Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-19
AT ONE-THIRD
SHELTER COST
VONTRIGGER PLANT TO WORK
ECONOMICALLY
ELECTRICAL COPPER LEAcHlNG
MILL NEARs COMPLETION
Southwest May Soon Score Another
Triumph In Ore ReduetIon-New
Process Operates on Prn-
clpIe Of Arrastra
BY JAMES WYNKOOP,
Mining Editor of The Herald


With the completion OF the electrical
copper teaching process plant at the
mines of the California Gold and Cop
per company at Vontrigger, an event
which is scheduled for August l, if not
before, the mining industry of the
southwest will score another triumph
in the economic handling of ores. This
plant has been in the course of erec-
ton for the last several months, the
expense being borne by the Vontrigger
people, and while the cost has been
no small reckoning the hackers of
the enterprise expect to reap a golden
harvest by running through the plant
thousands of tons of ore now on the
dump.
The electrical copper teaching process
Is the first thing of its kind ever tested
to the point of commercial value. The
process is simple, parts Of the ma
chinery, such as automatic mixers and
grinders, having been made at the
mines. This part of the plant was con-
structed from a rock called formalite,
quarried about eight miles from the
companys property. This rock was
hauled to the mines and put into shape
by machine drills and chisels.
The grinders work on almost the
same principle as the old Mexican
arrastra, only much faster, being pro-
PEELED by electricity instead of horses,
as was the case in the early days of
mining.
Measurement of Grinders
The grinders measure twenty feet
across the base, being made of this
formalite rock. which the process used
in the teaching of ore will not effect
The mill when completed will work 100
tons of ore daily. 1t is the invention
of A. H. Cram Of Los Angeles, who
claims the new process will save all the
values and reduce the cost of smeltinE
by two-thirds The great tonnage of
ore now on the dumps will be run
through the mill first, then the treas
ure cells of the mine will be brought
into service.
The California Gold and Copper COM
pany's property at Vontrigger is COLI
sidered one of the largest copper
propositions in the entire southwest,
and since that company assumed con-
troll the mines have experienced re-
markable change in point of develop
ment.
These mines are equipped with COM
plete hosting works, machine drills and
air compressors. Three shafts are al
ready down 100, $50 and 317 feet, re-
spectively. More than 2000 feet of
underground development work has
been done, and upon the dump are over
10000 tons of ore, which will yield a
generous profit when worked through
the new process.
Ledge 500 Eeet in Width
Upon the property is a monster
ledge, which can be traced for more
than five miles and which shows to
be more than 500 feet in width by a
crosscut on the 300foot level
The problem of water is to be over
come within a short time by a pipe
rouy baipU hili1f frob, tho Hack
berry mountains, a distance of eight
miles from the mines. The property
consists of nine patented claims. The
deposits in the mines include carbon
ate, sulphide and bornite ores, all of
which can be worked to great advan-
taPe and profit by the new process.
The main building of the electrical
cCprer teaching plant is fifty feet wide
and eighty feet long. covering the au-
tomato grinders and mixers and the
teaching tanks The engine room,
which adjoins the main building, meas
ures 80 by 80 feet
This process of treating copper ores
is said to be the most inexpensive
known at the present time. 1t not
only extracts copper at a low cost, but
extracts copper from the ore chemically
pure. The process can be made of any
desired capacity, and by this method
of extraction all Iow-grade propositions
can be proftably worked.
Will RevoIutionize Mining
On account of the absolute saving
of freight and smelling charges by the
new process, its hackers claim it will
revolutionize mining, and that it will
be but a short time before the smelters
will be done away with entirely; that,
in that event the electrical teaching
process will take their place, as the
miners now give from one-half to
three-fourths of their mines to the
railroads and smelters.
To make good these estimates, Mr..
Cram shipped, some time ago. a car
of ore from the Nontrigger mines to a
smelter at salt Lake City. The car
ran 10.9 per cent copper, with some gold
and silver, amounting in all to $70O.
After freight, sampling, smelling and
refining charges were deducted the
proceeds amounted to only $50. The
company, of which Mr.. Cram is presi-
dent, Immediately stopped shipping ore.
but continued to mine, storing on the
dunn the ore extracted, until today
there are over 10000 tons of copper
and gold ore for the new process to be-
gin with.
Miners are beginning to realize that