Arizona republican., 1916-01-23
Good Times for Tungsten Mines

Good Times for Tungsten Mines
 The production of tungsten ores in
 the United States in 1915 broke the
 record and was apparently equivalent
 to about 2.165 short tons of concen-
 rates, carrying so per cent of tung-
 sten trioxide (WO2). and was valued
 at more than $2,000,0O0 These fig
 ures are based on preliminary re-
 turns to the United States geological survey. The largest previous output
 Of tungsten ore was in 1910, when
 1891 tons was produced.
 Conditions and prices in the tung- sten market were unsettled and some what anomalous. Although the price in the latter part of 1914 was s9 or more a unit. SO per cent ore was sold
 in the early part of 1915 as low as s5.80 unit. so that tungsten mining did not start very briskly. Early in the summer, however, floods of or ders for munitions of war caused a. great demand for high speed steels to be used in cutting shells. rifle barrels, etc: an embargo was declared by the British government on the export of tungsten ores from any part of the British possessions. and there was soon a countrywide scramble for tungsten ores. Probably no one fore saw the height to which the price of tungsten would rise. and some opera tors contracted for ores at prices which in ordinary years would be high, but which were soon exceeded by several hundred per cent Tungsten metal was also contracted for at prices much below those which were afterward reached In the fall the prices of tungsten reached unheard- of heights; s4S per unit was paid for numerous lots. $50 for some, and even higher prices were reported. The prices moved upward so rapidly and that strenuous tungsten did not follow at once but early in the fall a large number of men were in the field looking for deposits.
 The mining activities are described by Frank L. Hess in some detail The output of the Boulder (Colorado) field was for various reasons not increased, as had been hoped. Many properties had been wrked by leasing. so that there was no development of ore bodies. for the ore had been removed as fast as it was exposed, and it is reported that in the Conger mine, whose shaft was sunk below the S0O- foot level. ore development was dis appointing. Sinking is said to have been continued. The output of the district was estimated by the Boulder equivalent to 960 tons of 50 per cent 
 In the Atolia (California) field there were great developments. The Atolia Mining Co., is reported to have em- ployed more than 300 men, and many men worked the desert sands in the vicinity for float sheelte. P. '. Os- dick discovered rich ore east of the Atolia Mining Co.'S property and made large profits. On and near the Baltic claim number of men worked the gravel of shallow gulch for sheelite and the sands on the Sunshine and other claims are also reported to have been worked at profit. Several gold mines also produced some sheelite. The Gold Mines, in Rands- burg. had found water at a depth of about 300 feet and this has been piped to the Atolia Mining Co.'S mill about five miles distant. Formerly water was hauled on the railroad for a dis tance of about 50 miles. The company is reported to have erected a new mill to treat it's tailings.
 Several discoveries of tungsten ores were reported from Gilpin county Colo. but the most extensive discov- cries. as indicated oy the number of outcrops, were made in White Pine Nev. Veins of sheelte were found at several places between the Minerva district, 30 miles south of Osceola, and Cherry Creek, 50 miles south of the settlement. Some of the veins were formerly prospected for precious metals, but the sheelite was not recognized. The hunerite mine and mill, 12 miles south of Osceola. were actively operated toward the close of the season; the mill at Camp Bonita, on the east side of the Snake Range, was operated part of the year, and mills were erected or started by the St. Anthony Mines Go. at Toy (Browns), Humboldt county, by A. R. Shepard and associates in the Reagan district, and Dy the Doyle Mining Co. in Sacramento Pass. White Pine coun- ty. Some hubnerite was dry washed from desert sands at Round Mountain and Spanish Springs. New
 The dumps of gold mines at White Oaks, N. M. were worked over for hubnerite and yielded considerable quantity of concentrates, and at Tip Top. Ariz. a mill was under construc- tion to work the tailings and dumps of the old Tip Top silver mine for the wolframite they contained.
 Mills were erected by the Primos Chemical Co. at Dragoon and by the National Tungsten Go. at Arivaca. Ariz, for treating the tungsten ores, and tungsten was produced at these places and at Camp Wood, Yucca, Oracle and other points.
 At Lead. s. D.. the great Homestake gold mine produced wolframite from the claims west of the great open cut and the Wasp No. mine, two miles south, produced considerable quan- tity of ore. It is erecting concen- trating plant Only a little ore was produced in the southern Black Hills