Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-12

GOlIDf1EIDy New req. IA Coil-
troversy of far-reaching scope has been
precipitated as a result of reports sent
out from Goldfeld to the effect that
in the deeper levels of the Consolidated
mines the gold content of the ore was
being replaced to a large extent by
copper. The rumor has created wide
spread interest and in some quarters no
little alarm from the fact that were 1t
true the expensive reduction plants now
In use would be unable to treat the
product successfully and only by the
smelling process could the recovery OF
the metals be effected.
A most emphatic refutation of the
story is given your correspondent in
an interview with j. r. Finlay, gem
eral manager for the Goldfleld Consol-
idated Mines company, who declares
that in the great ore shoot opened on
the 9OO-foot level and in the vein in
which drifting is in progress at the
1000-foot level the proportion of copper
is no greater than at the surface or at
any intervening point.
Copper, chiefly in the form of tetra-
hedrite or gray copper, occurs in nearly
all the ore of the Goldfeld district, ex-
cepting in some forms Of oXidized ore
above the water level, but with the eX-
cepton of one vein on the Victor and
Gold Bar claims of the c. o. D. Con-
solidated, the vein cut by the Annex
shaft of the Poleverde and a portion
of the Florence territory, the quantity
is negligible and in the entire mining
history of Goldfeld but one small
shipment of ore has been produced in
the district from which any return was
made for the copper content, this being
taken as an experiment from a depth
of but 150 feet in the Victor workings.
Story of Imagination
The assertion that copper was found
to be replacing gold in the Consol-
idated was made in a highly tmagina-
tive story of a local writer who had
never been in the workings of the mine.
Occasional small seams or nodules
carrying a high percentage of copper
are found, but nowhere in sufficient
proportion to affect treatment pro-
cesses.
With a recovery of about 95 per cent
of the gold content the mill OF the
Consolidated is now treating over S5O
tons Of ore daily, and it is expected
that this will be increased to above
900 tons The recently installed equip
ment of Chilean mills and other ma
chnery is operating in satisfactory
manner. A heavy production is now
being made from the Clermont WORK
ings, where slopes of great size are be-
ing opened at the 600, 750 and 9OO-foot
level as we'll as at intermediate points.
The ore body on the 750-foot level is
being opened for over 300 feet ana is or
great width, affording ore reserves far
in excess of anything anticipated dur
ing earlier stages of development. At
the 1OOO-foot level the drift following
the vein Is now thought to be nearing
the ore shoot, and the formation is
said by the manager to be Identical In
character with that exposed on the
levels above, giving no cause to rear
Il lott ton n al N
the vein.
Hampton Stope Is Safe
The Combination workings are again
in good order, the drifts in the caVed
area of the Hampton stope having
been cleaned out and supplied with
ample timbering to insure their safety.
Preparations are being made to stope
out this entire vein from the lower
levels to the surface when the entire
mass of ore, one of the largest de-
posits in this bonanza territory, Will
be sent to the mill for treatment.
By a similar process the ore in the
Red Top vein will be mined. In the
latter vein ore of excellent quality has
been developed continuously for 100
feet, with the exception of short IN
terval where a fault has thrown the
vein to the west toward the Mohawk.
Good ore is being stopped at the fourth
and fifth levels far to the south on
the Combination No. 2, in ground ad-
Joining the Florence, and on the Mo-
hawk development continues to aug
ment the reserves of ore.
George Wingfeld, president Of the
Consolidated, is now in Goldheld ana
will leave shortly for New York to
attend the regular quartedly meeting
of directors on February "a He VIII
be accompanied by A. H. Howe, Sec
rotary and treasurer of the company;
j. H. Mackenzie, consulting engineer,
and w. c. RalSton, assistant United
States treasurer at San Francisco, all
of whom are directors and it is be-
lieVed that the entire board Will be
in attendance. The meeting will be
of particular interest from the fact
that the amount of the next and OF
subsequent dividends will then be. de-
termined upon and the possibility that
the regular disbursement will be in
creased from 80 to 50 cents quarterly.
No information is obtainable as to
the prospects in this direction, but
the largely increased earning capacity
of the properties renders the step we'll
within the range of possibility.
Runs $25 Ton
With a daily production for the mill
of over 100 tons, a saving of the gold
content equal to that made by any
reduction plant in the district and mill
heads maintained at above $25 ton,
the Florence Goldfield is now making
up for any loss in time in the past,
and it is said that the ore reserves
have increased rapidly in advance of
mill requirements. Manager Willis
Lawrence is having the large Slopes
near the Little Florence shaft filed
with good ore with which to supply
the mill during the period when the
main shaft is being enlarged to three
commandments down to the 500-foot
level, this ore to be conveyed to this
mill over the aerial tramway now in
commission. The manager says that
there is now sufficient ore broken to
supply the mill at full capacity for
over two months and additional ore
blocked out and ready for the breaking
drills to keep running for several
months without more development.
The Importance of the recent strike
in the Annex shaft on the Poleverde
claim is now apparently well estab-
Iished. The ore shoot, or two shoots
near together, were cut at $50 feet
depth and in cutting a large station
on the S00-foot level the ore has again
been exposed, showing four to five
feet. averaging around $50 a ton. The
shaft will be continued to the 1000
foot level in guest of the Clermont
vein and drifts win be driven on theI
ore at the 500 point an additional
cable having been fitted to the double
drum hoist to permit of sinking and