Show old mines resurrected R correspondence cl grants pass ore sept 26 A remarkable thing in southern oregon mining progress of the present season is the number of old and abandoned mines that have been taken up and that have been made paying properties by systematic and intelligent development it is a striking proof of the truth that this country went down the road several years ago through mismanagement and poor development the hammersley the mountain lion the lucky queen the oro fino the roaring gimlet and several others that could bei be named are all on the list of recent producers now well equipped and paying but which up to a few months ago were given over to the rats and decay the old hammersley of jump off joe has just started up its new mill of five stamps with a full complement of machinery this property was taken up a few months ago by F H osgood of seattle the tunnels and drifts were flooded and the entire mine in bad shape the water was pumped out the underground workings re timbered the lost ledge found and a fine and large body of ore uncovered the ledge shows rich values and is getting better with depth in this same district is the oro fino abandoned several years ago but taken up this season by S chase and associates of portland mr chase has made a rich mine of the old oro fino he has uncovered a magnificent body of ore and is now installing a thirty ton cyanide plant the rock carries its values largely in base and will make a fine cyaniding cyan iding proposition the new plant will be ready for work in a few weeks the mountain lion mine is located on applegate courten miles from grants pass its reincarnation came about through the capital and enterprise of poindexter crawford smith these gentlemen have built a new five stamp mill installed a new vanner erected shops mes shouse lodging house assay office barn store and other buildings the mine is equipped with steel rails and cars and a crew of twenty two men is employed since the date of the bond given on june 11 of this year about 2000 feet of track has been laid and all of the adit tunnels tunnel sand and main workings re timbered there are now about tons of ore in reserve of rock that will average 15 a ton the richest of this is being hauled to grants pass and shipped to the smelter and the remainder is treated in the mill the management is now opening up reserve ground for the purpose of running the mill on high grade ores during the winter when the roads will be unfit for hauling it ii was da s nearly twenty five years ago that the old lucky quentine quen mine of jump off joe district failed the lucky queen had been a rich property its surface or oxidized ores yielded handsomely and the mill ground out gold bricks like a tile yard mortar but suddenly the big thing pinched the values disappeared from the ore and those who had been made rich sunk it all in a vain hope for more the stamps were hung up and the mine given up as a bad proposition but this past year C D crane took hold of the lucky queen and going down below the old workings drove in new tunnels and in due time struck the ledge he had a mammoth ore body in sight now and has purchased a ten stamp mill as the old one was long ago dismantled in but a little while and the luky lucky queen will be a busy camp again more busy in fact than during the days of its greatest prosperity for now the free milling values will not be alone depended upon and it will be conducted on a more economic businesslike business like plan A milwaukee company is making preparations to install a ton smelter for treating base gold quartz at gold hill one of the company has been here and looked over the ground and definitely decided to place the plant it is announced that the new smelter will be ready for work within the next three months this will greatly assist the josephine and jackson county miners and own ers of low grade quartz propositions in getting a market at home for their ores under present conditions and with the high freight rates and expensive hauls ore must be exceptionally rich to leave even a small margin of profit after shipment to the of neighboring states the smelter at takilma Ta kilma for the waldo copper mines is operating successfully and will be kept at work continually supplied with with ore from the cowboy and queen of bronze mines of the waldo smelting smelling Sm elting mining companas Comp anys properties other developed properties of the district will have ore in plenty in the near future the granite hill mines are employing afif ty five men now with the new mill continually at work and drifts being run on four levels an eight foot body of high grade ore is uncovered on the foot level on the west drift the red jacket mine of these properties is being worked and the ore re is hauled by wagon to the granite hill mill the red jacket has three distinct veins some of which give 50 a ton the ore of this property is all high grade the mine is being opened by tunnel and drift and inclined shaft on the cvejn the inclined shaft is a large double well timbered affair provided with steel guides and automatic dumping skip A separate boiler engine and hoist is employed at the red jacket manager W J morphy is ig no making an inspection of the granite hll 1111 mines for the american gold fields com pany of chicago A number of the aromi nent stockholders of the company have vis vi cited the mine recently all are highly pleased with the showing the mine is mak ing and the good work being done by sul SUD erin wickersham and the general management DENNIS H STOVALL |