Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-07-20
Manager Thatcher Preparing to sinI
Double. Compartment Shaft to
Depth Of 500 Feet


the Union Mines company.
Manager Thatcher is planning to
sink double compartment shaft on
his property. 1t is already down 40
feet and he is working three shifts
and making six feet day. ...r
The shaft eventually will have
depth of $50 feet to reach the ore
vein. Stations will be cut every hun
dred feet and crosscuts run to inter
cept the ore body.
The vein has a pitch OF 45 degrees
1t is a contact between blue lime and
dolomite lime. The shaft Is being
sunk in the hanging wall of blue lime.
At the second level the shaft will
be 7S feet from the vein, and at the
third 5S feet. If the dip of the vein
continues as it is the survey shows
that the shaft should cut the vein at
$50 feet 1t will take about three
months to sink this shaft.
The present output of the mine is
thirty tons of lead ore per day. When
the new shaft is completed the pro-
duction will be increased to $50 tons
every twenty-four hours.
Manager Thatcher is now employing
forty men. If this ratio is maintained
he will have about 200 men on his
payroll when the new shaft is COM
pleted. The pay is S4 to $3.50 per day.
Senator Thatcher makes headquart-
ers in Elko and buys his supplies
here. He has offices in the Title Guar
antee and Trust building and makes
a trip about once a week in his car
out 10 the mine. 1t is 81 miles from
Elko to the Union camp by the auto
mobile road via Carlin and Pine val.
ley.
And what a wonderful mine that is:
Senator Thatcher has in his office
samples of the ore that run as high
as 74 per cent lead. The pure oxide
of lead is II per cent metal. Pure
oxide is what painters use and it is
the ordinary white lead.
This ore from the Union Mines has
all the appearance of white lead. 1t
is soft almost like chalk. All one has
to do is to mix oil with it and he
has paint. There is of course a little
silica and this impurity impairs 1t for
commercial paint without refining.
The Union Mines is an old property.
It was worked thirty years ago and
a smelter was erected. There is
Stag dump around that smelter that
has perhaps 500 tons of lead in 1t.
Roy Thatcher is state senator from
Eureka and mas lived in Eureka about
five years. Three years ago he made
trip out to Union to examine the
property. 1t was then owned by w. S.
Magee. There was practically moth
ing in sight at that time, the property
seemingly having been worked out.
But Senator Thatcher knew the for
nation and liked it. He saw the posi-
bility and paid $4,000 cash for ten
claims. Two of these claims are pat
ented.
1t was the 23rd of June q year ago
when Senator Thatcher obtained pos
session and since that time has con-
Quoted systematic development.
He has explored the mine to a depth
of 262 feet on the dip which equals
vertical depth of 20S feet. He has
opened up an ore body six to twelve
feet in thickness and the chute has q
length of 280 feet on the contact.
The thing that pleased Senator
Thatcher was the contact vein be-
tween blue and dolomite lines. It
was like the old Aspen, Colorado, for
nation where young Roy Thatcher,
nephew OF Captain George w. Thatch.
er, once worked in the famous Mollie
Gibson mine.
The country rock at Union Is mo-
desite. There is porphyry intrusion
and this dyke is about 100 feet in
thickness II is from this porphyry
dyke that the ore comes and It's de.
position has taken place in the zone
between the two lines.
The dolomite lime lies next to the
pobphyry and Is about 30 feet In thick.
ness. The strike of the vein is north
""N pNNS' hh" "ip w iht tocN'
In places the two lines are froze to.
gether. Again they open out and the
Union mine shows slopes eighteen
feet wide.
Lead is now worth 1915. The ore
from the Union runs from Ga to "a
per cent lead and 20 ounces in silver.
The ore has an average net value of
about $65 per ton at the United Stat.
es smelter in Salt Lake.
Union Is ten miles east of the Eu.
reka and Palisade railroad and go
miles south Of Palisade. 1t costs 81
by contract to transport the ore from
the mine to the railroad and the rail.
way freight to Salt Lake is s4o5 per