, and determine whether
the shaft or tunnel is sufficient.
large to handle the desired tonuag,
of ore, besides waste, handling men
timbers, supplies and water. |
NAV be advisable to sink a g AM
larger shaft, or to drive a tunnel
and the site OF either Of these mus
be selected with reference to the dis
tribution OF known or underground
and also with a view to surface trans
p~ortation TO mill or other works. |
sampliug, he will carefully sectioni2
the entire workings, measuring an
sampling from wall to wall, il a vel
Of moderate size, or dividing it int
blocks if a large vein, zone or OF
body. The samples taken must rel
resent, as nearly as possible, the OF
as it occurs in the vein, Rich streal
may be measured and sampled Sc
arately il desired, and in many placI
it is better to do this, for a streak
rich ore an inch or two in thickne
will create a false idea of the val
OF a vein five or six feet wide,
mixed with the low grade rock, al
particularly of the expense OF minin
for the low grade portion Of the We
may be too poor to pay the cost
mining, which, together with 9th
costs, must be borne by the SIN
rich streaks. There are vario
ways Of arriving at the value
mines, and the taking of the sampI
is usually the easiest part Of
operation. Anyone who knows al
thing OF practical mining, with
little instruction-if a novice at
businessman take mine samples, /
1t is very essential to know what I
samples represent, what nature, a
not man, has placed in the ore. I
experienced mine examiner quicl
learns that he cannot afford to ia
any risks of being sailed, and it
remarkable the various safegual
he must throw about himself in orr
to prevent this. When there is
considerable sum of money at sta
on a mining deal, the engineer "