The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-02-25
ZINC Mines OF
White PINE COUNTY

Ever since the mormans discovered
the Postal mine, in about 1860, mining
of lead silver ore has been carried on
in a atful manner, writes Newman b.
Gregory. relative to White Pine min
inc district in southernNevada. Until
the advent of the Salt Lake railroad
in recent years, the remoteness of the
district from railway and smelling ia
cilities precluded the shipment of any
but the best of these ores.
Deposits of zine carbonate and sill
cate ores equalling any known depos-
it's of their kind in the world occur in
the Yellow Pine AGRA, and it was not
until four years ago that the true char
acter of these deposits was accident
allv discovered.
In mining the lead silver ores the
miners found bikes of a brittle, light
was nothing but vein matter, and care
lessly threw it or the dump piles. This
"vein NATTER was eventually identi-
fed as zinc ore, which on being assay
de showed a high percentage of zinc.
An investigation was started, innu
merable samples assayed, but it was
discovered to the establishment of
everyone in the district that the mines
contained ten tons of zinc ore to one of
lead.
Continued development work attrac-
ted the attention of the zinc smelters
in the United States, and in 1906 the
first carload of zinc ore consigned to
Kansas points, was shipped out of the
district. Since that time probably 400
or 500 cars have been shipped to the
Kansas smelters, and the general aver
age Of three shipments has assayed in
the n~eighborhood of fourty per cent
zinc. When it is considered that this
production has been made in the face
of high wage almost without the use
of machinery, a long and expensive
wagon haul to Jean and other ship.
ping points on the Salt Lake railroad,
and a freight rate of So per ton, re-
suits and achievements of the miners
of Yellow Pine district show c%onclus-
lively the richness of these newly dis
covered zinc deposits.
High Grade Zinc.
A large tonnage of clean zinc ores
has been developed in several of the
mines, but an even larger tonnage OF
mixed lead zinc silver ores has been
found, these ores fifteen or twenty per
cent lead, and twelve to fifteen ounces
of silver to the ton. Owing to the diff.
ficulties attendant upon an effective
separation of these metals it was not
until 1909, that a market for these
mixed ores was established.
The smelling companies engaged in
the business of manufacturing oxide
found this ore to be an especially de
sirable raw product for making a high
grade zinc-lead pigment and since 1905
a large quantity of such ores has been
shipped at a fair margin of profit to
the miner.
Goodsprings operators now find q
ready market for all kinds of ore which
they produce. In contrast with ex
pensive methods of milling low grade
zinc ores the ores of this district re
auire merely breaking down, hosting
hand sorting and shipment.
Ore occurs practically from the sur
face to the greatest depth attained By
any of the miners 600 feet), and vii
very probably continue downward t
water level and beyond. Not a drop o.
water has been encountered in any OF
the mines and the depth of GROUND
water level has never yet been deter
mined.
The country rock is a earboniferou'
limestone and is traversed in every di
reetion by prophyry dykes. The orr
deposits are the results of Replacement
and oxidation in limestone, and aar'
in all eases closely associated with tn
porphyry.
The Yellow Pine, the Potosi, Mont
Cristo, Prairie. Flower, Hoodoo, and
number of other mining properties
have been producing these zine am
zine.iead silver ores, and are now en-
gagged In the development of an In
creased tonnage,--Herald Republican
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