The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-11-29
MINING, MARKETS AND METAL

membered however that Battle Noun
tain is surrounded by many old de-
veloped properties which were extern
sively worked and were large pro-
ducers 80 years ago. The famous
Copper Canyon mine produced sey-
eral hundred thousand dollars worth
of high grade ore early in the SOS,
most of which was shipped to Swan
sea, and during this period the great
silver-lead mines of Galena and Lewis
were also worked extensively and
produced millions. Most of the ore
from these properties was treated on
the ground and the bullion shipped
direct to the refineries. The reduc-
ton in the price of silver, however,
caused these properties to close and
nothing of Importance has been
done until recently, when capital has
become interested, placing many of
these old mines in shape for extern
sive development.
The numerous rich strikes in the
Battle Mountain district will doubt
less be the cause of much interest
among mining men. The conditions
for prospecting are very favorable.
There is generally an abundance of
| SOOu water DIT ali SedSOlS Vi lHe year
and there is plenty of timber for the
mines and for domestic uses through
out this region, while provisions and
feed are readily obtained at the nu-
merous ranches along the skirt of
the mountain ranges.
The ores are generally shipped to
either the smelters at Salt Lake or
Ogden, or to the Selby smelter at San
Francisco, the rates averaging from
$3.50 to Sc a ton, according to the
value.
Il spent the greater part of the
last year in and around Battle Noun
tain having made a careful study
of the geological conditions between
the fifth and seventh standard par
allels north, along the northerly
boundaries of Lander, Eureka and
the eastern portion of Humboldt
counties, and | feel sure that condi
lions for opening large properties in
this district are as favorable as that
of any camp in the state.
MANY of the mountains are cap
ped by a heavy flow of vascular ba-
salt, which rests uncomfortably on
tufts or highly crystallized rocks
forming the main bulk of the noun
tain. The mines are located in the
lower formations along well-defined
fault planes and have characteristic
features of true veins varying in
width from a few inches to several
feet, and often continuing for mile
or more in length. The primary vein
filing generally consists of quartz
feldspar gangue, and when in pay
the silver lodges carry chloride and
as depth is gained verge into sui
phides nthe form of argentite, poly
basite, stephanite and silver selenite.
The gold veins below the zone of oXi-
dization, when is irregular, is found
in pyri'o chalcopyrite and bornite,
while in other veins and values are
confined to galena and zinc blende.
The veins carry We. defined ore
shoots, which crop on or near the
surface, and these shoots or pay
zones are determined by series of
intrusive rhyolite or porphyry dykes,
which define cross walls in the vein
that either tended to obstruct the en-
riched mineral flow along the course
of the vein or acted the part of a pre-
cipitating agent. These ore shoots
in old workings have proven to be
of good size and to continue to great
depths.
wlnere are excellent wagon roads
from all the surrounding mines to
the railroad station at Battle Noun
tain.