Bisbee daily review., 1911-08-10

Copper Queen. the principal pro ducer of the Phelps. Dodge & Co. group. is one of the worlds greatest copper mines in every respect, ex- cept ore tonnage handed. It's out put is only about 2.000 ton of ore daily; but it averages between ' and s per cent, and it's annual production, therefore, is 90,000,000 to 95,000, 900 pounds of copper The cost per pound last year, construction and all other expenses included, was only about 6 1-2 cents.
 As Is quite generally known, Phelps, Dodge & Co. are not in the copper business for any other reason than to make money by mining. The stock market doesn't interest them Until a few years ago fReir mining prop critics were all owned by 8 partner ship. Since they reorganized into corporation and listed their stock on the exchange there have been very few if any transactions in it. The TO- tai capital stock is owned by a very few people.
 Mining Thirty Years.
 The Copper Queen mine has been producing about 30 years. In it's early history ores carrying less than 15 per cent copper were left in the mine. At that time only carbOnates and oxides were found. Since the de- velopment of heavy iron sulphides began the average yield of the ore smelted has been gradually reduced. due to the treatment of a greater amount of the low grade ore.
 The Copper Queen probably has has over 100 miles of underground Op- enings in its very extensive prop erty. It continues to find and mine a great deal of ore running from 10 per cent up to 70 per cent and possi- ply higher; but IL also takes out prac. tically everything encountered carry ing 3 per cent or more copper and some that runs lower. Anything that will pay to treat is mined and smelt- ed. The ores as they come from the mine are self fiuxing, after being thor oughly mixed, and the entire product is smelted without any previous con centration.
 The management is improving stead iy and keeping fully breast Of the times. When l was here last all the ore was trammed by hand and hoist ed through five or six shafts. Now 1t is trammed by electricity and hoisted through one shaft. Some thing more than a ton of ore is mined daily for every man employed un- derground. Costs are being reduced in every department The use of timber in the mine has been reduced about 53 per cent in the past few years.
 Rio Raear,,a
 One who puts Copper Queen in tHe list of mines that are approaching ex- haustion makes a great mistake. Though it is doubtful if a mining en- gineer could measure up sufficient ore in the property to supply the present tonnage for more than three years. there is probably several times that amount available in the present work ings.
 The deepest shafts in the Copper Queen are down only 1,7O0 or 1,S00 feet, and no development work has been done below the l,6O0. Some of the company's old employees are be- ing given leases on the surface and in the abandoned upper workings and they are making a lot Of money for themselves and itRa company also They are not only finding punches of rich copper, but also gold and silver and lead ores that carry very high values. The copper ores do not con tain any lead, but small deposits run. ming as high as G. per cent lead are found in Copper Queen ground.
 The bottom of the limestone form ation in which the ores occur has never been found in Copper Queen ground. There is no reason for the behef that the ores as a whole grow leaner with depth. At one point very rich oxides and carbonates are be ing mined at a depth of ]. 600 feet, the deepest workings. Tn another area heavy iron sulphides are found with in 400 or 500 feet of the sdrface.
 What promises to be very import ant is the development of pay ore in Sacramento hill, the big porphyry in. trusion that undoubtedly was the source of all the ore in the district Copper Queen has run it's drifts in to the porphyTy and is developing some good punches of both low and high grade chalcopyrite and bornitt ore. Fsture work in this area may make 1t advisable for the company tc build a concentrator
 The company now has a precipitat ing plant and $ recovering consid erable copper from portion of its mine water. Since 1t has mined more extensively in the suiphide area il has had some trouble from mine fires which burn slowly in Abandoned, filled stopes and occasionally expel gases, smoke and steam into the workings. These fires always tend tc leach out the waste material and in crease the amount of copper in the mine water.
 The Shelter
 The Copper Queen smelter, former ly at the mine in Bisbee. is now al Douglas, about 31 miles distant | treats some custom ores and also the concentrates from Phelps, Dodge & Co.'S Moctezuma mine at Nacozari Mexico. The shelter contains 1l blast furnaces and seven stands Of con verters. Construction of four rebera tory and six roasting furnaces, to gether with a 305-foot brick stack, 2s feet inside diameter and a dust cham
 IT.