The copper era., 1906-11-08
THE LLANOS DEL ORC
PROVES A FAILURE.
Returns Grew Less and Alleged Bad
MANAGEMENT Resulted in Shutting
Down Big Reduction Plant.


del Orc gold mining enterprise in So
nora, which was financed by Col.
Epes Randolph and in which num-
Der of other Arizonans are finan-
cially interested, has been whispered
for some time, but was never fully
verified until the facts were made
known by the Los Angeles Times, in
the following article referring to 4
circular letter sent to the sharehold-
ers by Colonel Randolph:
"The uncertainties lurking in any
untried business venture were, per-
haps, never better illustrated than in
the fate of the Llanos del Orc Min
ing and Milling company, of Sonora,
Mexico. A year ago this mining
proposition was looked upon in the
mining world as matter of import
ance. 1t was supposed to be so rich
that some went so far as to say that
the mine would seriously disturb the
position of gold as the great circula-
ting medium of the business world.
The ore body was so large and the
assays made upon specimens submit
ted showed such phenomenal richness
that it was looked upon as the rich
est gold mining property in all Mex
leo.
THAT was year ago, when Henry
F. Mackay and L. Lindsay, two we'll
known mining experts, came up from
Sonora and land the proposition be-
fore Col. Epes Randolph at Tucson:
Arizona. The men are we'll known
in the mining world, and their opinion
had great weight. The prospectus
of the mine looked so exceedingly
fattering that Mr.. Randolph took
the subject up with his usual earnest
ness and energy. Several other ex-
perts were sent down to make a
careful investigation of the mine,
and their reports were all of the
most encouraging character
With this data in hand, Col. Ran
dolph took the proposition up and or
ganized the Llanos del Orc Mining
and Milling company. That was just
about year ago. During the twelve
past months the work of developing
the mine and erecting a mill has
been pushed along with the usual
vigor displayed in all that Col. Ran
dolph undertakes. The first ore
crushed came quite up to the prom
ises made for the mine by the sew
eral experts who had examined it.
This mineral, which was first put
through the mill, was all stuff upon
the dump before the present owners
took hold of the proposition. When
new ore came to be taken out of the
shafts and put through the mill a
great falling off in the results took
place.
Nothing discouraged the work was
carried on with great energy, but
each cleanup seemed to show worse
and worse results, until the denounce-
ment came recently in the form of a
circular issued by Col. Randolph, as
president of the mine, to all the
shareholders. In this circular Mr..
Randolph goes frankly and fully into
statement of the condition of the
mine.
sit begins with the words: 1T is
with no pleasure that confirm the
report which, doubtless, has come to
you that the mine and mill have
been shut down. The circular is too
long to quote in full. 1t goes on to
recount the failure which followed
failure in an attempt to produce sat
isfactory results, the appointment of
new manager to succeed Mr.. Lind
the property.
''Of course, this circular does not
entirely settle the fate of this once
apparently great mining proposition.
The circular says that Operations
will be suspended until all of the
facts can be clearly determined and
decision as to the future intelligently
reached This will require a thor
ough testing of the ore body by the
most scientific methods known in
modern mining. The results of the
clean-ups fell from one point to an
other until finally only So ton was
reached, and the last cleanup
showed only result of 81 ton, with
about 25 cents from the tailings.
The circular says under present con-
ditions such ore will not pay"
AS president, Mr.. Randolph says:
"Nlr. Lindsay and myself are arrang-
ing to provide personally for the in
debtedness in Mexico. This amounts
to about $35, 900, American"
The uncertainty that overhangs
ordinary business undertakings is
many times greater when one comes
to mining propositions. This appar-
emily very rich mine looks at the
present time as if it would result in
au absolute failure. OF course, the
milling property is there, and one
proposition is to acquire other min
ing property in the vicinity and go
on milling ore. In this way some
thing may be saved from the appar-
ent wreck. 1t is possible that fur
Their investigation of the ore body
NAV reveal a better condition of af-