White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-26
MINES and RAILS
LEAD DEVELOPMENT
Cooperation of S.P. With Mines Increases
Business and Population

The vast, w~ealth-laden territory
west OF the Rocky Mountains owes its
development primarily to two aGen-
cies-Mining and Railroading.
The attention OF the world was first
attracted to the West with the an
nouncement Of the discovery of gold.
A great influx of people followed and
the tales of the and posi-
bilities in the West spread to all
parts of the globe.
The one great obstacle in the way
of development was the lack Of trans
portation facilities. The long. peri
lous voyage around Cape Horn in
.'windjammers' mitigated against any
considerable interchange OF commerce.
Fortunately there were captains of
industry and finance possessed of
broad vision, courage and sufficient
faith in the future of the West to con-
ceive and bring to completion great
systems OF transcontinental railways.
Among these the Southern Pacific
were the first lines.
For many years there were nothing
but main lines of railroads through
the mining territory and the ores and
rich minerals were transported to the
railways by mules, donkeys and horses
from mines far back in the mountains.
The placer mining camps of the early
days were about the only one located
adjacent to the railroad.
In the last twenty-five years the
greater mining development on the
Southern Pacific has been in Nevada
and In Arizona and New Mexico. OPP
erations In these districts have re-
suited in very heavy movements OF
mining supplies such as concentrating.
smelling and other treating machinery,
explosives, timbers and fuel.
There also has developed a very
heavy outbound tonnage Of bullion
and other finished or semi-completed
mineral products from the mines.
8. p. ~co-operates
The policy of the Southern Pacific
always has been to cooperate In the
development OF these properties. In
doing so 1t has followed the plan OF
publishing reasonable freight rates on
the materials and supplies used in the
mines and In the treatment of the
products of the mines. with low rates
on the ores or on the manufactured
products out of the smelters.
In the adjustment of rates on the
products of the mines 1t has been the
policy to establish schedules based
upon the values Of the product. The
principle has been recognized that .
producer Of ore worth 800 q ton car
AFFORD to pay q higher charge than
a the producer of ore valued at $50.
This has been done in recognition
OF the fact hat the great bulk of the
ores transported would be OF lesser
value and with the view Of encourag.
ing the greatest possible production Of
low grade ores, so that in the aggre-
gate would be transported sufficient
volume OF tonnage to AFFORD a reason
able return on the investment.
The company also has encouraged
u the fullest extent the treatment
OF minerals at the point of produc-
ton.
. These policies have resulted in the
maintenance e of the closest possible
feeling OF cooperation between mine
owners and the railroad. bringing
about constantly increasing popula-
ton in the mountain and desert re-
gions, with development in the thriv-
ing industrial cities. where only a few
years ago there vas nothing but
struggling mining camps.
At Virginia City. Nevada, where the
mines have produced approximately
$500. 000. 900 from high grade ore, a
plant now Is being completed at a cost
of more than IS, 200. 900 for the pur-
pose of working the low grade ore left
In the mines when the more valuable
ore was extracted. This plant is to
have a capacity Of 1900 tons daily.
Tonopah Mines
The mines at Tonopah. Nevada,
were discovered In 1900. The metals
in the ore consisted Of about one-ffth
gold and four.ffths silver. The value
OF the ore varied from $40 a ton to,
In some cases. $50 a ton.
The policy pursued by the Southern
Pacific was to publish ct once a grad
uated tariff, permitting the movement
to Utah and California smelters of
the low grade. a. well as the high
grade ore.
AS a result, Tonopah has produced
during the past twenty-five years ap-
p~roximately 800. 900, 900 from its
mines. The bullion production there
at this time is approximately s400.0 900
each month.
Valuable ore bodies recently were
discovered at a depth OF 1890 feet, IN
surfing production for many years.
Goldfeld was discovered as a min