Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-27
SAN JUAN COUNTY MINES.

TEN mas been proved to be the practi.
cal and profitable way of operating
might be materially changed, much to
/ the saving Of expense. and at the
same time he fully as satisfactory.
/ For instance, on mining property it
/ Is found that in order to get at the
mineral vein or veins contained there
in and to operate the ground profit
ably. long tunnel. at great depth.
must be run. Accurate surveys of
the property are secured, and II can
| he calculated to a nicely now many
feet will have to be run to cut the
vein. The usual procedure Of mining
companies is to send out manager.
who first establishes headquarters and
then proceeds to erect blacksmith
shop, boarding house. office. etc, and
then, with perhaps two or tnree years
simple. straight tunnel work before
him, employs a force of men by the
day and starts in to make mine by
a method of the most expensive kind.
Tunnels run on this plan, right here
in San Juan county, have cost their
run. Is 1t any wonder that it some
times happens that Eastern capital
lists become dissatisfied at the enor-
nous expense of running these tunnel
projects. and finally balk at putting
up any more money? There is very
simple and effective remedy for all
this. Let those who are putting up
The wherewith to carry on a tunnel
project go to some good, reliable, prac-
teal miners. and say. Gentlemen we
want two, three or FIVE hundred feet
OF first class tunnel work done, here
are the specifications: what will you
do ii for?" The price is agreed upon.
the owners of the property go back
to their homes and business; the con
tractors get busy; from time to time
they furnish evidence of work done,
and receive their pay by check FL
nally. the contract is finished the
money expended has gone into the
ground. and IT is ascertained that the
work. foot by foot, has been done for
one-half or less than II would nave
cost under the methods pursued by
some mining companies.
The Denver Engineering Works was
last Saturday awarded the contract
for the construction of the proposed
Gold Prince mill in Mastodon gulch,
near Animas Forks The plans In
clude a steel building for the upper
terminal of the tramway. angle sta
ton and lower terminal, as well as
steel construction for the mill build
ing proper. II means an expenditure
of $500 900 and Is TO be completed be-
fore the close of the present year.
The ore will be crushed in a large
gyratory crusher al the mine and
transported to the mill, some 10000
feet distant by the latest improved
design in wire rope tramway constrnc-
ton. At the lower terminal II will be
crushed still finer and passed through
modern stamp mill of 100 stamps,
followed by amalgamation and concen-
tration. The ore, after passing the
first set of concentrators, Will be re
ground in tube mills, which will re
duce ii down to 60-mesh and finer.
when 1t will be further treated on
specially constructed slime tables.
The principal men in this great enter
prise are New England capitalists,
who already own large interests in
the Gold King properties. The Gold
Prince property has an enormous
amount of ore blocked out, and the
company is now ready TO build a mag
nificent mill to handle It The plans
for the new mill We're drawn by Frank
Shepard. of the Denver Engineering
| Works. which received the award by
telegram from Boston last Saturday
| afternoon, and was told To go ahead
with the construction. This is the
largest machinery contract for one
mine ever let in a lump in Denver.
The building OF the mill and the en-
tensive development Of the Gold
Prince make It one OF the greatest
mining propositions In the state.
As the work OF past years on the
Henrietta mine has been done In a
systematic manner and, in fact. all
improvements made by the Kendrick
Promotion company nave been of
most substantial nature, including tbs
bnlldlng of "A first class smelling plan
and tramway it will require but littl'
/ time and expense TO start things go
ing, compared with former years. tt
finance the company for the purpos'
5 of putting in a supply OF ores from
, other mines in this section at IN
+ smelter suitable for tiuxing with tn
T. pyritic ores of the Henrietta Is the on
4 object in view at this time, and snoul
Y the San Juan Smelling Il Rehnin
company be successful in raising IN
required sum for the purpose, ther
/ will be an immediate market for IN
5 small mine operator. and possibly on
/ or TWO larger mines products.
1t At Red Mountain there are sewers
o mammoth tunnel enterprises in fu
blast, notably the Treasury Tunnel
X. Co, now over a mile into the hi
a