The Winslow mail., 1922-03-03
DIAMOND DRILLS WILL
DISCOVER ORE BODIES
(JaS. f. O'BrienO

A diamond drilling campaign,
the extent of which has probably
never before been equalled in
mining camp, is now in progress in
the Oatman district. Not less than
six companies are prospecting var
iOus portions of their ground by
this low cost method, sven others
having definitely announced that
they will be drilling within thirty
! days, and at least a dozen more are
making plans to resume active OPP
erations and enter the race for gold.
This increased activity is Occa
stoned principally by the sensation
al results secured by diamond drill
ing in the Oatman United mine, but
the much better showing of high
grade ore in the United American.
Telluride and other mines, as well
as what looks like a definite turn
of the investing public to gold min
ing, are also having much influence.
A further influence is a keener re
mines here within radius of
mile--the Tom Reed Gold Roads
and United Eastern-have produced
bGo,UUU,UUU Ill SOlu Ill
a comparatively few years
As the news of the extent and
values Of the ore in the Oatman
United, found by assaying the drill
cores began to circulate among min
ing men on the outside, it was re-
ceived by many with skepticism.
One remarked that someone must
have taken the bull by the tail in
stead of the horns" Even local
residents who have stuck with con-
! fdence to the camp during the lean
as we'll as the flush days did not at
first fully awake to the certain val
ue and immense possibilities result
ing from the Oatman United devel-
opment.
But it may be believed that they
are awake now, and every loose dol
lar in the camp has been invested
in mining development or mining
stocks. When the owners of the
Merry Widow started to raise funds
for diamond drilling campaign on
their property, the entire allotment
of stock for this purpose was sold
In single afternoon in the town of
Oatman. Such evidence of confid-
ence and sincerity by the working
miners that know the camp should
remove any lingering skepticism as
to the genuineness of recent ore
| finds.
The strong feature of the Oatman
| United strike is the finding of the
ore in and against the big rhyolite
dixie. Heretofore the ores of the
district were found along fractures
in the andesite. and not associated
with the rhyolite. Now immense
| possibilities for large bodies of ore
are foreseen by the discovery of
high values in and against the rhy-
olite dikes themselves. These dikes
are Of tremendous width and where
such good values are found clear
across them, the truth of the fore
going is apparent.
| In the past, though it has been
conceded that the rhyolitic dikes
were the genesis of the ore occur
/ renee, the commercial ore bodies
! have always been found in fractures
| lying some distance from these
dikes. The new discovery does not
antagOnize the theory as to the gen
esis of the ore. but adds to the in.
tensely interesting feature of high
grade ore against and in the dikes
! themselves.
Through the whole Oatman dis
tlNct there runs consistent and
massive dixie Of rhvolite. It can be
seen outcropping prominently along
the hills for many miles. 1T is this
dixie. or series of dikes, in which
has been opened up entirely NEW
phases looking toward wonderful
future for the district IF the ex-
perience at the Oatman United can
be repeated at intervals along the
infrusion-and conservative mining
men believe it will be-Oatman Is
likely to become a producer of gold
beyond the expectations of the most
sanguine
The diamond drilling at the Dat
man United was first started at q
Iuint 1900 feet southeast of the sta
ton on the 600 foot level. In ali
eighteen holes. pointed at different
angles-up. down and laterally--las
been drilled as this is written. A
quartz vein was found by sufficient
of these holes to definitely prove it
sor a length of 600 feet, and to q
deptho 53S feet, with an average
width of four feet indicated by pres
ent development. That the forego-
ing figures do not represent the full
size of the ore body is shown by
the fact that faces of the drill holes
both up and down and along the
strike Of the vein were all in ore