Bisbee daily review., 1906-06-10
THE OLD DOMINION.


 The following was written by Geo. L. Walker to the Boston Commercial from Globe, on the occasion of his recent visit to that fiourishing Arizona camp:
 "Old Dominion furnishes most ex- celient illustration of the fact that a good management is sometimes the making of mine. and that poor man agement will obscure the good points of the best kind of mining property. The worst that has ever been said publicly of Old Dominion was but a faint echo of the condemnation pri- vately heaped upon it by some of those who formerly managed it's finances. by one who conducted the operations Of it's mine and smelter and by the many mining engineers and experts who examined it with a view to evoiv- ing a system under which the property could be made to yield profit. Ii was a most discouraging proposition for ten or a dozen years; but four or five years of progressive management have made it one of the most promis- ing mining enterprises in the country
 Just previous to the fire which de- stroyed the old Interloper shaft. the Old Dominion had reached a position where it was able to show especially gratifying net earnings on it's opera tions. The month in which the fire occurred would have recorded by far the largest production and net earn ings in the company's history, and it is believed that this years profits would have enabled the company to complete it's construction. pay oil the remainder of its indebtedness and to build up a working capital of more than half million dollars.
 When the fire occurred an ore body was being opened up in the west end of the mine, which will undoubtedly prove to be the richest deposit of con. siderable extent ever encountered in the property. A tremendous flow of water was coming in as development progressed, but this was readily taken care of as long as the company had two shafts through which to pump and hoist water The old shaft was completely destroyed, cav'ng so badly after the fire that it will probably never again be opened sufficiently to serve even as an avenue for ventila. tion.
 "As a result of the destruction of its pump shaft the water from the west workings quickly flooded the mine, and this not only greatly curtailed the mines production and entailed large and unexpected. expense. but it has made necessary the immediate sink. i 2 of another shaft which could oth. erwise have been put off year or two. Especially annoying is the fact that production from the rich west ore body cannot be resumed within six months, and perhaps not for a year.
 Had the management of the Old Dominion been less energetic. or it's policy less broad and comprehensive this fire and water would have crip- pied the enterprise for several mon'hs In spite of all misfortunes. however the volume of production has held up closely to top notch. and the work of increasing the capacity of mill and smelter has gone ahead without inter ruption. -.... ...-- .....s..
 "The addition to the smelter was blown in this week, and for the first time in it's history the Old Dominion is running four blast furnaces. and, with the aid of it's mill, reducing ap- proximateiy 1900 tons of ore daily. It must now be turning out, from its own and custom ores and concentrates. at the rate Of nearly 4 4,500,00 pounds of copper monthly.
 The new reduction plant Of the Old Dominion company is unquestion- | ably one of the very best if it's size { in the world. Although it is said to l have been brought to it's present stage | of completion by a total expenditure of s1 ,500, 900, it looks like a s2,000, ,000 ! plant. and ] do not believe it could be i duplicated for any less than the last named sum. It is 2000 to 2200 ton 1 plant, but the large amount of cen centrates and other fine material it is smelling are cutting its capacity l down temporarily.
 l Handling ordinary run of mine and i custom ores, each of the Old Domin- ions four furnaces will smelt 425 to 45O tons daily. and it's mill will reduce 325 tons of low grade ore into 100 tons of concentrates. An addition to the mill, which will increase it's daily capacity from 325 to 500 tons, is near i ly completed. Its converter capacity ] is more than sufficient to take care of {, the output of it's furnaces, and the ---.:.--