Mohave County miner., 1917-02-17
HAS
BIG BODY Of
NOLYBDENITE
In a Short Period Cedar
Valley District Mine Has
Been Proven One of the
Greatest Properties of Its
Kind in World
rF,om w.dne.dsy', DAILY MinerJ

from wednesdays Daily Minsrl
The most remarkable deposit OF mo-
lybdenite in the world is contained in
the Lsviathan-Whale lode in Cedar
Valley mining district, Mohave county,
Arizona. It was discovered some years
ago by prospectors who did some work
on what they believed to be a copper
vein. Copper gradually was replaced
by molybdenite, which the men took
to be graphite, and the mines were
abandoned. Specimens Of the ore
found its way to Kingnan and were
shown to the mining editor Of this pa
per. An investigation disclosed the
fact that the deposit was molybdenite
and the group of claims was located.
Through various vicissitudes, de-
velopment work was continued on the
property until a drift had been car
ried on the vein IS feet and crosscut
of 20 feet of vein showed up the real
ore body. About this time an exami-
nation was made of the mines by R. c.
jacobson of Kingman and John b.
Conway of st. Paul became interest
ed. With friends, Mr.. Conway, R. c.
jacobson and 1. C. Stricken started &C
tive work on the property and drove
the adit drift on the vein about 400
feet. 1t was in ore practically all the
way. A shaft was then sunk to a
depth of 100 feet below the drift and
the vein explored for length of 500
feet, Ore was disclosed all the way.
Many thousands of tons were extract
ed and ores sold to the American Mo-
lybdenum company for SO or 81 per
ton, the latter company milling it at
their little flotation plant farther down
Copper canyon. 1t is now estimated
that there is 100000 in sight in the
mine. With the shaft sunk to depth
of 500 feet and the property explored
to that depth along the lines disclosed
on the 10O-foot level more values will
be showing than in any mine in the
state. And yet this property has been
little heard of.
The mines are situated about %
miles from Yucca, being within three
miles of Copperville. A good noun
tain road connects them with the Santa
Fe railroad. The company has just
installed a Cotton milling plant with
an oil flotation outfit designed to ex-
tract the molybdenite from the copper.
Treatment by the process has shown
good results and it is expected that
within a month or two the mill will be
treating a big tonnage Of the ore and
the production values will exceed any
mine in the county. At the present
time offers for the mill product are
made at the rate Of $3.50 for 80 per
cent concentrates; $1,000 for 40 per
cent; $3.50 for so per cent; $500 for
so per cent, and about $500 for 80
per cent. The mill is expected to make
a 70 per cent product of molybdenite
and better than 20 per cent copper.
The copper will carry fairly good
values in gold and silver.
No other mines in the world show
the continuity of ore bearing veins
that are disclosed in the Leviathan
group and no where is there such
wonderful naturalization. Molybde
mite is the disulphide of molybdenum
and contains about go per cent molyb-
denum and 40 per cent sulphur. It is
a soft, opaque mineral, lead grey in
color and in a way resembles graph
tie. 1t is used for disinfectants, color
ing matter for high grade silks, and
hardening and toughening high grade
steels. It is superior to tungsten, in
that it will tougher whereas tungsten
makes steel rather brittle. 1t will take
three times the amount of tungsten
to create the same degree of hardness
in steel. AS the basic patents on the
use of molybdenum alloys are about to
expire there will be widespread use of
the metal for the hardening Of tool
steel and Innings for big guns.
With the coming production of this
metal in Mohave county one more
great industry will be added and a
mine that little has been heard Of will
take its place in the country's history
as the greatest mine of the state. And
that this great property is so close
to the producing class is due entirely
to the efforts of the three named in
this article and their associates.