Minning 2

Duffin, Gibfried, Toquerville, Jump Off Joe,
Vanderbilt, and other claims, situated on this
reef. High milling charges and royalties have
been drawbacks in the early days of the camp
to the poor prospector, and the present regular
rates could be well reduced, namely, 80 per
cent of assay value, 20 per cent discount, and
$12 per ton for milling; returning only $52 from
a $100 ore. In instances of big lots, the $12
charge has been reduced to $10 and $9. Mill
assays govern of course.

The bullion produced by the camp was, up to
June 1st, 1880, according to Wells, Fargo &
Co.'s receipts, 2, 755,247 ounces of fine silver.
To this ought to be added the value of the
bullion produced from the ore at Salt Lake
City and Pioche. Disregarding this, however,
we calculate that counting full time since each
mill has been built (deducting of course the
eight months the Barbee & Walker people
were without a mill, and also the time since
the closing of the Pioneer mill, allowing no
time for stoppages and repairs, but counting
the time each set of stamps has been running,
and noting the number of stamps of the
respective mills and reducing it to the
standard of one stamp per day-30 days per
month), the stamp capacity of this camp has
averaged so far 111 ounces of fine silver per
day-a remarkably high record for the camp,
considering that all the mills had more or less
stoppages during this time. But if the ore had
not been in sandstone, this return could not
have been made. The amount stamped is from
6 to 7 tons per head per day. If more than that
is stamped, it is simply run into the slime pits,
and not put through the pans. If only picked
ore, from certain portions of the Buckeye Reef,
were put through, probably 7.5 tons per stamp,
per day, on a month run, might be put through
the Stormont hill, which has 13 pans to 10
stamps.

The amounts of sale and. bluestone used in
milling are naturally very variable,
according to the locality of the reefs from
which it is taken. The limits probably lie
between
Bluestone, 1 2-10 pounds to 5 pounds per
ton.
Salt, 15 pounds to 50 pounds per ton.
The loss in quicksilver varies from 1 1-15
pounds to 2 1-2 pounds per ton.
The total cost of milling varies at the mills
from $3.85 to $6 per ton, to which the cost of
ore-hauling charges. All, except the
Stormont mill, are steam mills; it is also the
only 10-stamp mill of the district. The stamps
in use, when new, weigh 750 pounds, and
with a fall of 6 inches make from 80 to 100
drops per minute. The batteries have
40-mesh screens. The Stormont mill has 6
blanket sluices, 130 feet long, 14 inches
wide, 5 inches deep, inclined under 3
degrees,-the only one in the camp. The pans
of the district are rated at a ton and a half.
The fineness of the bullion varies from 700 to
987 fine.

Tailings vary from $3.25 to $10 per ton,
varying with the localities in the different
reefs. Slimes are generally richer than the
ore from which they are produced. The cost
of mining is likewise variable, depending on
the condition of the mines, i.e., on the
amount of prospecting and deadwork to be
done, or the construction required, and
ranges between the limits of $4.50 to $9.50
per ton. The total cost of these ores,
including bullion charges, ranges from $14
to $17 per ton.
Taking the camp as a whole, it shows very
well indeed, and it must be ranked among
our good camps. If the companies now
operating there will work their mines
legitimately and systematically, the camp
will continue to be for a long time yet, what
it is today, a sure and steady bullion
producer.