Mohave County miner., 1911-02-25
The Orc Plata
 Group of Mines
One of the Oldest and Richest
 of Mohave Gold Mines

of Wallapai mining district is the Orc Plata, which was first located in the early seventies and which has up to date produced at least half a million dollars in gold and silver. For years the surface ores were worked by the old arastra process, the ores having be- come oxidized from exposure and be- ing susceptible of high recovery in the old Mexican mill. As soon as the wa ter level was reached, which was but twenty or thirty feet below the surface, the ores had to be treated by other and better methods. Some of these early day ores were shipped to Swan sea, Wales, while much of it was treated at the old mill at Mineral Park, where the process was initiated only for the silver content. After de- sultory working by tributors for many years the first real mining took place after the arrival of the railroad in the county. A shaft was sunk, levels run and general effort made to open the property on systematic basis. Leas- CTS came in and for several years the production of the mine was large. The ores taken from the property gave an average value of about 60 ounces silver and four ounces gold, although some ores were shipped that ran as high as I6 ounces gold. One of these leasers sold to the KIngman sampling works and which netted the five men con- nected with the lease over 12, ,OO0S each, although this lease had to keep the mine unwaJered and pay royalty of twenty-five per cent. At the same time there were many other leasers work ing in the mine and all making money.
 The success of these leasers called the attention of investors to the value of the property and later a milling plant was put on the property to han dle the lower grades of ore, but after a trial it was found that the plant was unsuited to the work. Under this management the main shaft was sunk to depth of about 1S0 feet below the old adit drift levels and large amount of ore opened mp. The higher grades of ore were shipped to the shelter, but the lower grades are now either on the dumps or in the old stopes. The mine has two well defined ore shoots, the pitch of which is toward each oth- CT, leading to the impression that they were originally one and divided by faulting. Lying parallel with these ore shoots is a we'll defined vein bear ing exceptionally high grade ore and which was extensively worked at the time the shaft was sunk to it's present level. All the veIns can be operated through one shaft, there being but twenty to forty feet between the walls of the two veins.
 The ore is we'll suited to concentra- tion and the tailings can be treated by cyanide process and a high extraction of values made. At the present time there is about 100000 tons of ore in the mine and dumps that would pay well under this method of treatment. The mine needs a milling plant and a treasury large enough to permit of the sinking another lift of one or two hun dred feet and the opening of the rich ore body below the present level, while the old stopes may he cleared of ore that will keep the milling plant in operation a long time. The range of value in the ores of the dumps and Stopes is in excess of fifteen dollars in gold and silver, and with the iron and lead an advantageous rate of treat ment can be had at the smelters. A good wagon road leads from the rail- road to the mines, distance of about i've miles, making it possible to equip the property without the annoying de- lay of road building and other extra expenses. A building for mill pur- poses is now on the ground and the machinery need but be erected there Tn. The mine IS equipped with steam holster, compressor and machine drills, and other necessary adjuncts.
 The property is situated in one of the best mineralized sections Of Wall. apai mining district, and since its dis. cOvery has been regarded by mining men and miners as one of the greatest gold properties in the district. It is now owned by the Gro Plata Company, a corporation, of which J. w. Gerritt of Kingmar, is the president. Mr Gerritt expects to have the property under operation in the near future the unwatering of the property to be- gin within the next sixty days.