The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1908-02-06
AMSTER PROPERTIES.
N. l. Amster Reports on Shannon and
Arizona Commercial After a Visit
to the Properties.

Nathan L. Amster has returned
from visit to the Shannon Copper
and the Arizona Commercial Copper
properties. He says:
"At the Shannon we have about
accomplished what we set out to
months ago, viz, increase our ore
production to between 800 and 1000
tons per day, increase the percentage
of copper in our rock and reduce our
costs. Not until the month of De-
cember were we able to show the re-
suits we have been working for.
"The Shannon ore is now averaging
eight to ten pounds more of copper
to the ton of rock than the average
of the preceding six months. BY
reason of that and of our smelter
improvements we have been able to
reduce our costs over cents per
pound and our blister copper costs at
the smelter are now but fraction
above 103 cents, which is the equiYa-
lent of about II cents New York, re-
fined and sold.
"There is no reason why these costs
should not be mainted and the Shan
non continue to give good account
of itself both in production and low
costs. At the mine end we are con-
tinually putting in reserve more ore
than we are taking out.
"I am enthusiastic as to the show
ing of the Arizona Commercial, for
my Investigations at Globe show that
in the Black Hawk we have prop
erty of tremendous possibilities.
There has been a great change tor
the better in the physical condition
of the property since my visit there
last June.
"The developments on the 500-foot
level of the Black Hawk the past
few months have demonstrated that
we have a strong, well-defined, true
fssure vein. On the 5O0-foot level to
the west we worked for nearly year
in the country rock before we discov-
cred the big vein we are now devel-
oping. We had been naturally much
disappointed, and began to think that
the ore which we had in such abun-
dance on the 4O0-foot level had disap-
peared on the 500-foot. We have now
found the 7ein, however, to the west
of our shaft and it is 40 feet wide
and exceptionally we'll mineralized.
We have already drifted on the vein
for 100 feet, and it continues 10
show same width and character of
naturalization.
"We now figure that we have de-
veIoped about 500 feet in length on
this ore body, both east and west of
the shaft, and it shows no diminution
as we progress to the west where we
have 25OO feet on the strike of the
lode.
"We have been in ore on the 500
foot level in our east drift for some
time. We recently sank a winze in
the ore from the 5OO-foot level East
drift 10 feet wide by II feet in length
and with every foot in depth the ore
has been improving in values. The
last assay, taking everything that
came from the wInze, returned an
average of 10 per cent. copper, At
ounces of silver and 2-10 of an ounce
of gold. The winze, however. does
not show up the width of the ore
body as we are only taking out 10
feet of ore from the footwall side.
The looks of the footwall and gen.
eral structure of the ore body would
indicate that the Black Hawk ore
deposit will be of extraordinary size
and very permanent.
''It should be noted that the Black
Hawk vein in no way diminished with
the ending of any shallow surface
formations, but it cut through every
one, viz, the limestone and quartzite
and went through the shale or basic
formation in which latter formation
the vein is now located and at the
present point of contact it is stronger
than it was above.
"Our new three-compartme shaft,
which will be the main working shaft
for the Black Hawk, is now down
about $50 feet, and we have been
making about 80 feet per month by
hand drills. BY reason of the i'm
proved showing in the West drift,
however, we are now installing an
air compressor and larger hoist, so
that we can make much greater
speed in the future in sinking. This
shaft should cut the vein at depth
of about 43O feet and we should reach
it within the next three or four
months. We will not stop the shaft
at that depth, however, but will con-
tinue sinking in order to get to the
sulphide zone, for all our develop
ments indicate beyond doubt big
strong copper sulp1ide deposit at
depth.
81 did not visit the Boston & Corbin
property this trip as originally in
tended because of illness, but ex-
pect to go to that property within
the next few weeks. My reports
from there, however, are all very en-
courging. Boston News Bureau.
For That Terrible Itching.