Weekly journal-miner., 1922-03-01
MINING BOOM
 AT OATMAN IS
 WELL FOUNDED
Excitement Over Diamond Drill Discoveries Continues; Gold Ore Bodies Known to Have Been Insufficiently Work

OATMAN, Ariz., Feb. 24. - The sensational results shown by the cores of Is diamond drill holes driven in various directions from station at the 600-foot level of the Oatman United mine the facts regarding which are only just beginning to be generally known and their signifi- canoe lrealized-is the principal cause of what is fast developing into a genuine mining boom at Oatman. It Is boom, moreover, that is Substan tially founded, and is not one based upon mere surface showings in new and improved section.
 Though the nature of the discovcty in the Oatman United shows that the possibilities of the district were never before half realized, the camp is in what has been known as rich min cral section where ore has been mined for half a century. Nor is it one of the "haS-beens" among good mining camps. Within the last ten or twelve years three mines alone the United Eastern, Tom Reed and Gold Roads-have produced approxi- mately $2S,OOO,OOO in gold. The United Eastern is still producing about $l,S00000 annually, the Tom Reed somewhat less, but the rich owners of the Gold Roads shut down during the war period of high costs and have not yet resumed, though there arc millions ill sight.
 The United American and Tellu ride mines are also shipping a mini mum of 25 tons daily of ore that runs from $35 to more than $l0O per ten in gold. Still other properties have orc and it is believed to be only a question Of further development before they will join the list of pro ducing mines.
 Perhaps the most convincing evi- dcnce of the substantial merit of the present situation at Oatman is the fact that practically every miner and local resident has put every loose dollar he could get hold of into min ing development or mining stocks. A few days ago the owners of the Merry Widow announced a sale Of stock to finance a diamond drilling campaign. In single afternoon every share of the allotment was taken by working miners and their friends in Oatman. They know what late developments signify.
 A series of massive rhyolite dikes, which can De seen outcropping prom inently along the hills for many miles, runs through the whole Oat man district. While it has been gen orally recognized by geologists that these rhyolitic dikes were the gene sis of the ore occurrences, heretofore the ores of the district were found along fractures ill the andcsitc, and not associated with the rhyolite. It is from these fractures in the ande- site alone that the enormous produc- tion of the past has come.
 Now, however, the Oatman United has found the ore in and against the big rhyolitc dikc itself, which was supposed not to carry values. And it Is real ore-5omc of it high-gradc enough across big widths to stand shipping to the smelters, while in ether places commercial grade of orc is found over almost unbelievable widths.
 It must be remembered, too. that this ore is found at depth; it has been proved for PIP feet below the 600-foot level, for 338 feet above that level, and for distance of 600 feet along the vein-with the face of the drill holes in each direction still in orc Superintendent Hammond does not wish to give out the figures as to widths until they are more defi- n;tcly determined, but he admits that one drill core shows average values of SIP per ton across 70 feet of the rbyolitc. Another shows values of SPA per ton for l3 feet in width.