The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-12-15
EQUIPMENT OF SMALL MILLS
Cooperation of Several Mines Wouio
Be Benefit TO An

co-operation of Several Mines You'd
Be Benefit to All
when large mining enterprises are
contemplated and there is abundant
money available to equip the properly
ON n large scale, there is usually little
difficulty in arranging matters so that
"ends meet" With the small con-
Germ. however, where available capital
lis limited, and the contemplated equip
ment, although not extensive, is never
theless as important to the success Oh
the enterprise as that of the large con
Germ. and frequently more so, there Is
room for the exercise of care and good
Judgment. This is a matter requiring
experience. Ordinarily the first thing
to be considered is power. In many
places there is a variety of methods OF
obtaining power available-st gen.
Grated by wood, coal or oil; water
power direct; electric power generated
by water, or by steam, and transmitte 1
to the plant. This may be eithe a
private enterprise of the mine or u
may be bought from a distributing
company. There are also gas engines
of the distillate, etc. That means of
securing power which is most conven-
lent and least expensive is usually Sc
lected.
Having decided what kind of power
to install, the question arises how much
power shall be provided. The require
ments of each power consuming de-
partment must be carefully considered,
and when the total amount needed has
been figured, care being taken not 20
underestimate, it is well to add ut
least % per cent for losses, and posi-
BILE required extension of plant. This
latter contingency is of such uncertain
character that really little considers-
ton can be safely given to it in the
figuring. 1t is not good business to
equip a new mine with heavy and ex-
pensive machinery far in excess of its
Requirements for probably several
years. An experienced superintendent
will not purchase and set up a hosting
plant capable of lifting five or six tons
from a depth of 1000 feet in one min
ute for the purpose of sinking a shaft
from the surface, nor will he order a
mill of 500 tons or more daily capacity
when he has not enough ore in sight to
supply ten stamps. If mistakes are
made about large plants they can
usually be discovered and corrected b.
fore serious damage results, but with
the small mine, a mistake of this kin |
will frequently result in disaster, as
funds are exhausted by extravagant
and unnecessary equipment, and no re-
suits beneficial to the concern accom-
plished.
In some districts there are numerous
small mines, no one of which will JUS
tify a milling plant, because of the
limited amount of ore available, and
yet the ore is sufficiently rich to paw
a profit even if treated in a custom
mill. In such districts as this the
owner of the custom mill will usually
make a much higher charge per ton
than the cost of milling; the money
which this difference between mill
charge and actual cost of milling repre-
sents would build a mill in which the
ores from the several mines repre-
sented could be treated at cost. This
would be an advantage to every mine
owner concerned, and incidentally to
every mine in the camp, as custom
rates could not be charged those mines
not represented in the association.
In the same way a power-distribut-
ing company might be organized to
supply power to each of several COM
panies interested in the enterprise,
thereby effecting a great saving to all
concerned, both in first cost and in
future operating expenses. There is i
decided disposition among mine own
ers to stand alone on individual merit,
independent of others, but co-opera-
ton has in this matter many advan-
tages, as it has in other things, and
where the several owners of a number
of small mines associate themselves for
the common good of all an advantage
must accrue to each of those interested.
= Mininn md Sa:na4:Ga D-aA