The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-10-27

ronopah and Goldfeld Handicapped by
Lack of Them
(Tonopah Bonanza.)

Since the discovery of Tonopah by
Jim Butler and the wonderful disclos-
ures of millions of dollars worth of ore
in its different mines, many difficulties
have been overcome in the matter of
transportation Of its smelters and while
the reserve of high or shipping grade
ore has in no sense beer materially de-
pleted, those most familiar with the
situation locally nave realized all along
that the time would come when cheaper
methods of reduction would have to be
found. No mining district known has
ever been able to depend entirely on
ores of sufficient value to stand the
high cost of shipping a thousand miles
and also the high treatment rates that
are now being exacted by the smelte7s
on account of being short of fiuxing
ores. The Tonopah mines are today up
against a hard proposition On these
lines for the smeltcrs are choked with
salicious ores. There is also an in
creased treatment charge of several
dollars per ton and an intimation that
shipments may have to be almost en-
tirely discontinued for the present.
This condition staring the mine owner
and mine manager in the face, has
~ OdEht w lnCDn a. u VI
the fact that the great ore reserves of
this district are too valuable for the
Tonopah mines to long be at the mercy
Of the great smelter trust. What IS
J needed here and needed badly are smell
tiers. 1t is almost an assured fact that
C.. M. Schwab and John McKane will
erect a smelter and a good one, some
where in this vicinity, but others are
I nnnInI and thnrn 20 N -ar.I - D-oEA -.
them. Here are big mining companies,
the Tonopah company, the Tonopah *
tension, the Montana, the North Star.
the Belmont, the West End, the Mid
way and others. with many hundreds of
thousands OF tons of rich, but salicious
ores, in sight and no market for them.
This is a condition, not a theory. 1t 8
not what might be, but what is an ex-
isting fact today. Smelters are Ger
tainly the crying need of the hour IN
Southwestern Nevada and there are
millions in it. Good lead properties
are also a necessity and it is known
that several of the big Tonopah com
panies have had men in the field fof
some time on the lookouffor such prop
critics with the view of making devei-
opments and possibly erecting smelters
themselves.
Lead ores in abundance can be OBJ
tanned close at hand, for it is an estab-
lished fact that Lone Mountain,
Reveille, Ray, Ida, Sodaville, Pal
metto, Montezuma and Jefferson canon
are great producers of such ores.
The demand for fuxes is becoming
greater every day and no time should
be lost by those Interested in silver
lead properties in the districts above
referred to, in opening them up, for the
conditions are certainly most favor
able.
The hundreds of men now given EN-
ployment in the Salt Lake, Washington
and California shelters would in time
become employed here and the benefit
to T%onopah Independent Of the increas-
ed earnings to the mines would be
great. The same condition at Lone
Mountain and other districts would
prevail that made Bingham a camp Of
several thousand inhabitants and it
was named the cold reliable'' for the
reason that its network of assures, all
carrying fuxing ores, gave opportunity
to. the leaser and man with small cap
ital to make money by working those
veins. After sufficient depth was at.
tanned on the properties, Bingham
proved to be a close rival to the great
camp of Butte.
That the smelter is a necessity TO
Tonopah with it's millions of tons Of
low grade ores, no one questions and
WIN intelligent development in the
lead districts, the ores for 1uxing will
surely be disclosed in large quantities.
The near future should therefore place
Tonopah and the surrounding districts
in az independent position as to the
treatment of it's minerals.