| Show DEEP SINKING the mining regions of the west abound in old and practically abandoned mining camps which in their early history were productive of immense quantities of ore from the grassroots grass roots but which at the present time are idle and practically deserted and their old time producers neglected and abandoned are so wrecked by the handoc hand of time that they appeal I 1 in n vain to the capitalist and promoter for resura resurrection act on and renewed life the causes which led to this abandonment are many and yet no good reason exists why mines which have produced their hundreds of thousands or even millions at no greater depth than feet should be closed and unproductive during their era of mining prosperity and wonderful production A miner or prospector will go wild over a good surface showing of pay ore and he will use every effort to transform his prospect into a bonanza into hito a mine that will maintain a production of a hundred tons ot of ore a day for an indefinite period and more I 1 he must know that a property that has been developed for a few hundred feet or more is not a mine but that it is still a prospect he must know also that instances are few of record where the ore bodies strong on the surface fall fail to go to the deep even though barren spots are encountered in the vein it is true that the character of the ore may change with depth but it is a general rule that the greater the depth the larger the ore channels while values are usually well maintained the life of a mine depends upon depth to insure a big and regular tonnage the mine must be thoroughly opened levels must be run upraises up raises made and the workings must be connected in order that many men can be employed in ore extraction so that development can be kept ahead of production this condition cannot be maintained by keeping up mere surface workings and yet many rich mines have been abandoned after only a few hundred feet of tunnels or inclines have been run that would be heavy producers today were they but subjected to a system of deep mining and yet these old mines are much better than prospects as surface workings have demonstrated the existence of large and rich ore leodies b odies which without doubt can be followed to the deep more successfully than can work be prosecuted an an the development of a mere prospect whose value is still an unknown quantity deep sinking makes big mines but mere surface scratching will lead to failure unless the veins exist in what is known as blanket formation many of the old and abandoned mines alluded to although having produced their hundreds of thousands at the grassroots grass roots are ae still in their infancy as far as their real worth is concerned and what they have produced at or near their surface in the past is but an index of what they are capable of producing were they to pass into the hands of those possessing the capital and nerve to develop them to greater depths |
