Jerome News, 1906-11-24

REVIEW OF THE COPPER HANDBOOK. The sixth annual edition of the Cop Copper - per Copper Handbook, tbe only publication de devoted - voted devoted exclusively to the copper industry, lias been issued, being several months later than usual in appearance, owing to the sickness of the author last spring, but matter of much later date has been used than in preceding issues, so that 1 the book is as nearly up-to-date as its f predecessors, and far more bulky and exhaustive in its treatment of the mani manifold - fold manifold phases of an industry that is world worldwide - wide worldwide in scope. The Copper Handbook encyclopaedic in scope, but is written throughout in plain language, easily understandable by those lacking a technical education. Hie work begins with a chapter on the history of copper, followed bv articles on the geology, chemistry, mineralogy, metallurgy, and uses of the metal, with eight chapteis devoted to condensed descriptions of the known copper deposits of the globe. A glossary of mining terms will be found useful to all readers not thoroughly conversant with practical mining, milling, and smelting. The statistics of the copper trade and of cop per share finances are covered in forty pages of highly condensed and accurate tables. The major portion of the book is de devoted - voted devoted to a chapter describing practically all known copper mines of the world, and listing every copper milling com company - pany company of importance. This chapter is arranged alphabetically, by titles, ren rendering - dering rendering it self-indexing, and saving more than 50 pages of double-column index that otherwise would be required to merely give tbe titles of the 4025 mines and companies listed in the book, there being 777 more titles than in th * preced preceding - ing preceding annual edition. The descriptions range in length from two lines, in the case of the Calumet & Hetli, a mine that employs seven thousand men and w 1. have paid one hundred million dol dollars - lars dollars in dividends by April next. The detailed descriptions in tbe main chanter of the book are especially valu valuable - able valuable because of their comoleteness, covering, as the? do, exact tables, full addresses, details of organiz itiin, offi cers and finance, in addition to full and careful particulars regarding location, area, ores, mine development, equip equipment - ment equipment and prospects. Heretofore wotks of reference devoted to mines have con confined - fined confined themselves either to ihe financial or the mining end, but the Copper Hand Handbook - book Handbook covets all the features of interest to investors, miners or scientists, not of one mine or company, but of thousands, not in one district, but in every district of the world. The hook contains much solid informa information - tion information of a sort valuable to mining men and practical miners, including a com complete - plete complete list of ttie copper minerals, with their various names and characteristics, a summary of copper geology, chemistry and methods of treatment, including milling, leaching, smelting, etc. The detailed descriptions of tlie various cop copper - per copper mines of the world give a mass of facts all prepared in 1 igical order, that cannot but prove of vast benefit to any practical man who reads the work, as they furnish a birdseye view ot the cop copper - per copper mining, milling, and smelting indus industry - try industry of all countries and all ages, with developments down to date. To the practical men er.gaged in the woikof making the copper, and not in the gentle art of mining by prospectus from an eastern office, the hook will he found of great practical value, as it gives details of promotion, including officers, organization, finances, etc., of a sort that usually are hard for the man on the ground to get at, and a strong side-light is thrown upon many companies, of a kind that may save money to the prac practical - tical practical man who reads the book. It is rarely that one b >ok comprises within ts covers so much infoi mation on so many different points of interest, and all of the sort that both miner and in-

To Identify Sylvanite and Base Quartz. BY DENNIS 11. STOVALL. The man who goes prospecting to the western gold fields this summer, as for several summers past, must, have a com common - mon common sense knowledge of base quartz This is so because cf the free milling propositions, exposing their treasures by great chunks of the pure stuff, have nearly all been found. That is why many ledges and many districts that were overlooked 30, 40 and 50 years ago have become famous in recent years. The proppector of today is not looking entirely for free gold. He knows tlmt the richest ledges and veins very often give but a base and uninviting exposure of tin ir richness. It is up to him to as certain the value of an exposed bate quartz ledge bv test and experiment. Especially is this true in identifying tellurium and ores of the graphic tellu tellurium - rium tellurium and sylvanite character. Veins and ledges of this composition, though frequently remarkably rich, give ab o olutely - lutely olutely no evidence of it to even the practiced eye of the prospector. They present a problem in which the brain as well as the eye oi the prospector must be employed to a correct solution. The tests as now being used by the western prospector in identifying base quartz, a e very simple. When a ledge is st>m k, or the outcrop of a ledge, the mil or vv.i! dig an open-cut to a depth o f tlnee or four feet, to get as far away from the highly oxidized ores of the sur surface - face surface as pcissib'e. lle tlien chips frag fragments - ments fragments of quartz from the vein. These areas finely powlere 1 as possible and panned o t. If there are free go'd val values - ues values in the vein, they will of course make their presence known by colors. But the presence or the absence of colors in the pain ing will not tell the whole story. If the values are hidden in re rebellious - bellious rebellious sulphides they must be identi identified - fied identified bv another method. It is possibly many miles to the m a rest assay office, and the prospector, intent on getting the desired inform ition in the quickest time possible, becomes at once his own as saver. He pu'verizes the quartz into a dust, and adds to it one-third as much gunpowder as there is pulverized ore. The whole is then mixed with water and made into a thick paste, lie shapes it into the form of a cone, and places iton a flat rock to dry. When dry, the point of the cone is fired with a match, and the mass sputters an 1 burns away till there is naught left hut a charred metal metallic - lic metallic button. A little polishing and scrap iog will satisfy the prospector as to the identity of the metal. If there is no gold, silver, copper or other metal in the quartz, there will of course he no metal lie button left on the rock after the burning of the cone. Now, ns to the identifying of sylvanite or tellurium ores. This character o( qu trtz puzzled the best assayers for n long tune, and for that reason many valuable ledges were overlooked, or pro pronounced - nounced pronounced worthless. In its natural state tellurium is a whitish metal, with a lus lustre - tre lustre much like silver. It is rarely found in the natural state, however, but more frequently in composition with gold and silver, or both, and in this form it takes the character of sylvanite, or graphic tellurium. This composition or charac character - ter character of ore is very common in Colorado, and during the past year has been found in considerable quantity in southern and eastern Oregon. As a matter of facC'it was found 40 or 50 years ago in Oregon, but its identity and worth was then unknown.

No one can consistently say that the promulgation of a proposition of this kind is merely a "bait for suckers." Many, however, who have gone into milling ventures indiscriminately, and who have not met with the success an ticipited, are inclined to regard every new mining company.,a* a fraud, paying but little attention to the many marvel marvelous - ous marvelous successes chronicled yearly in the annals of the mining history of this wesern country; and it is this class that "pass up" more opportunities for safe and profitable investment in mining af affairs - fairs affairs than do men with evenly bal meed minds who carefully consider all sides of the question when invited to join in with some strictly legitimate mining en enterprise. - terprise. enterprise. It. is too true that there are many fake mining enterpiises and companies, hut these angle with such lurid bait that nothing but a sucker would bite; but, a sucker is a sucker and no sympathy need be wasted upon him. Still, because there are fishers for suckers and because the sucker will always take the bait, this is no reason why the sensible in investor - vestor investor and capitalist should fight, shy of legitimate mining propositions and of companies desiring to dispose of treas treasury - ury treasury stock for the impose of developing mining property of merit and acknowl acknowledged - edged acknowledged value. Were all men to fight shy of mining becausj a sucker i 3 hooked every now and then, the result would be that many prospective bonanzas would remain undeveloped and unknown in the canyons and hills i f our vast moun mountain - tain mountain ranges. And yet it takes but a small amount « f intelligence to distin distinguish - guish distinguish between the fake mining company - the fisher for suckers - and the genu genuine - ine genuine thing. Lurid advertisements, glow glowing - ing glowing promises, dividends guaranteed and millions assured comprise the different baits used in angling for s n kers. A con conservative - servative conservative statemont of facts and actual conditions are tbe arguments used in the devi-h pment and operation of a mining proposition. It in legitimate to advertise for capi'al, to make an effort to dispose of treasury stock, and this brings to our mind the advertisement of a certain western mining company in which the following terse statement is made: "We are not fishing for suckers, nor gunning for mossbai ks. We don't guarantee anything tint square treat treatment. - ment. treatment. If we di l not think that we will get adequate returns for our time and money, we would quit the deal cold. If we make money you will get your share of it, if you take a chance with us." No sucker will bite at a bait like this. He is too foxy.

"A year ago, if yon will remember, we camped near the mouth of aside can canyon - yon canyon not far from where the Rio Virgin empties into the C<d >rado river. Y n we e in love with that place, as there was a patch of ground, covering about an acre in extent, where there was an abun abundance - dance abundance of fine grass, which was like pie to you after a steady diet of sage brush for a month or more. Well, we made a long stop there, and I prospected the country quite thoroughly, and at last found a ledge that looked fairly good to me, the ore being free-milling gold, and, although of low grade, promised much with development. I sunk a shaft on this and the values gradually improved with depth. Indeed, I felt considerably encouraged ; and, as for you, you were getting as f it as a beef steer on Missouri corn. One day when I was at work a ragged, forlorn prosector came along. He was not much more than a tender tenderfont, - font, tenderfont, and had not. been successful. He asked how I was getting along ami when he saw my find he decided to stay in the vicinity for a while and prospect, al although - though although I told him that my discovery was about the only thing of value in that section. Well, to make my story short, he began Ditching camp a trout 300 yards from my tent, and in fixing np a rude fireplace he dislodged a piece of rook weighing about fifty pounds and, would you believe it, under it he found the cropping of a ledge which was fairly lousy with native gold, and the quartz was easily worth $lO to the pound. I help<d him to make his location, an l then I took the extensions. With de development - velopment development it was found that the ledge widened with denth, anil at ten feet it also transpired that this was the main ledge and that I was working on a spur or off shoot. The tenderfoot sold out for $250,000, and I was able to disjrose of my extensions at a good, round figure. "So you see, Old Long Ears," contin continued - ued continued the prospector, "that there is al always - ways always a chance f >r a big discovery, even in the most ancient of camps. The re recent - cent recent important discoveries in American Fork canyon, Utah, proves thi*, and, the marvelous record being made by the Mohawk, of Goldfield, Nevada, corrobo corroborates - rates corroborates the statements I have made. "l he moral is this, and I believe that yon will say that my conclusions are good: Never condemn any mineral region, as the time may come when the most neglected sections of the west may come lo the front with d scoveries which will st rile the mining world - .S.dt Lake Mining Re> LW.

Never before was mining so active in the Jerome- Verde copper belt, and - the wild cat is not in ih De Development - velopment Development work of the most substantial character, personally directed by competent mining men, is be being - ing being pushed by a number of strong companies in the field, and as a result of this work additional ere bod bodies - ies bodies are sure to be encountered in the near future. « This week marks the beginning of operations of a new company - the Verde Grande Copper company - in the field. The advisory board of the company met at the Bartlett hotel on Wednesday evening and unan unanimously - imously unanimously endorsed a proposition to at once begin active development work on the property of the company, and preparations are already under way. A wagon road and the necessary houses will be built and a double compartment shaft started with a view to go going - ing going down after the ore body as fast as money can be advantageously used. This property with its favor favorable - able favorable formation, and lying as it does on the south slope of Smelter hill adjoining the property of the United Verde, is regarded as one of great possibilities. « A little over a mile southerly from the Verde Grande the Pittsburg-Jerome company has its shaft down about 400 feet, and Ihe bottom of the shaft is in heav heavily - ily heavily stained material of a slaty character. As depth was obtained in sinking the shaft more or less cop copper - per copper stained and some pay rock were encountered at a number of points, notably at the 255-foot and the marks. At the last named point the shaft entered, then passed through twelve feet of pay sul sulphide - phide sulphide ore. The company is making the most satis satisfactory - factory satisfactory progress in sinking, conditions have improved with each succeeding hundred feet, and a large body of good ore may be encountered at any time. <* *

"I want to tell von," said the prospector to his burro, "that it will lie centuries before all of the great mines of the west have been discovered. We have been looking this section over rather thor thoroughly - oughly thoroughly and yet, were we to leave here I would not be surprised to hear, within h week or a month, that some tenderfoot had followed our tr.\il and had made a great discovery within half a mile from where we are now camping. It is truly wonderful to note the splendid finds made in ol 1 camps and in apparently virgin fields. And vet, when I say' 'vir 'virgin - gin 'virgin field,' I am not making a correct statement, as there is hardly a section of the west, which has not, at some time, been gone over by the prospector. Tak » western Nevada, for instance, s,nd I will venture to say that, years ago, when the great Comstock was in the heighth of its wonderful career, every section of country now famed for the possession of great camps such as Tonopah, Goldfield, Bullfrog, Manhattan, Fairview. Wonder, Round Mountain and Silver Peak, was gone over by the searcher for imperisha imperishable - ble imperishable wealth. These found nothing to speak of. and yet, in the same field?, and under different circumstances and conditions, wonderful finds have been made which promise to equal if not eclipse tlie almost marvelous record made by the bonanza mines of the Con:- stoek. "It is a physical impos-iliilPy for a prospector to cover every font of ground in a new and practically unexplored country, and, unawares, he miv pass I within a few f«?et of a prospective bo boj - j boj nanza, and not see it. Many instances of this kind are on record, and it is diie to such facts that most important dis discoveries - coveries discoveries are frequently b ing recorded in old camps, and in new districts, as | well.

It is only once in awhile that a com company - pany company is formed which, within its mem membership, - bership, membership, has ample capital for the ex exph - ph exph itation of its claim or groupof claims. , As a matter of fact, most of our bonanza propositions of today were once on the ragged edge for the wherewithal for their development; and the majority of them, but for the success attendant upon the sale of treasury stock, would now be but little more than prospects. In seeking buyers for their treasury stock these mining companies were not ang angling - ling angling for suckers, but were making over overtures - tures overtures for capitalists and investors that were based upon honest and legitimate business principles, savs the Salt Lake Mining Review. They made this kind of a proposition: "We own what, we believe to be promising and valuable mineral ground. We lack the means to develop the same as it should be. Un Undeveloped - developed Undeveloped it is practically worthless. The indications are that our prospects, if intelligently and economically worked, will eventually take rank as regular pro producers - ducers producers and dividend payers. Will you join hands with us in the furtherance of this enterprise? We will put up the property if you will assist us with the neeessarrv cash. If we succeed we will all make our thousands where we have expended hundreds. We believe we will succeed. If we fail we are all in the same boat. This is purely a busi business - ness business venture,"

vestor are vitally interested in knowing. ' The earliest issues of the Copper Hand Handbook, - book, Handbook, of which the present issue is the sixth annual number, were local in scope, but the work has broadened until, for several years past, it had the entire globe f T its field, and is a standard work of reference in all countries. The thor thoroughness - oughness thoroughness with which the entire globe is covered is attested by the lengthy de descriptions, - scriptions, descriptions, these including I<> pages for the Calumet & Heel*, which was the largest producer of tlie globe in 19J>, 7 pages for the Anaconda, 8 for the Greene, r> eacli for the Rio Tinto and Cupper Queen, and 2 to (> pages each for the Granby of Canada, Fnrnkuwa, Sami to town - wn town and oilier leading Japanese mines, MansbU '4 Germany, Montecatir of italv, Snlitj lma of Norway. Bogoslovsk ~f Russia. Spassky of Siberia, Mt. I .yell of Tasmani i, Great Oohar and Wallaroo & Moonta Australia, Cape Copper Co. of Cape Colony and Newfoundland, and score- of others, tliere bang hundreds of copper mines having docriptions of j more than a page each, and thousands nf smaller properties occupving less j than one page each The total numb r 1 of copper mines and mmp mies t Ins >ear m's V>2<>, a g in of 777 over 19.5. a fa t ! in oi the very widespread inter interjest - jest interjest in i p >er mining now m. n tested in I all part.- oi t .e world. I The publisher makes the usual offer