Show mining ining in ely district in 19 1917 17 BY WILL C HIGGINS some twelve or fifteen years ago ely in white pine county nevada might well have been classed among the lias has beens as far as active mining operations were concerned its streets were practically deserted and empty and dilapidated business houses and dwellings gave the casual visitor that tired feeling that creeps upon one when chance brings him face to face with the last remnant of a once prosperous and productive mining camp for even the dogs skulk away and the old timer with back braced against the whittled post of some old and tottering porch has hardly enough energy left to rise copper bearing porphyries ries of copper flat a few miles west of ely a section unappreciated and long neglected by the old time mining operator of that region but destined to take part in the regeneration of a district that now ranks with the leaders of the west in point of copper production and today the old tinier timer if lie he could be brought back to earth would believe that he was in fairyland when confronted with the wonderful activities and great production of a district which during his lifetime had held him in the thrall of poverty because of the undying hope within him that some day it would among the first to realize the great possibilities bili ties contained in the disseminated copper in the porphyries ries of copper flat although the old giroux now the consolidated Copp ermines was the real pioneer in this field the nevada consolidated once convinced that here was a great mining industry in embryo immediately began extensive operations A railroad was built from the main line of the southern pacific to ely and to the companas comp anys mines as well as to its concentrating and smelting smelling sm elting plants at mcgill a few miles east of ely mining operations upon a gigantic scale were inaugurated both underground and on the surface and today the company is milling and treating in the neighborhood of tons N X ani 10 L aie az S 41 le nw steam shovel operations at copper flat mine of nevada consolidated at ely nevada to his feet and return a cordial greeting half a century ago the mines surrounding ely were productive of gold and silver lead and some copper but copper was worthless in those days and lead a drug on the market while the ores containing the precious metals must of necessity be of high grade in order to yield a profit after deducting heavy mining costs and almost prohibitive hibi tive transportation charges for the nearest railroad shipping point was the southern pacific many miles to the north and yet with all these obstacles the camp flourished for several years or until silver was demonetized de in 1873 when a gradual decline set in along about 1905 however the demand for the red metal brought to the attention of active and progressive outsiders the wonderful possibilities of the great prove all and more that surface indications so lavishly promised but it was not the impoverished deposits of high grade that quickened the sluggish pulse of disconsolate ely hut but the bringing into life of the latent possibilities of the great region to the west of the town where one could travel for several miles over an undulating country whose every foot contained a hungry looking whose greatest effort could not yield more than two or three per cent in its copper content to the ton and it was the disposed dispi sed copper flat section of white pine country that gave a new hold on life to ely and caused the rejuvenation that has resulted in building up an industry that is now the joy and pride of the state the nevada consolidated copper was of ore from its mines annually besides handling large quantities of the product of an adjoining property at the present time the company is operating steam shovels at its liberty and eureka pits on copper flat and is producing a milling product from the underground workings of its ruth mine the output from these sources being approximately tons daily which is conveyed over the copper flat branch of the nevada northern railroad to the companas comp anys reduction plants at mcgill where both table and oil flotation methods of concentration are employed at mcgill the company has in commission a ton milling plant and a smelter of equal capacity dividend disbursements the nevada consolidated copper com pany began egan its initial dividend payments in 1908 amounting to 37 cents a share since then it has been regular in its disbursements of velvet money and has enriched its stockholders annually for ten long years to a grand total of its dividend record ecord this year amounted to three quarters in 1917 the company has furnished the public reports pertaining to its operations for the first second and third quarters of its fiscal year beginning january 1 1917 and the fourth is forthcoming tile the production for the first quarter amounted to pounds of copper during this quarter the company treated dry tons of nevada cons consolidated bli dated ore averaging per cent copper to the ton of this tonnage 72 per cent was supplied by steam shovel mining and 28 per cent came from the underground workings of its ruth mine the company also handled 11 tons of ore from the property of the consolidated Copperi Copp ermines nines company in the second quarter the company produced pounds of copper and milled dry tons of nevada consolidated ore 75 per cent of which came from the open pits and 25 per pe r cent from the ruth mine this ore averaged per cent copper to the ton in this quarter the company treated 1145 tons of ore from the mine of the consolidated Copp ermines company for the third quarter the company produced pounds of copper from 1 dry tons of nevada consolidated ore this ore averaged per cent per ton in its copper content of this tonnage 78 per cent was supplied from the pits and 22 from the ruth mine in this quarter the company milled dry tons for the consolidated Copp ermines company mine and mill equipment included in the equipment necessary for mine operation there is steam and electric power compressors and machine drills and electric haulage ten steam shovels and twelve steam locomotives hoisting plants and other surface buildings the equipment at its plant at mcgill embraces a ton concentrating mill containing thirty two sets of rolls ten chilian mills twenty four huntington mills and flotation plant ton smelter 1 blast furnace five furnaces and four converters in addition the company has built several towns which are lively business centers the company gives employment to a force of about men official of nevada consolidated executive officials S W eccles president D C jackling vice president and managing director W E bennett secretary operating officials in nevada C B lakenan general manager C V jenkins business manager E E Vander hoet superintendent in of steam shovel operations W S larsh underground mine superintendent superintend 1 ent G C riser superintendent of concentrator and R E H pomeroy superintendent of smelter C F jennings of salt lake city is assistant purchasing agent for the company the consolidated copper mines company the consolidated Copp ermines company which is the ultimate outcome of the giroux consolidated mining company although the first to get a foothold on copper flat is the last of the operating companies of that section to come into its own for years the mining public has been fully informed of the vast possibilities of the giroux holdings and an impatient public has clamored unceasingly for tangible returns from an investment that promised in millions illions while owning property of exceptional merit and promise the original company and its successor have experienced difficulties which is so often the lot of various mining enterprises such as internal troubles and financial hardships but through all this unbounded faith as to the value and merit of the proposition has always been maintained and now after years of struggle and with clear skies ahead with its great consolidation of splendid ground with up to date equipment and with experienced and careful management no doubt can be entertained but that the consolidated Copp ermines stands on the threshold of wonderful progress and pio prosperity active mining operations the company is now engaged in active mining and milling operations its property is equipped with fine hoisting plants and surface buildings the mines of the company are worked through shafts and in the underground workings great bodies of ore have been developed and blocked out for extraction this ore is reported to be of the high est grade in its copper content yet discovered in the district and carries native copper op cuprite malachite co and azurite quite recently in making excavations back of 0 its milling plant a twenty foot body of ore was disclosed assaying 6 per cent copper to the ton the ton concentration and oil flotation plant of the company has recently been enlarged so that 1000 tons of crude ore can now be treated daily this plant is the last word in milling practice and modern in every respect during the past year the company has been shipping a considerable tonnage of ore to the plant of the nevada consolidated at mcgill for treatment and this has been a source of profitable revenue the company employs a force of about men the officers of the company are albert E humphreys president joseph B cotton first vice president thomas A merritt sec ond vice president thomas B adams secretary and treasurer robert linton general manager edwin F gray consulting engineer henry B paull auditor and H S monroe general superintendent general office broadway new york mine office kimberly nevada leasers leaders working at lane city at lane city considerable activity is noticeable ti in the operation of lead silver and zinc mines for which that section is noted the work is being principally done by leas ers activity is also noticeable at ward and muncy creek and also at aurum in the vicinity of ely considerable attention is being paid to tungsten production while at tungstonia Tung stonia several companies have put in needed equipment and are on a regular producing basis |