Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-25
SHASTA COUNTY
COPPER MINES
AFTERTHoUGHT OUTPUT WILL
BE ENORMOUS
Great Western Company, Operating
the lngot smeIter, viii Construct
Railroad for Shipping
Purposes

Considerable interest centers in the
development of the rich copper mines
In the vicinity of Reading, Shasta
county, California The mines prom
ise to be among the largest producers
Of the red metal in the state, the yield
for the past year showing Increased
values.
The field of operations is commented
upon by the Redding Mineral Wealth
in detail. The journal states that the
most active producer in Shasta county
during the past year, after the NAM
moth Copper company, was the Great
Western company, operating the After
thought mine and the Ingot smelter
Afterthoueht Leader
The Afterthought mine is located
about twenty-five miles northeast of
Redding, and about twelve miles from
Bella Vista, its nearest railroad point.
The company began it's first successful
runs a year ago last August, and since
that time has more than doubled the
capacity of It's plant at Ingot and has
made very extensive developments upon
it's ground.
The east side belt, extending from
the Afterthought mine at Ingot to the
Bully Hill mine at De Lamar, is en-
tirely distinct from the belt on the
west side Of the Sacramento river.
While the copper is generally asso-
ciated with the rhyolite the ore occurs
in we'll defined fissures, and while the
ore bodies are lentlcular in form, ex-
Jloration at depth has proved that
these lenticular masses containing large
ore tonnages are going down to great
depths. At the Afterthought cs well
as at Bully Hill the best developments
t11a de of the
greatest depth so far obtained, which
in each case is we'll below the level
Of surface drainage.
The Ingot smelter originally consist
ed Of one comparatively small furnace.
A second furnace, 42x150 inches in
dimensions at the tuyeres, was In
stalled during the past year, and has
been in commission since last June.
The smelter is connected with the mine
by a short line of nteam railroad, and
the ore is loaded directly into the cars
from chutes in the mine and Is un-
loaded in the ore yards without any
additional handling.
The lowest level Of the mine and its
main working tunnel is driven into the
mountain from a point about twenty
five feet above the north fork of Cow
creek, This bore penetrates the noun
tain over half a mile. 1t Is SxS feet
in size and is we'll lighted and ven
tilated. From this level a shaft has
been started to open ore at additional
depth. At a point fifty feet below the
level a cross-cut in the ore disclosed
a width of sixty-eight feet and fifty
five Of the ore exposed in the cross
cut carries good copper and silver
values, and also some gold values.
During the coming year the company
will open several new levels on its
main ore body below the working tun-
mel, and will also extend its explora-
tion into the mountain in a south
easterly direction for several thousand
feet along the main fissure.
viii Build Railroad
The Afterthought mine has a great
deal of zinc to contend with in its
operations and the management has
been investigating in order to enable
the company to derive a profit from
it's high grade zinc ores. Pending the
ultimate disposal Of this problem
large rock-breaker Is being installed
and a picking belt will be put in to
facilitate the separation of high grade
zinc ores from the ores carrying the
better copper values, and the zinc ores
thus separated will be stored for future
reduction. The picking OF the excess
zinc ore from the furnace charge will
ala materially III Tile SlilclllllB VI lIlC
ores, as 1t will not alone increase the
value of copper and silver in the
charges, but will reduce the excess of
zinc in the charge and increase the
reduction capacity of the furnaces.
The zinc cannot be handled until
shipping facilities can be improved,
but their accumulation will be val
liable asset in the near 1uture.
The Great Western company has
under consideration the immediate con-
struction of a railroad from the smelter
to Bella Vista, or the main line. The
disadvantages of operating and hand
ling heavy freights over wagon roads
are very great and after operating
under these adverse circumstances for
a number OF years the nearest neighbor
of the Great Western company, oper-
ating the Bully Hill mine and De
Lamar smelter, closed down its plant
until such time that it's railroad, now
under construction, is completed.
The Great Western company has as
its general manager and smelter super
intendent Mr.. S. e. Bretherton, who
is widely and favorably known as a
leader in his profession. Mr.. Joseph
Woll is superintendent of mines.
The shortage Of teams and labor
caused a wood famine at the Ingot
smelter and as result the Great
Western company was compelled to
close down it's plant for the greate'
part Of January. The mine was in
continuous operation, but smelling was
not resumed until the 30th day of the
month.
The Great Western company has it's
coke supply assured for about six
months ahead and the situation in this
regard has been materially relieved,
but the requirements of the plant op-
Grated on scale that the develop
ment of the mine calls for makes rail-
road construction an essential i'm
provement. The saving per ton Of ore
will be considerable factor, but its
greatest importance will be in OBJ
waiting expenses, shutdowns and de-
lays.
The shaft that was started from the
lower level on the Copper Hill lode.
and which resulted so favorably In the
developments disclosed, will now be