The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-11-03
SILICA MINING TO
Be CONDUCTED
IN SOUTH
COMPANY WILL INSTALL EQUIP
MENT FOR A LARGE
PRODUCTION

Silica mining operations on a large
scale that are planned for the Beatty
district were revealed through the
visit to Goldfield Wednesday of G.. T.
Rider, president of the Western
Silica company, and j. T. Lee, a
stakeholder in the corporation, the
offices of which are in Los Angeles.
The property that will be worked
by this company is neal the Bull
frcg-Goldfield railroad, five miles
north of Beatty, and consists of a
large mountain of silica of unusual
quality for use in the manufacture
of glass, and great quantities of the
finest grade, or "air-float" material,
such as is necessary in the manufac-
ture of paints and soaps. There is
a big demand in numerous industries
for silica and, while vast deposits
are found in many states, most of
them are rendered valueless by the
presence of iron.
The deposits near Beatty are en-
tirely free of iron and the material
is soft and particularly well adapted
for mining by means of steam SHOW
els, which will be used there.
Rider and Lee have been at work
on the project for a long time and
on their recent visit to the property,
for the purpoe of completing their
plans, made their first visit to Gold
field.
They have purchased a 25-horse-
power gas engine for operating a
crusher oil large capacity and are
completing arrangements for the
purchase of a one-mile aerial tram,
to be used to bring the material
from the mountain to a point from
which it will be hauled by motor
trucks to the railroad for shipment.
The property is developed to such
an extent that all that remains nee
essary for a regular and large pro-
duction is the purchase and %installa-
ton of machinery and it is planned
to start actual mining and shipments
in the near future.
The operations will necessarily in"
volve production on a large scale
with low operating costs and, as the
company has more than ample fill
nances and a ready market in the
east and on the coast, it will be able
to make a good production from the
start and one hat will be increased
as rapidly as possible.
The main deposit of silica in the
United States at the present time is
near Bridgeport, Conn.,, and there
also are extensive deposits in Hi
nois. Glass factories on the coast,
where a considerable quantity of
glass Is manufactured, both in south
ern California and in the region sur
rounding San Francisco, all use in
whole or in part this eastern silica,
mixing it for different purposes with
the less fine grades of the western
product.
Silica from Beatty will at first
be shipped to the coast factories, but
as the property is developed and pro-
Cuction is increased shipments will
be made to the east, rs present
prices warrant this and assure a
profit on such shipments. There is
great enough demand for silica on
the coast to take ths ntire p%rodu'-
ton until operators reach an aa-
vancel sage.
Coast factories purchase silica
for from So a ton dcliTrred to from
$12 to $14, according to grade, and
as that at Beatty is of high quality
the operations of the company prom
Use to be highly profitable.
The ground that the Western
Silica company will work originally
was operated by the Telluride Min
ing company as a cinnabar mine, a
furnace valued at over 100000 now
being on the ground. Work was
abandoned when it was found there
was not enough ore in the mountain
to keep the plant in operation.