The border vidette., 1926-11-20
BIG JIM MINE ASTOUNOS LOCAL
MINING MEN As WELL As
VISITORS FROM AFAR

L
But with every round of shots
the ore not only continued to
show depth, but showed greater
values, until now, with approx.
mately As feet of work into the
ore body and no country rock"
in sight. these same men are
loud in their praises and predict
one of the greatest mines in Ari.
zons, says the Patagonian.
Sinking has been suspended
temporarily to allow the cutting
of a station. or working level. "
which will be completed as rap
idly as possible. when sinking
will again be resumed. The
shaft will go down an addi.
tional $50 feet from where it
| now has stopped. regardless OF
whether the ore continues or not.
From the bottom, and possibly
before that point is reached,
drifting will be done to tap the
| vein to determine its length and
breadth.
President A. G.. Heating of
the company, who is here again
from Los Angeles, is highly
elated over the continuation of
ore the body to such great thick.
ness, considering that the values
are holding up far beyond ex-
pectations. Enough ore is in
sight to run q much larger mill
that the company now has in
operation over a period of many
years, and if the values continue
-or even remain as they are
the stockholders OF the company
are sitting pretty" land
speaking of stockholders re-
minds me that several local peo
pie grabbed up what they could
afford when the new strike was
made,)
AZ this time 1t might be we'll
to 60 back few years in the
mines history. Ia the early
days of mining at Harshaw the
origional locators of the mine,
then called the Blue Nose, q tun.
mel was run into the bill aud the
rich ore would have been missed
had the workers gone one foot
further to one side with their
tunnel. But as it was the ore
was struck, and in q very short
time $3.50, 900 worth Of ore was
taken out and shipped to the
smelter. When leaner ore was
encountered the mine was aban
doned because the owners did
not want to expend what they
had taken out to purchase mill
ing machinery, which was at that
time very expensive. The mine
lay idle for several years. when
it was acquired by other parties,
| who did much sinking and drift.
ing in the belief that they would
open up another large deposit of
rich ore. They we're disappoint
ed in finding the values they
were seeking, but all the work
done was in ore of more or less
value, mostly low grade milling
ore. That is, it was low grade
for that time, but under modern
milling methods is considered
good milling ore.
IT the last operators preced
ing the Big Jim company had
sunk the shaft down just Is feet
farther, they would have en-
countered the ore body that is
| now being developed in the mine.
James M. Layman, q mining
man of prominence, was the last
operator of the Blue Nose .(now
| the Big Jim), but was unable to
finance the mine, although be
had great faith in it's future. It
went back to the Richardson es-
tate following Layman's failure
to get the necessary capital to
fulfill the conditions of his lease,
and was taken over by A. G.
Heating and associates following
an inspection by Mr.. Heating,
who foresaw great possibilities
Tor the mine as q big milling
proposition under modern meth.
DDS of operation. Instead, how.
ever, of being a milling question,
it now seems to have developed
into a high-grade shipping prop.
erty, which is destined to put
Patagonia on the mining map.
Following Mr.. Keating's sue
cessful opening up of the Big
jim, many other prominent min.
ing men have been attracted to
the district, and mining here is
taking on proportions of great
significance, which are attract.
ing attention of mining men and