Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1907-06-15

ridge of the quartz -porphyry from the
ravine in Copper Center claim No. 5, up
to where the quartz porphyry disappears
under the rhyolite near Copper Cen
ter claim No. L. The ore consists of
malachite, azurite, black oxides of cop
per and sometimes unaltered pyrite of
copper. The width of the groupings has
never been satisfactorily established, as
the copper ore, few feet below the sur
face has been leached out, leaving but
rusty iron ore in its place, which, how
ever, carries from 50 to 81 per ton in
gold. At the discovery point of the
Copper Center claim the width appears
to be about feet
PRESENT WORKINGS.
The property of the Reno Yerington
Copper Co. has been known for about Is
years, and been worked with small sur
face diggings from time to time, some
times for copper, sometimes for gold,
but as its various owners were mostly
farmers of the vicinity, no systematic
work was ever done on it, until the
Reno Yerington Copper Co. acquired the
property. AS the means of the company
were limited it became imperative to
supply these to the best advantage ex-
rloring and developing the ground. A
shaft sunk at some prominent cropping
was considered, but as the exact dip of
the vein is not yet known, and the depth
of the sulphide zone could not be reached
without hosting machine, the shaft
idea was abandoned Then, as the
ground offers excellent tunnel sites.
tunnel from the lowest part of the ridge
was considered, but by the time such
tunnel would reach the sulphide deposit,
it would be some 800 feet long, and so.
finally, a crosscut tunnel was decided
upon. The present tunnel will be under
the ridge at about length of 400 feet,
gaining depth of l55 feet. If at this
depth no sulphide ore should yet be
found, it is only matter of sinking a
winze of about SO feet, when surely
pyritic ore only, will be found. AS at
the point. when this tunnel will be un-
der the ridge and probably in the vein,
the ridge rises abruptly towards the east,
great depth can be reached by running a
short drift eastward. Furthermore. by
extending the tunnel some hundred or
so feet further north, the second line of
groupings may be reached, or by run
ming drift south to the intersection of
these groupings with the main groupings
235 feet the ground is not verv hard,
IMPROVEMENTS.
The company owns 1900 feet of No.
II Trails, an ore car, large blower with
500 feet of air piping, wheelbarrow,
blacksmith forge, complete set of work
ing tools. ETC., etc. A camp of tents has
been established.
About mile further down the hill,
where all supplies are brought by wagon
from Yerington, q distance of two and
half miles, and also good water for do
mestic purposes from a well near the
Walker River. 1t is intended however.
to extend the wagon road up to the
mines and move the camp there.
PROSPECTS OF THE COMPANY.
Geological evidence shows that during
the cooling of the great granite batho-
lith, not only large metamorphism of
the granite and the intruded rocks has
taken place, but also an extensive min
eralization of the rocks involved South
of Mickey Pass th' limestone has often
been altered to such degree that it has
lost all resemblance to limestone, as, for
instance, in the Bluestone mine, and the
naturalization has taken place, not only
at the contact and in the limestone, but
also for some distance in the granite.
North of Mickey Pass copper ore is
found in the granite near the contact ex-
tensively altered, as in the Colorado
King mine, which adjoins the Copper
Center mines to the east, but the chief
naturalization has taken place in the
quartz -porphyry of the Reno Yerington
Copper Co., and the mines easterly
where the copper ore has been deposited
on the planes, fractures and faults of the
quartz -porphyry, forming fssure veins.
The main line of groupings, as previous
ly mentioned, runs up ridge of this
porphyry, but there are several other
lines of groupings running crosswise to
this, wherefrom expect that proper de-
velopment of the property will disclose
several veins, most of them being prob
ably accessible from one main shaft or
tunnel. or both.
The ore will be found to consist chiefly
of copper, with very little of pyrite of
iron, it will therefore be of high grade,
is easily and cheaply mined, and there
fore admits of profitable shipment to
some smelter. 1t is expected that the
neighboring Bluestone mine. belonging
to Captain DeIamar, will very soon
build large smelter and treat besides
it's own ores, also custom ore.
Another feature, we'll worth consider
ing, is the convenient location OF the
company's property; only three and
half miles from Yerington, about two
miles by road from the Bluestone mine,
and probably not over mile and half
from the projected Wabuska- -Yerington
railroad. -