The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-04-11
PIocnE DUMPS
AWAIT MILLING

e"le hh the report py v. y. heike9,
published February is. 1919. by tho
United States geological survey. en-
titled Gold. Silver. Copper. Lead
and Zinc in Nevada in 1917"
These five metals, closely related
in genesis and geologic occurrence.
are all produced in the Phoebe dis
tered upon silver. due to the avail
able ores OF silver and TO the presene
market price of the metal.
During 1917 the mines OF Nevada
produced 6.473. .5l9 tons OF ore, valu-
ed at S54. .424 $50. an increase OF
S4.47s. Sc over the 1916 production
of s49,946.424 from 5.941,l65 tons
of ore. Thus the average value OF
the ore produced throughout the
state during the year 1917 was $3.50
as against SS.35 during 1916. Do
the Phoebe miners want to have a
minimum value Of 500? They do,
which is, of course, human nature.
But the value of the average nre
produced in the state teaches, how
ever. that, compared with $S.36,
local ore running between $40 and
$50 per ton is not to be smiled at,
TO say nothing of being scorned.
Sixteen mining companies in Me-
vada paid dividends Of $11,S99,55p,
in 1917. Silver decreased in guam
tity, but increased in value, owing to
a higher price. The output of sill
ceous silver ores in 1917 amounted
to S07.0S7 tons, mined by 1870 opera
tors, averaging per ton $2.40 in golu
and 1l.S3 ounces in silver and
carrying small quantities of copper
and lead. What is happening to
ore of this grade in Phoebe today?
| Today ore Of this grade is consider.
ed by the local operators as being
waste. They know 1t is being handled
elsewhere profitably but find it i'm
possible to handle 1t locally at
present. Now the ore of this grade,
of sad necessity, goes into the 'gob."
Included in 807,0S7 tons OF
siliceous silver ores mentioned above
is total of 1923 ,5SS tons of oxidized
iron manganese ore, which was pro-
duced entirely in the Phoebe district.
and particularly valuable as a smelt-
ing fux.
The output of milling ores in the
,, state during 1917 was 5,649,5 ,565 tons
of which l,125,2 ,255 tons were treat
ed by amalgamation or cyanida-
tion, and the remainder-4,524,310
tons-by concentration, followed by
smelling. The ores and tailings
. treated by cyanidation-1,0 ,057 ,89o
tons of ore and 145,767 tons of tall
!, ings-contained an average per ton OF
$3S7 in gold and 1865 ounces IL
; silver The uninitiated may think
that these figures are ridiculous
They are not. These figures helpet
to swell the dividend record Of the
state to the serious total Of Sill,
y S99,557.
Yet right here in Phoebe there art
u thousands of tons of better ore dis
;. carded and thrown to waste. On
II the hill near the No. shaft Is ,
dump from the Burke vein-a waste
e dump, yet averaging, it is reliably
said, about $40 There are record!
II showing 10000 tons of stope filings
n averaging $12. What the oldel
dumps, which can be seen from Pi
o oche by the dozen, average in valu,
/ is not known by the layman, but old
timers can remember the leachini
&c barrels and hand jigs which evl
IA dence that some enterprising mel
tried to operate under difficultiea
~ Ore these days, however, is not han
n n. died in barrels and with hand jigs
=. &c A custom mill is needed. And
=. any pessimist should question tn
e' existence of ore ask him what othe
u men are doing elsewhere today, an
-, -, if he admits that ore Of the grade re
~ ported by the geological survey ca
;, be profitably handled, then point
Ut the Phoebe dumps. The ore Is her
!, but it will not walk to the smeltel
= and under present conditions ore {
=. grade profitably handled elsewhel
'' cannot be profitably handled her
"a due to the lack Of milling facilitie