The San Francisco call., 1905-06-24

l
| upon the mining interests of Nevada o5
]. E. Spurr of the United States Geo.
| logical Survey, who has prepared re-
| port concerning the Goldfield district.
| Attention Is called to the recent discov-
! cries in the district, and rich finds are
| described that began in February, 1914.
| In certain spots south of Columbist
Mountain. Since then the town of Gold
| field and number of adjacent camps
have come into existence. 1t is esti-
mated by Spur that the shipments OF
| ore from the district UP to November,
| 1904, amounted In value to s2.OOO,00U.
| Since then the amount has been largely
| increased.
The productive area has spread large
| ly. Known ore bodies are scattered
over six miles square. The most pro-
ductive area Is in a square two to two
and half niiessin either direction.
The Goldfeld veins are not persistent
nor we'll defined. The outcrop of the
quartz bodies IS irregular, Struggling.
branching and apt to disappear sud
denly.
Mr.. Spur reports shipment of four
teen and a half tons of ore from, the
Sandstorm (KendaiD claim. which.
when worked il. stampmill. yielded
S45,7S3 net. while the tailings still con-
tained about $1,000 to the ton. From the
Mckane-B -Bowes lease on the Jumbo
there was taken out in five months from
a space 100 feet long and 200 feet deep
100000. One snail shipment from this
lease-9i7 pounds of ore-gave gross
returns of s47s6. The whole production
of the camp has been from ore that av-
eraged, according to Spur. 5000 to 5000
a ton or more. The values are general
IL in gold. Silver is practically abb
sent.
PROBABILITIES OF DEPTH.
Concerning the probability of finding
rich ore at depth, Mr.. Spur reports that
some of the rich sulphide ores are prob
ably primary. Evidence points TO for
nations made subsequent to the main
silifcation of the reef, as in the Com
bination mine. Here the rich aurifer-
Gus sulpnides have formed In a broken
zone, in the silified reef. and occur as
seams and often as coatings on the peb-
bles.
"rhe question arises" says Mr.. Spur.
whether the subsequent naturalization
was the result of descending or ascend
ing waters. There is no conclusive evil
dence that these rich ores have been
concentrated from the lean antecedent
quartz mass, and the presence or ele-
meDts like arsenic, antimony and tel
lurium in the subsequent sulphide ore
| suggests a deep-seated origin.
In part. Mr.. Spur reaches the follow
ing conclusions.
Besides the elements mentioned above. bis
muth occurs in the In the January mine
* occurs in the oxidzed in the form OF
silvery scales which is, as described by Dr.
In the Combination long. ueede-like crystals
have been found. which. according TO the man
ager. Mr.. Collins. give the chemical tests for
bsmuth suphide (bismuthinite). In the Janu-
ary mine the silvery mineral above noted is
sometimes arranged in long, rodlike forms. and
| these are very likely pseudomorphs after the
sulphide. This silvery mineral Is usually. but
not always. an indication of rich ore in the
January According to Mr. Hamilton several
| of the Blue Bull samples show bismuth Bar
| ite is common mineral in all these deposits.
but is not abundant. The indications are.
therefore, not unfavorable to the continuance of
ores of high grade. at least OF good grade.
down to considerable depths. There Is. how
ever. as already demonstrated by exploitation,
no continuous regularity to the ore shoots,
whether sulphde oxidized. They are curv-
| ing. irregular and often lenticular. but 1t may
| happen that below shoot which has come 10
an end another shoot may be found occupying
| a slightly different relative position, even
| overlapping the first.
NEVADA COUNTY STIRRED.
| A strong effort is being made in Ne
| vada County to work up opposition to
\ the Caminetti law. Some extracts from
Nevada County papers are reprinted
| herewith. The Miner-Transcript says:
| II any one will note the coincidence that the
interference with mining by the hydraulic pro-
cess and the departure, Of a large part Of our
/
| time possibly be will not disagree
with our opinion that the latter was
due to the former Go up to the Coun-
ty Courthouse some day when in Nevada City
and look at the fac smile OF months gold
output from the North Bloomfield That gold
is not coming out OF the ground any more, al
though it's like is still there to the value Of bill
lions of dollars. Quartz mining cannot wholly
take the place of such productive force
that. That output was due to the hydraulic
process-now, with neither right reason.
barred by law.
The man who owns property has the right to
get his returns out of II. He must not injure
his neighbor, true. but the hydraulic miner will
injure II the neighbor claims damages.
let him prove the injury That's law. That's
justice. That's common sense. But the Can't
netti act is not law, Is not justice and is not
common or any other sense. Let it be set
aside.
The Grass Valley Tidings says. in
part:
Let have hydraulic mining 1t means the
prosperity of all Northern California And to
get 1t. let abolish the Camnetti act let
do away with the costly but inefficient dams
and let US have the Government construct
great impounding dams. while diverting the
course OF streams like the Yuba so to prevent
the debris accumulations from being washed
into the streams
This is the view of the people of mining
county.
Among the more important items Of
development in California mines that are
| Just reported are the starting up within
sixty days of the Ironclad mine in the
Rough and Ready District on a large
oil 0f sit