Weekly journal-miner., 1916-02-09
RIGHTEOUSNESS THE OATMAN
 DISTRICT
INTERESTED WITH CHAS. SPRAGUE, OF GOLDFIELD WHO HAS BOUGHT THE MERRITT PROPERTY.

Odllidi OAoAi ANh 10 hiiN PdA VI A+A~ controlling interest in the Merritt property by Charles s. Sprague, pres ident of the Jumbo Extension Mines Company, of Goldfeld, and associate. Something like S50,OOO changed hands on the deal. The Merritt is very promising property, and is bounded on the south by the Big Jim and Tom Reed properties, on the cast and north by the Dome and Oatman Gold Mining Company properties, and on the west by the Yankee and United Eastern. It lies upon one of the big vein outcrops of the district, upon which work is now being done at either end of the property. It is be- lieved that George Wingheld, pre.i- dent of the Goldheld Consolidated, is interested with MT. Sprague to somt extent. Extensive development work will be carried on as soon as it is pos sible to get machinery and supplies on the ground. ]. K. Turner. con sulti1g engineer of the Jumbo Exten. sion property, has been Investigating the Oatman district for nearly a month in behalf of Mir. Sprague.
 Negotiations are now in progress which promise to result in supplying Oatman with water fer domestic pur- poses. There is little likelihood that the deal will not be consummated. Ii is planned to develop wells near the Colorado river where percolation through gravel beds under the river will filter the water. then send it to Oatman. 14 miles distant, through a pipe line. Two pumping stations and a number of reservoirs will be re- quired to handle the water It is evi- dent as various mines in the district acquire greater depth that they will develop all the water required for milling purposes.
 Although not great deal Of inter esting news has come from Oatman district during the rast month, the camp Is at this time in its most inter esting stage of development A mum Der of properties which opened grati- flying ore deposits on one level only. have ceased development work in ore and are now devoting their energies towards finding the downward exte1- sions of these ore bodies so that they may be developed simultaneously, on two or more levels. Among such properties are the Big Jim, the Car ter the Boundary Cone and the Gold Ore.
 The United Eastern officials make the announcement that their contem- plated 20Oton mill will be completed just as rapidly as it is possible to place the machinery and supplies on the ground. A 50-foot gallows frame has been erected over a thrce-com- partment shaft which Is being sunk some 700 feet to the east Of their present workings, and a l50-horse power electric hoist and a big com prcssor plant is being installed. In the old shaft a station and an ore bin have been cut at 665 feet depth, and a cross-cut is now being driven towards the downward extension of the vein which carried bonanza values at 565 feet depth. This cross-cut is expected to open the ore within 20 days. The shaft will be sent further down. and the ore developed at 165 and S65 feet depth.
 Work of deepening the shaft in the Big Jim property has been delayed for nearly two weeks on account of heavy rains which prevented delivery of the pump required to handle the water which is coming into the shaft. The new pump is expected to be in operation before the end of the week. after which sinking operations will be resumed, and the plan of the com pany to explore their vein at the 800 and 600 feet depths will be carried ot. The company has just let con tracts for electric power. and is now preparing for the installation of cleo tric hoists and much more powerful compressor plant to be operated by electric power.
 An interesting announcement is that Tom Taggart, sometime Indiana politician, has become interested in the Oatman district, and with associ- atcs has acquired control of the Cres- cent property. Engineer Edward w. Brooks has just made very favorable report On the Crescent, ill which he holds that there is probability that a mine can be developed there.
 The Gold Road Company has made new contracts for electric power. which points to an increased usage hereafter, and will send their main working shaft down l.400 feet. where they will do extensive exploration work. This is the deepest mining yet contemplated in the district The company is averaging about Sl6,0O0 worth of gold bullion per week
 The lvanhoe main working shaft is now down 10 42O feet As soon as a station can be cut at 500 feet and a stump made. cross-cutting will start from the 500foot level towards the vein in which the company expects to develop pay ore. At the same time