The border vidette., 1927-04-30
OLD. TRENCH MINE
Gold Dust and Big Jim Will Operate
Famous Property.
(Patagonian)

The Gold Dust Mines Com.
pany, whose headquarters are in
Los Angeles and whose former
operations were in Oatman. Ari
zona, have taken over q proper.
ty in the Patagonia district.
The new property consists of
five claims, patented in the year
1870. This Trench claim is not
to be confused, however, with
the group of claims Immediately
adjacent to it.. which group is 10.
cally known as the Trench prop
erty. The adjacent group of
claims is controlled by the Big
Jim Company.
As the electric power line from
Nogales to the Three r mine of
the Magma Copper Company
crosses the Trench ground. cleo
trically driven hoist. compress
sors, ETC., will be used according
to the plans of the management,
and this equipment is now being
installed at the property.
Immediately adjoining b g
ground acquired by the Gold
Dust Company, the vein has been
practically proved down to
depth OF 600 feet.
Adjoining and end lining the
Trench claim on the south of
| west is the Josephine claim,
| upon which a main shaft was
sunk to a depth of 600 feet, and
is in good condition. Working
levels were driven at approx
imately every 100 feet in depth.
At depths of 400, 500 and 600
feet from the shaft, drifts in the
vein we're carried easterly to the
| common endline boundary be
tween the Josephine and the
Trench claims.
When operations ceased, the
| working faces of these drifts
were in ore, which, under pres
ent milling processes and metal
prices. is regarded as high grade
mill ore.
Thus, the westerly end OF the
Trench ground may be said to be
proved to q depth of some 600
feet.
The Trench vein traverses the
entire length of the Trench
claim, as shown by outcroppings
and by shallow workings where
high. grade ore was gouged out
and shipped years ago. The out
crop shows high values through
out it's extent.
Hosting and other equipment
is being changed to electrical
machinery at the main shaft on
the Josephine. The Gold Dust
will start development throuRht
this shaft on the 400, 500 and 600
foot levels, carrying the drifts
forward and into the Trench
claim. Eventually operations
will be carried to much greater
depth. The Gold Dust company
is fortunate in vein able to prac
tically start on ore production
with very little preparation.
The Big Jim Company has
control of the property end lin.
ing the ground acquired by the
Gold Dust. The Big Jim and
Gold Dust will be using the
same shaft and will be sharing
the expense of the work. With
two companies sharing the ex
penses of shaft maintenance,
underground superintendence.
equipment of plant. ETC., the
combined operations will be sin
gularly economical.
The Trench property is only a
short distance to the north of the
Big Jim, between the Big
jim and the famous old Worlds
Fair mine. It is about in the
center of the great northwesterly
southeasterty mineralized belt
which has the Mowry mine at
the southeasterly end of it's prov.
ed extent.
This zone has produced an az,
gregate of several millions of
dollars, the ores sold principally
for their silver content when
lead had little value. These
workings were comparatively
shallow as rule, the operators
having stopped for reasons here,
after explained.
Up to very recent yearsores Of
less than shipping grade could
not profitably be handled by con.
centration processes then avail
able. The flotation process has
completely changed the situa
tion. This meant that a large
part OF the ore necessary mined
while following high grade seams