The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-13
DENVER MEN TO
MINE IN UTAH
Lisbon Valley, San Juan Coun-
ty, Copper Deposits to Get
Proper Attention.

A copper mining enterprise of pretty
large proportions that. although not stu
ated in Colorado. Will be directly tribu-
tary to this state in the matter OF sup
plies and commercial benefits, is now un-
der gratifying Roadway, says the Denver
Post.
The mines are located In the Lisbon val
ley, San Juan county, Utah, six miles
west of the Colorado line, and sixteen
miles west of the Dolores river the Rio
/ Grande Southern railway at Dolores be-
ing the shipping point These mines were
/ discovered in the early nineties and
crudely operated by a Mr.. Estey of the
EStey organ mandatory. but were aban-
dOned by him in 1902, when the price of
copper went down to eleven cents.
They were then taken by Moab, Utah,
merchants on q judgment debt. relocated
and the annual labor required by law per-
/ formed until last December, when Den
Yer parties formed the Lisbon Valley Cop
per company and took possession under a
| lease and bond. In this valley, according
TO H. E Blake, president of the COM
pany, whose examinations and reports
led to the ACQUISITION of the ground.
there are two great parallel assures
breaking through the formation, which
/ have been traced at intervals for twenty
miles west and are one-half mile apart.
100000 Tons In Sight.
/ Up to the present time not pound of
ore has been shipped, the amount extract
ed (about Loco tons) being piled on the
dump Mr.. Blake estimates by careful
measurement of the outcrop that there
are at least 100000 tons of workable car
/ Donate ore on the surface. The vein at
the outcrop is from fifteen to twenty feet
wide and rises fully 200 feet above the
level of the valley, where a crosscut ex-
posed twenty-five feet of ore that aver
ages better than 4 per cent copper, the
major part oxidized but carrying small
seams of sulphide.
General Value of the Ore.
The entire face of the ledge. said Mr.
Blake on the outcrop gave returns of
from to 12.64 per cent copper, the sam
pies being taken for /, 800 feet along the
cropping, where no work has been done
Former owners sank an incline. following
the vein TO depth of 104 feet. Samples
taken from the breast of the incline ran
from 4-t6 to 23.65 per cent copper There
are only slight traces of gold and silver
In the group under consideration there
are four claims, and the company has two
others that were taken by original loca-
ton, 1t Is now preparing to get suitable
machinery on the ground for systematic
exploitation. and will develop the entire
proposition on modern lines of engineer
ing and treatment. Miners for the work
Will be found in Durango and neighboring
camps. There is plenty of timber and
water for mine and mill use. Ignite coal
veins crop-Within four miles of the CAMP
and beyond for twenty miles. the veins
being from six to ten feet thick
Method of Treatment.
Continuing the recital, Mr. Blake said
he has had seven years experience in
opening this class of copper mines In New
Mexico. He has a 1G0-ton teaching plant
now in operation near Las Vegas, which
has been running continuously since last
December on low grade oxidized ores He
does not attempt to treat sulphides. The
method is by percOlatiOn through twenty
ton charges, after which the copper in So
luton is precipitated ON scrap iron or steel
plates. assisted by an electric current
We are treating IL per cent ore at a
profit in this mill. The process EMPLOYED
IS very simple and is the result of nv own
investigation and experimenting with the
use of acids and their effect upon this
class of ores. The results have been uni
fOrmly satisfactory. A larger mill of the
same general character. but on improved
lines will be built in Lisbon Valley dur
ing the present year. Meanwhile we will
develop the ore bodies and get ready for
pretty large production of metallic cop
Der next YEAR