| Show amous old mines of blind springs hill in in 0 mono county calif begin new career J los angeles april 12 charles A palmer of los geles president of the comanche mining reduction mcany accompanied by will C higgins founder of the lit it lake mining review has returned from a visit to the imp anys extensive holdings on blind springs hill near fenton anton mono county california and both were well eased with progress being made in in mine mine development and alth ih results accompanying operations on the various prop ies fies of the company blind springs hill which was virtually temporary co th ith the great comstock mine at virginia city nevada rido ats 4 N COMANCHE TUNNEL DUMP i tunnel cut tile comanche vein 1418 feet from its it portal I 1 from its face it a drift was run feet to connect with tile the old shaft imming ex higi high gi grade ade milling ore for a distance of feet has as long been noted as a silver producer with but few quals equals in this western country this section was one of the he early day producers of california stron strong surface crop pings on the hill were discovered in 1862 and so rich was the he ore and so 0 large and permanent were the veins that the he fame of the new district spread until a population of several thousand prospectors and mining operators comprised the census of the camp from the date of discovery Z until 1889 the mines of the district were worked extensively I 1 and profitably when low metal prices and other unfavorable able conditions caused a practical suspension of active operations erat ions activity on blind springs hill rp from the very begian beginning ing of mining act activities on blind dis apri hill until the cessation of ore production the brict was full of life so characteristic of high grade mining camps during which ch period the mines of the hill including the diana comanche kerrick hudson cornucopia and anderson recorded an aggregate production of over six millions principally in silver although their ores carried appreciable values in gold lead and copper during in the early history of the camp nothing but high grade silver bearing ore could be mined and handled at a pro profit fit as the output of the mines in seeking a market had to be hauled by ox and mule teams to san pedro harbor for shipment by boat to swansea wales later four mills were in operation in the district and for years a thousand or more ounces of silver bullion was cons consigned ignec daily to the U S mint at carson city however with the mills Ore in regular gular commission and with the stamps dropping on nothing but the highest grades of ore only a small per cent of the ores broken in the mines could be profitably handled the result of this condition being that hundreds of thousands of tons of first class millin milling ore was stored on the dumps and in the workings of the mines that are now available for local treatment as soon as economical am ical methods for handlin handling can be supplied consolidation of properties some six or seven years ago a number of successful and experienced mining 6 operators quietly began the aci 1 of the leading producers on B blind lind springs hill and finally succeeded in securing valid title to acres of ground in the heart of the richest mineralized se section action of the district since then these men wit with h visions of wonderful production in the future have expended in exploratory work and equipment in order to prove to their satisfaction the actual value of their holdings in 1923 the consolidated properties including the producing mines mentioned above were taken over by the comanche mining reduction company of los angeles the former owners b holding a control controlling lint interest in the company on the property of the company there are eight main parallel veins in b granite upon which are located six producing mines whose deepest deepe st working levels do not exceed fe feet et recent developments the kerrick shaft has reached a depth of feet with twenty inches of ore showing in the bottom assaying in gold ounces silver silve r 28 percent copper copped and 26 per cent lead to the ton the balance of the four foot ledge going per ton in these metals south of the shaft on the foot level the drift on the vein towards diana workings has been partly cleaned out towards a point where it is stated the kerrick operators having taken ore from the diana in in order to destroy all evidence of the alleged with dynamite and at this theft blew up th the e workings place it is reported alie cherer fg ati lare ar e body of shipping ore ready to be ta taeng eil enu as drift is cleaned out this work is n progress at the present tirrie time the 9 shaft has been 25 feet below the t he surface an progress ress is in gaining greater dath di 6 v ian 6 ton thi ivel have been driven sixteen feet ouan 0 ui anaf ica alv twenty lt feet aih of the shaft both faces showing good milling ore carrying a streak of high grade black metal the comanche raise from the tunnel level has been sent up a distance of feet in this raise a five foot body of good milling ore is showing carrying a rich streak of black metal from two inches to a foot and a half in width the comanche shaft being sunk from the surface to meet the upraise has reached a depth of feet the bottom showing from four to five feet of milling ore with streaks of black metal run running nino 6 high in its silver content in the forty foot raise from the tunnel level twenty feet south from the old comanche shaft there is a showing of from four to five feet of good milling ore accompanied by six to eighteen inches of lead carbonate and black metal ore in cleaning out the drifts in the comanche and kerrick veins worked by old timers large bodies of excellent milling ore have been found blocked out ready for extraction these being accompanied by streaks of black metal on both walls while the fills are loaded with thousands of tons of ore of good milling grade main working tunnel planned at the present time the company is planning the driving of a long main or working tunnel the portal of this tunnel will be located on the east side of blind springs hill half a mile from the railroad this tunnel will crosscut cross cut the formation and in its course within a distance of approximately feet will open up the main fissure veins of the group at depths ranging from to 1500 feet shaft sinking is now in progress at the comanche hudson and kerrick mines and when the main tunnel level is reached cross cuts will be run from mine to mine to meet the main tunnel heading which will hasten the completion of the main haulage avenue below the portal of this tunnel the company owns acres of gently sloping land upon which it is proposed to lay out a townsite the townsite will join the railroad right of an abundance of way good water can be secured by the sinking of shallow wells while inches of water is available in montgomery mountain three miles distant distant as well as an electric generating power site the water from montgomery mountain can be conveyed to the permanent camp by gravity all ores from above the tunnel level willbe handled by gravity and below its portal ac according cordin to plans practically completed a milling plant and smelter will be constructed with an ultimate daily capacity of 1000 tons organization and capitalization the comanche I 1 mining lining reduction coni company p any was ga nl with a capitalization of shares ry a aluf 77 e of 1 each half of the capitalization was employed of a par 8 in the p purchase of company holdings there was no pro motion stock the remaining shares are held treasury stock of which shares as are to be sold at par for development and equipment purposes ch charles arles A palmer is president of the H W edmondson company major E M is is vice president and o manager will C is general secretary and D C palmer is is mine ir supe superintendent rin main office 7 chas C ahn 1 chapman los angeles ap |
