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Show 400-Ton Processing Plant to Begin Operation This Fall The Metal Producers Company, California mining concern which since early in 1941 has operated the old Horri Silver mine in Western Beaver County, will begin preliminary construction con-struction next week of a 400-ton mill, to work low-grade ores from the Horn Silver. Huge quantities of low-grade copper, lead and zinc ores adaptable for milling have been charted and blocked out for processing thru the new mill. BEAVER PIONEER DIES James Albert Nowers, 82, died at the family home in Beaver on Tuesday following a short illness. ill-ness. He was born Nov. 29, 1864 at Beaver, a son of Wilson Gates and Sarah Anderson Nowers, who were among the first to settle set-tle the town of Beaver. He married Ella May Wiley, Dec. 5, 1894, in Circleville. They had since made their home at Beaver. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Ella May Nowers, five sons and daughters, Edward W. Nowers Sr., George Nowers, Mrs. Marietta Mari-etta Bohn and Mrs. Ella Easton, all of Beaver, and Delbert Nowers Now-ers of Salt Lake City, and a grandson, - Edwadr " W. Nowers Jr. Twelve other grandchildren and three great-grandchildren also survive. Funeral services will be conducted con-ducted Friday at 2 p. m. from the Beaver West Ward Chapel. Actual construction of the 4 mill itself will not begin until September, however, a 16-in. well will be sunk, land leveled and other preliminary details taken care of in the intervening interven-ing period. It is expected to have concentrates coming from the mill by early winter, according to James H. Wrenn, superintendent of the Milford operations for the Metal Producers Pro-ducers Co. Included in the ores to be processed in Milford are several large stopes of 25 to 30 lead and zinc ores, along with "plenty" of copper ore, Mr. Wrenn said. A new shaft ,to supplement production now being be-ing cairied out thru the old Knight shaft, will be compV'Ud soon. In the past, lull emphasis has been placed upon properly preparing pre-paring the underground workings work-ings for full production, Mr. Wrenn said, with little attention being paid to the surface buildings. build-ings. Only the necessary structures struc-tures such as hoist house, change rooms .small office building, etc., have been erected. A 125-horse double drum hoist pulls the ore to the surface from all levels down to the 1150, and a modern conveyor belt slowly delivers the ore to the bins. Along the conveyor route it is sorted, with high grade, low grade, ordinary ' country rock," etc., being tossed into various bins, along the route. Along with two modern compressors, com-pressors, this just, about makes up the total of the surface equipment. equip-ment. 'However, the most modern mod-ern tipples, automatic unloading devices, etc., will be installed in the immediate future, Mr. Wrenn said. It's a different story below ground. On each level, all modern safety devices have been installed. The mine is completely electrified and mechanized. Old timbers, installed in-stalled in early days, altho some are "sound as a dollar" after 60 years, have been replaced re-placed with new, heavier and thoroughly tested timbers. The old stopes have been timbered tim-bered up to forestall any possible sliding which might cut off the main drifts, endangering ths lives of workmen. Many of the old stopes have been utilized as store rooms, holding thousands of tons of low-grade ore, which has been stored against the day when the mill would be completed. com-pleted. Plans for the mill were included in the program many months ago, Mr. Wrenn said, but not until this summer could it be constructed economically. Two "locomotives," electrically electric-ally powered, haul the ore cars from drift and stope to the main shaft. Mechanical "muckers" load the cars, and "cats" are to be put to work hundreds of feet below the ground, making the work of employes less- back-breaking back-breaking and more efficient. Many uncounted miles of rail line now running back and forth under the old mountain are to' be supplemented by many additional addi-tional miles of rail, and the en-(Continued en-(Continued on Page Four) HERE'S MORE ABOUT ORE MILL (Continued from Page One) I tire main tunnel is to be double- tracked, to speed up operations. Two or three additional electric locomotives also are to be put in service, Mr. Wrenn said. I With the installation of the; mill, additional housing must be made available. Six new homes ! are to be built at the mine for I key personnel, and several additional ad-ditional "company houses" and barracks will be constructed to accommodate the miners. At the mill, housing will be made available for officials and employes. em-ployes. A new superintendent will be named for the mine, it was revealed, re-vealed, replacing Mr. Wrenn, who will move to Mijford and assume the duties of general superintendent su-perintendent over all operations at the mine, mill, and shipping docks in Milford. Both flotation and sink float units have been ordered for the r.tw mill, and both processes of refining the ores will be employed. em-ployed. Only eight or ten men' will be given work at the mill proper, however, several addi- j tional truGkers will be employed, j and processing of the ores here will enable the company to employ em-ploy many more men at the mine, working the low-grade ores The Metal Producers payroll at the Horn Silver last year was in excess of $110,000, Mr. Wrenn revealed, in addition to another $100,000 spent for equipment and supplies. The 1947 payroll will be well over $150,000 he said. At present, 48 men are employed at the mine proper. With five years remaining on the old lease under which Metal Producers operates, a new agreement agree-ment recently was signed extending ex-tending the lease an additional 20 years. The Metal Producers Company is a mining company only, Mr. Wrenn pointed out, and has no stock to sell in Horn Silver or any other mine. They operate the mine on a straight royalty basis. |