Gilpin observer., 1908-04-09
NEWS FROM THE MINES AND MILLS
Leasing Old Dumps.

The rapid progress of metallurgy
and the disposition to increase the ia
cilities in all mining districts, Is re-
sponsible for greater saving of val
ues than was possible at any time in
the past, says the Daily Mining Record.
The person of average interest in min
ing matters perhaps pays too little at
tention to the economies of the busi-
ness. In fact, there is a certain lure
of gold this is very apt to cause people
to consider that finding the yellow
metal is equivalent to net profit,
amounting to the total amount discov-
cred. This does not intimate that the
investor does not know any better,
but he cannot feel the full force OF
this argument where men actually en-
gagged in the business of mining do not
take advantage of economies. We must
admit that great many of the pres
ent economies in mining and in the
treatment of ore were overlooked in
the years that have past and as mat
ter of choice. but for the very simple
and sufficient reason that they did not
exist.
An illustration. to which the Record
has previously directed attention, is
to be found in the large number OF
leases that have been taken on the old
dumps in the Cripple Creek district.
Lessees have recently secured lease
on the tailings dump of the old, dis
mantled Gold and Globe mill. A ship
ment amounting to little less than
twenty-five tons was shoveled out OF
the old creek banks and bed and gave
a gross return of 1913, or an average
of $144O a ton. At the bottom of the
oh
have been secured. We must look
back to the days when this mill was
in its prime. This was during the early
boom period in the district, and all the
concentrates had to be hauled by
wagon to Divide, a point on the Colo
RADIO Midland road that has long since
been connected with Cripple Creek by
the Midland Terminal railway. Neither
the Cripple Creek Short Line nor the
narrow guage (F'lorence & Cripple
Creek was then in existence; nor
were other methods of concentration
that would have the values that can
be saved today.
The persistent lowering of rates for
the treating of ore and for hauling it.
added to the reduced cost in power and
labor and the very ordinary price for
commodities and supplies. have all
combined to make waste ore of those
days very valuable today. Since cy-
aniding has become part of the recog-
nized treatment of Cripple Creek ores,
there is practically nothing that nee
essarily goes to waite. The economies
are similar to those of the large pack
ing plants. where, as the humorist puts
it, Everything about the pig is utilized
except its squeal.' A great many of
the old dumps of the camps that con-
tanned base ores at the time they were
mined have gone through the natural
process of oxidation and are now
amenable to cyaniding without the
necessity of roasting.
1t is not essential that We confine
ourselves TO the Cripple Creek district
for examples of this nature A para
dox is presented in the silver-lead
camps. On the one hand. instead
of finding silver marketable at better
than $1-OO fine ounce. it is selling
for about sc cents an ounce, and lead
is much lower than it was in those
days. On the other hand. the trans
portation facilities. the low cost of
supplies and commodities OF all kinds,
the abundance of labor that can af-
ford to work at moderate prices. and
the advances in the methods of treat
ing ore. have resulted in the profitable
working over of old dumps in the sill
ver-lead districts
Taking later examples. We find that
Goldfield is realizing profit out of the
cheaper ores that could not be treated
with any margin of net returns about
two or three years ago. A novel fea-
ture is to be noted in the Goldfield dis
trict. where the tailingS dumps have
been losing a large part of their val
ues through seepage. BY means of a
salvage of this seepage water. excel
lent profits have been made. The day
is not far distant when it will he pos
sible to save practically all of the val.
ues in the treatment of ore.