Mohave County miner., 1912-03-23

day. A good deal of mystery has been caused by the reluctance of the purchasers to divulge any information whatever, until the deal was consum- mated and their plans thoroughly matured. The new owners consist of a group of prominent men and capital ists of Walla Walla. headed by R. Smith, who went up to the mine Tues day morning to take charge of the property. The price paid for this fine placer property is not given out automatically. but Mr. Smith admitted that it was within the very close neighborhood of lOo,O00S.
 Since first having their attention drawn to this wonderful property, and while the negotiations were pending, the mine has been thoroughly examin- ed by several experts of national reputation and pronounced to be the most promising placer strike of recent years in the country. One small mine car of gravel taken from bed rock, while the experts were there, ran 1858 in gold, that is at the rate of consider ably over 2O0S per yard.
 From hand sample of gravel taken at random from the roof of the drift, one of the engineers washed & in gold, this from seven or eight pounds of gravel.
 The thorough sampling of the tun- nel by the two experts at different times and unknown to each other, gave the value of the gravel already blocked out in the short tunnel as 240,0OO$ and 25O,OOOS respectively.
 The assay value of the gravel in the roof of the tunnel, six feet above bed rock, shows an average value of 10S a yard, for width of channel of over 60 feet. In raise being put up for an air shaft, from the end of the tunnel the ground has an average value of ITS per yard clear to the grass roots. So far the work has been almost en- tirely development work, although the former owners have taken out an im- mense amount of money since last April, while developing the property. The gold is almost entirely coarse gold and nuggets. Nuggets weighing as high as 36$ have been found, and the bulk of the gold recovered consists nuggets of from few cents in value to one or two dollars. The gold is what IS known as glacial gold and is badly worn and much discolored, but of an extraordinary high purity and value per ounce.
 In discussing the plans of the con- pany, MT. Smith says that the mine will be opened up and operated on a large scale by hydraulic giants, just as soon as the company can install the necessary machinery and ditches. 'In all my experience in placer mining, which includes first hand knowledge of every important placer mining di : lrict in North America," said MT. Smith, "I never encountered a situa. tion where all the conditions for the operation of a successful placer mine were so ideal. The phenomenal value of the gravel, the abundance of the water and unlimited supply of timber, the ideal drainage and the nearness of transportation, make this a most re- markable property, and if it were To- cated in some inaccessible portion of Alaska, this mine with its present showing, would easily sell for mil lion dollars. Being located where it is. and now that we have completed the purchase, it is not for sale at any price"
 In regard to the other claims for Pine creek, Mr. Smith pronounced them as excellent prospects and the showings as very promising.
 "Of course, In these days, mining man must see the actual value blocked out on at least three sides, before he is willing to pay the price of real mine for prospect, no matter how promising," he said. "However, I regard Pine creek as being the rost promising placer field that 1 know of anywhere at the present time."