Weekly journal-miner., 1915-06-23
VICTOR-VIRGIN IS
 BOUGHT AT A BARGAIN
(By William P. De Wolfl

OATMAN, Ariz., June 1S.-It wa; a bargain day for mines in this dis trict when Julius Rhodes and William
 H. Wise, of Los Angeles, purchased
 for the Orion Mining and Milling company, the Victor-Virgin Gold DusD property at a price much low CT than the cost of the mahcinery in stalled at the mine by that prince oi promoters, Colonel Tom Ewing.
 Now, it would appear, that Colonel Tom played with mine and mill ma chinery hereabouts as happily and as carelessly as child with mechani- cal top. And, apparently, when tired of the game, he abandoned his play things with the indifference of child hood.
 The best was none too good for the colonel, from all accounts, and so when buying ten or twenty tons Of machinery, it is said he bought only the latest and most expensive types. He housed them in buildings fashion ed of the best of materials, turned on the power and, as is said ill the vernacular, "a merry time was had"
 The most expensive and at the same time the most efficient of the several machinery plants established in this district by Colonel Ewing, is the one the Orion management is now overhauling and supplementing at the Gold Dust. It will be started on July 1st under mineral conditions which indicate the mining of pay orc within few months.
 Electrical Appliances.
 In its entirety the plant is made up of electrical appliances. First off, there is the electric power generating plant built by Colonel Ewing on the banks of the "silvery" Colorado. Then, there Is the electric power line that straddles the desert from the riv- CT to the mine. Next, there is the mill installed at the mine by the col onel; and last, but by no means least in the estimation of the Orion man agemcnt, there is the hoisting and drilling plant. The latter will be the only unit of the original mine equip ment to go into commission on July 1st. It is being supplemented by 50'horse power motor, 360-cubic foot compressor, 75-horse power double drum hoist and complement of air pipes, rails, cars tools, etc.
 During the Ewing regime about $500 feet of development work was done and ore stopped to surface from a depth of 56 feet. The aggregate value of the ore broken down ill this stopc is conjectural. The popular es' timatc among men who were con versant with the property at that time is $2OOOO0. This estimate is probably fairly close one, as con siderable tonnage of high grade ore was mined and milled. In one in stance $4O,0O0 worth of high grade, showing crystallized gold, was ex- tractcd from a vug in the Victor workings.
 Riches Had Wings.
 The unsolvable problem at that period Of the mines development ap- pears to have been, not how to find gold by how to keep gold after it had been found. According to the mine log now in possession of the Orion management, ore that assayed an av- craze of $35 per ton netted at the mill but trihc more than $l per ton. There arc various theories extant as to why and how the values were lost. The most tangible clew in connection herewith is associated with man by the name of Carter.
 "Old Man" Carter during the latter years of his sojourn on this side of the Great Divide was what the faceti- ously disrespectful among us call a desert rat" He was a prospector gone to seed, so to speak. Carter labored hereabouts under a handicap of ideas and the consumption. The former caused him to be ridiculed and the latter caused his death. While the wiseacres of the camp sat around and whittlcd and waited for the boom Carter set his brain machinery in mo ton.
 What Carter Did.
 He puttcrcd around the dump at the Gold Dust mill for a spell and then obtained permission from the to work the tailings. We'll, sir, that was the funniest thing he wiseacres of this community had ever heard of, and they hailed the news with every iota of facctious which was its due, Carter nay have overheard snatchcs of this comment, but if so he was too busy , thinking 10 give heed. For Carter, be { known, was somewhat of philos- { opher, and so the barbcd shafts of nco1 ,t-ft rr,pro ,,nurcrtace Fo ,0iarce tho l ,