The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-06-28
FAMOUS OLD MINES
Of PARADISE VALLEY

Concerning the purchase, recently
announced, of the Paradise valley
group of mining claims, the following
is printed in the Goldfeld Tribune:
The Reco Divide, situated north
west of the Sutherland in the Divide
district, has purchased the Paradise
Valley mines, at Spring City, in the
Mount Rose mining district of Hum
boldt county. The mines are in the
Santa Rosa range, fifty miles north of
Winnemucca.
The Paradise Valley mines were
owned by large business interests of
Humboldt county, including L. Rein
hart Company, merchants and bank
ers of Winnemucca; former Senator
Bell of Humboldt county, and the
Kemler estate. The possibilities of
the mines we're brought to the atten-
ton of w. c. Ralston, widely-known
mining man, broker and promoter, by
r. L. Tilden, county surveyor of Hum
boldt county.
From the report of the director of
the United States mint in 1888, and
from United States geological bulle-
tin No. COL, by Waldemar Lindgren,
in 1915, it is learned that the district
was discovered in 1868. The Paradise
Valley mines were originally located
in 1878, but little work was done until
January, 1879, when Thomas Bell and
William Let's Oliver of San Francisco
took them over and incorporated the
Paradise Valley Mining Company. A
ten-stamp mill was built on Martin
creek and ore was hauled there by
OK teams, a distance of six miles.
This mill was destroyed by fire in
1888 and later was replaced by two
3k-foot Huntington mills. The mines
were closed in 1891.
Vein matter is found for a width of
three-quarters of a mile, composed of
slate shale or dyke porphyry, gran
lite forming the walls, with lime in
trusions. The veins are of quartz,
generally milky white and massive,
and in appearance are similar to those
of the gold quartz veins of California.
There is a shallow oxidized zone o
tanning chloride of silver, and below
this pyrite, ruby silver and a%rgentite
are found.
The work was done mainly through
tunnels. which reached depths Of
from 600 to 700 feet below the crop
ping. Several wines and raises were
extended from these tunnels. Accord
ing to the books of the company. the
mill heads assayed $40 per ton The
failing loss shows for sixteen months
an average of s12.55 per ton. the ex-
traction being less than 80 per cent.
These figures are based on silver at
SO cents per ounce.
From September /, 1885, to January
l, 1887. a period of sixteen months,
the heads averaged s71.62 and the
tailings $12.55. During these sixteen
months bullion valued IT SIS. 984.60
was shipped each month. Concen-
trates valued at $14,40 and ore val
ued at $11. S09.36 was shipped month
ly, making a total value of $45,193.96
per month.
During. June, July, August. Sep
tonabn, on1 nnfnbcr ~ 1909 tho nnn-
pany books show: Bullion produced,
$168, $40; net returns from concen-
trate shipments. $125, 912.81; net re-
turn from ore shipped, s59,046.S2;
making a total production of $685.
1898, or more than $4,000 monthly.
The cost books of the company
were destroyed in the San Francisco
fire. The company was capitalized
for 100, 900 shares. 1t paid 25 cents
per share monthly for a long period
and so cents for several months.
According to Lindgren, "if these scat
tered figures give any indication of
the real production, the total output
has probably exceeded $4,000, 000."
Dividends to an amount of more
than $1,000. 900 were paid. according
to one of the former owners.
On the dumps are 5000 o n of ore
that will average SIG per ton. This
was sorted from the mill ore. In the
old workings there are several hun
bred tons of ore that will assay we'll
over forty ounces of silver to the ton.
All of this ore assays from SO to So
per ton in gold.
All data concerning operations is
taken from the books of the company.
All mining was done by hand drilling.
The records show that the gross value
of ore produced by former operations