The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-08-29
ANOTHER NEW TREATMENT PLANT
contracts Let for the Building and Equip
ing of a Fiotation Mil for the
Pyrargyrlte Mining Co.

Monroe Harman informs us that n COM
{tract has been let for the erection of a
reduction and flotation plant at the
IIyfafgy1te mine better known as the
IRupy construction Will commence within
a IeW days and the equipment has
lpeen ordered the machinery will be on the
ISround Tor installation as soon as the
puhiluihs phl is ready to receive the same.
Ihere Will be no wait after the plant is
ready Tor operation for the ore is on the
ldunp and IN the mine to treat as soon
as treatment is possible. 1t is at least one
InlStance IN the history OF mining in this
upper country where the operators posi-
|tlNeiy have the ore before the erection of
Ia mlll, and consequently with the turning
oI the wheels should follow steady
lstfeam OF income, and that is what many
| see. W
l. The plant to be installed is what is
known as the double system of operation
| lhere is reduction plant in which the
lore is ground down Dy the ball method
|oi crushing to pass through "a 40 mesh
screen. Ihls passes through the usual
processes over plates and Vanners but the
lresidue OF the washngs does not pass out
as talings with the usual heavy losses in
the values. The tailings are taken up
further crushed until it is fine enough to
pass through "A l00-mesh screen and then
| passes into flotation watts. There is even
la thlrd treatment afteS this bath, which
triple treatment Is expected to save from
l
| In the past, one of the great drawbacks
| TO the treatment of ore by the stamp pro-
cess has been the heavy losses in the tail
lngs' The process to be introduced and
put into operation at the Pyrargyrite so
1T Is claimed, will entirely eliminate this
Iloss, or at east reuuce 1t to u minimum.
'Mr. Harman knows we'll from many tests
am. assays the Values IN the ore and it
has been his aim to make no fatal mis-
take in providing u Treatment plant.
Through the most careful investigation,
both by himself and experts in the min
! ing business, together with repeated mill
tests he believes he has found the pro-
Icess that not only will deliver as near all
the values In the ore as can possibly be
extracted but Will place the mine upon
| u paying basis.
As stated at the beginning of this ar
Iticle the Pyrargyrite is only an old mine
under new name. The Ruby, as the
property was formerly known, is one of
the Oldest mining enterprises in the north
part of the county IL is located on the
north slope of Mount Chopalta, near the
station on the railroad of that name a
IfeW miles west of OTovle. For the pur-
pose of easy working and extraction is is
admirably situated, and being directly on
the railroad. shipping facilities are almost
| at the very mouth of the tunnel. For
lnumber of years development was car
lried ON with great activity. A working
Iadit was driven far into the noun tain, the
Hedges for which the tunnel was started
| to cut were reached and drifts. uprses
and venues on the Lodges resulted in the
Exposure of "a vast tonnage of ore. Some
lof this ore ran very high in silver and
Head, also carrying values in gold and
"copper", and the average value of the ore
] in sight ran into most encouraging fig
ures. From time to time considerable ore
was shipped to smelters, but the cost of
Transportation was too great to leave any
balance as profits, OF at least not suffi-
icient profit TO justify a continuation of
shipments. Then wee closed down and
There came long hiatus during which
the mine remained practically idle. For
| the past ten years little in the way of
development has been done. 1t is an cd
story of cold feet and lack of funds.
During the past year Monroe Harman,
lwho has given up years of his life in the
management of the mine, much of the
time with nothing to do but nurse "A bitter
| Iimpatience over the procrastnation of
those interested in the property to act,
has used all his persuasive powers to
Iarouse interest among the stockholders,
with the aim of securing q plant and re-
lnewing work at the property He has
Jnever lost faith in the mine nor of its
ultimately reaching producing stage.
The mine is as familiar to him as
printed book. He knows the extent and
IValues of the ores in the ramifications of
| the underground workings. He knows the
Quantity of ore that is blocked OUT, that
| is on the dump, that can be knocked down
and treated. 1t is knowledge that has
come to him by long study of the mine,
and closely watching every foot of pro-
lgress made by the miners. His deductions
mate knowledge are not haphazard guess
work. 1t has come to him by taking
observation and investigation. Those who
know how closely he has applied himself
| to learning everything that is to be learn
ed in carrying on the deveopment of this
mine to the point it has reached feel that
when Mr. Harman decided upon II system
lof treatment he knew just exactly what
was necessary to bring about the best re-
suits. and it is felt that his selection of a
treatment plant will he followed by sue
cessfu solution of the problem of how
to make paying mine in this county
Mining in this locality has never been
in "a more forward or encouraging stage
than just at the present time. Those en-
gagged i'm developing properties are first
going after the ore with some system,
land several properties are in the process
lof devlopemnt 1t seems certain that the
lold Number One and the old Lone Pine,
lnow operated under other names. are the
making of real mines. SO is the Caaba.
Then the Dempster people have a tram
installed that is going to insure them
profit from the Copper World Extension.
land now comes the Pyrargyrite with
| mill that is going to bring that mine to
1.-THE front. Let the Copper World EXten-
sion and the Pyrargyrite establish in
lcomes for the operators and there will be
a revival of mining in northern Okanogan
lcounty that will make fortunes for the
loperato and incidentally cut large
| figure in contributing to the growth of
lOrovile for every mine made will prove
NAr,t to NiG tAtn