Bisbee daily review., 1908-08-22
VEKOL-, THE old
SILVER MINE IS
AGAIN ACTIVE
Large Force of Men at Work
on Development and Produc-
ton Under Manager For
bach.

TUCSON, Aug. 21.-I.ast week Ma
j0r e S. Carrot, president Of the We
kol Mining company, accompanied by
ex Governor l.. c. Hughes. Professor
C. F. Tolman, director of the School
OF Mines, University of Arizona. and
Roy Moore. mining engineer, LETT
Friday for visit to the company
mines. The two former gentlemen
nave returned.
Professor Tolman, assisted by Mr..
Moore. is making typographical, ge-
illogical and meteorological survey OF
the Vekol mines which win require
about two weeks or more. The deyel-
opurent of the mines is under full ac-
ton. from 40 to so men being en-
pioyed. There are los people there,
including several families, which
makes a lively, busting mining camp.
The management of the mines is
under William Forbach and work cuX-
tinues night and day without cessation.
The double compartment shaft has
been completed to a depth of $50 feet
O. water level, where the same
rich body of ore has been met as in
that developed III sinking the 500-tooL
wen sunk by James Quiggle some 10
years ago. Station levels nave been
cut at i20 and $50 feet; drifts are be-
ing run north and south TO reach the
large ore bodies which have been de-
ve}oped on the surface Mining opera
tons are carried on by air compressor
drills. and the progress made averages
from 10 TO 20 feet daily according 10
the condition of ground.
Ore shipments will begin next week
and the outlook for Vekol is most fat
tering. and it is safe to predict that
the old fame of Vekol as silver pro
ducer will be duplicated before the end
of the present year.
The mines are located in the Nekol
mountains, 80 miles southwesterly
from Casa Grande, at an elevation or
$500 feet, and about 100 miles due
north from the Gulf of California. from
which a continual gulf breeze is ex-
perienced. Nekol was located by John
ID. Walker, his brother Lucien and p.
x. Brady in the year 1881. The rich
ness of the find and the mammoth
size and length of the ore groupings
created widespread interest on &C
count of the high grade value of silver
and lead. Not long after the discovery,
which was followed by development,
the owners were offered $4,000 for
their holdings, which embraced six
claims. The Walker brothers refused
Brady was anxious 30 sell and offered
his interest to the Walkers for S65, 600.
The brothers secured an option for 80
days In less than 60 days they had
taken out and shipped enough ore to
pay Brady, with good surplus 10 their
credit in the bank. This shipment was
taken from a rich pocket which was
said to have been discovered by the
Walkers before they made their offer
of purchase to Brady. Be this as it
sfffsyy. the interest created in mining
circles on account OF this silver discoy-
cry and the subsequent development
and production of silver treasure which
flowed taerefrom into the custom smell
tiers gave the Vekol region great fame
during the SOS, the ore averaging from
20 20 1000 ounces per ton. These we're
days when silver was valued at from
81 to SIPS per ounce.
For ten years Vekol was one of the
thriving, pulsating wealth producing
camps OF Arizona A mill and its
equipment, costing nearly 100000,
was erected and operated and from 40
to 80 large, substantial structures and
many smaller buildings were erected,
which made a very prosperous and
commercial as wct! as social commu
nifty.
The work OF development and eX
tracing the ore was primitive in caar
acter, most of the ore being taken
from the rich pockets or veins within
so feet of the outcrop and packed out
by Indians and Mexicans at an extray
aga~t cost for placing it on the dunn
for shipment OF in the min for treat
ment. Modem methods of mining had
not been adopted in hardly any Ear
ticular, there being over six miles o
tunnels, drifts and crosscuts from
which ore was extracted The riches
product came from caves or pockets
which we're afterward filed with thu
low grade ore. averaging in value:
from u to 25 ounces In silver ana
the usual percentage in lead and cop
per.
During this period of inactivity an'
silence of the Vekol the propert.
passed into the hands of parties rep
resented by P. p Daggs, who tool
charge Of the same, and about thre'