Weekly journal-miner., 1909-05-12
HISTORIC OLD MINE PASSES INTO
 NEW HANDS
Blackberry And South Blackberry Involved
 Price, S2,O0O,OOO
(From Fridays DailYl

With its record of silver production of over S1,000,0O0 in the early '70s, when the richness of its ore contTibut- ed much in spreading the fame of Ari- zona as a silver producing region all over the civilized world, the Haekber- ry mine of Mohave county is soon to he reopened on larger and more pre- tentious scale than ever. The title to the Blackberry group of five claims and the HackbegTy South mine has passed into the control of a New York syn .1ieate that has already subscribed for fhe entire capital stock of S2,000,000 for the new company now in course of organization, into which the title to the properties will be passed.
 E. II. Howard of New York is now in the city perfeeting the details of rhe transfer of the titles of the prop critics in the New York syndicate, of vEhich he is one of the leading mem Z1ers He has been in Mohave county the last two months making careful examinations of the Blackberry prop critics and having the title to the claims quieted after vexatiOus itiga- .ion. He will leave for New York in -a few days to attend to some details of organization of the new company snto which the title will be passed, and 70 agree with his associates upon plans 'af development and equipment.
 A new perpendicular shaft will be sunk at the junction of the Blackberry and Blackberry South mines Two other shafts will be sunk on the prop critics as soon as the first shaft is down deeper than the old workings. A hoist and pumping plant will be erected at She first shaft and the mine will be equipped with mill of sixty tons daily capacity, which will be increased as soon as the output justifes an ad- -ditional un;5. The treatment of the 'Ores will be along the lines of the re- cent invention of Alexander. the French chemist, which separates gold, silver and copper values, recovering '991la per cent of the assay values. When it is considered that ores car Tying 460 ounces of silver to the ton were thrown over the dumps as second class product in the early history of the mine it is easily seen that the mine gan he developed again into the lead 6ne silver producer in the territory even al the present low price of the Uhite metal.
 History of Mine.
 The mine was discovered by w. H. Ridenour in the early '7Os. The story s,f the richness of its ores spread all over the coast and thousands of pros peetors and miners rushed from all other parts into the mountains of Mo- have county in search of other bO- glanzas The locator sold the property re J. H. Howell, who erected five stamp mill on the ground at a cost of sS2590O. This was before the Santa Fe railroad was built across Arizona. All freight, supplies and machinery were shipped into the district from San Francisco to Hardyville at a cost lf S2SO to the ton. The distance be- tween HardyvilIe and the camp, sixty miles, was over mountain road, the hauling beiug done by teams at addi- tional expense.
 Quicksilver commanded $ a pound. The mill had capacity of twelve tons a day. One pound of quicksilver was lost with every ton of ore treated, an additional cost of l6O a day. Besides, only fifty per cent of the values in the ores was recovered. Concentrates were shipped to San Francisco at the same cost per ton as the delivery of sup plies and machinery at the camp.
 Howell worked the property several years under such unfavorable eondi- tions at a handsome profit. In 1874 ne ceased operations and left for Aus sralia. where he added considerably to his wealth.
 When he closed the mine he reported that it was played out and that all its wealth had been extracted. He con- tinued, however, for more than twenty years to pay for the assessment work on the properties until four years ago, when his agent allowed the title to 3apse. The property was promptly re- located by RidenOur, it's former owner,