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<br />FOUNTAIN, MINN., NOV. 9, 19112. ,
<br />D. J. CAMERON, EsQ•, Le Cxossx, WIS. , i
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<br />ljE,~t SIx: Having been notified by wire that you had selected me to examine and report on The
<br />' Col. -and .after learning the nature of the inquiries
<br />Ophir Consolidated Mines property, located at Ophir,
<br />you desired me to make, I left`La Crosse in company with Mr. S. W. Anderson and my son B. F. Case, a ~ 'i
<br />mining engineering student, for Telluride, Col., .without unnecessary., delay. We arrived at that point oh ~,
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<br />the 24th ultimo,.finding that. comfortable and convenient,quarters'for;the party had been reserved at rite
<br />Vew Sheridan hotel through the kindness of Ma.Henry Buckley. ` ,+
<br />After arriving at Ophir we went up the steep winding trail,- some twenty-five hundred. feet, to the ~/ ''~
<br />boarding housewhich is located alittle -below the mouth of the Be1L cross-cut tunnel, where we met the ;,~
<br />mine superintendent, Mr. DfcWilliams, who kindly furnished us the necessary miners' garments, rubber , {
<br />boots, etc. ~, _
<br />The first place visited was the mine house which is located at the mouth of the sixth level tunnel•
<br />------ Here are the ore bins and' chutes, also ap-TO-date appliances in the shape of labor-saving devices for getting
<br />the ore from the mine to the mill with least expense.
<br />Here the cars containing the ore from the various workings in the mine deposit their loads. The ', f9
<br />` larger pieces aze broken into smaller fragments by workmen in the bin so as to pass through the chutes to l~
<br />the ore buckets beneath, which have a capacity of One-half ton each. These being loaded. automatically, ; el
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<br />carry their load every five or ten minutes to the mill, running over an eighteen hundred foot cable.
<br />In the mine house is also located the mine blacksmith shop. With the mine foreman, Mr. Davey, .
<br />and the mine superintendent, Mr. McWilliams, we entered the mine on the sixth level, which is known as ~
<br />the main tunnel,. or the Bell cross-cut This tunnel has been enlazged under the present management and
<br />a new track of thirty-pound steel to the 'yard laid, and a drainage ditch.made alongside to facilitate
<br />:drainage.
<br />The first vein encountered is the Silver Bell-Butler, which is a true Telluride ore, rich in silver, lead, }i ~'
<br />gold, coPPer and iron. Aperfect smelting mineral. The breast of the workings in this vein is about four feet )
<br />vide, a true fissure, with well defined foot and hanging walls, almost perpendicular. 'At the breast where r
<br />hey were using the drill the vein widens out to about six feet. We followed this vein up three hundred
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<br />eet through the the workings on the fourth and third levels, finding in each the same character o .ore.
<br />The Ida, which we first encountered on the sixth level atso,is agray sulphide of a soft calcareous i
<br />ature, rich in free gold and concentrates. From tests made, I regard this vein one of the best, if not~the
<br />est, in the Present workings of the Ophir group. It is well defined, has perfect foot and hanging walls and ~ ti
<br />as a width'in Present workings on the sixth level of over four feet. Specimens obtained in this heading
<br />ny about the same quality of metal throughout its entire width. One~place on the fifth level in the stoping
<br />e vein has widened out to over six feet. This vein lies directly south of the Butler. Mr. McWilliams
<br />formed me that they were mixing the two bodies of ore (the Butler and Ida) at present with best re-
<br />]ts in milling.
<br />Mr. McWilliams, the superintendent, and Mr. Davey, the mine foreman, are both gentlemen and
<br />actical fn their profession. They both have the knack of using men to a good advantage, appearing at all
<br />ics on intimate terms with them, while at the same time they compel a certain reserve and respect for -
<br />eir authority. Mr. Davey is a Cornishman.. T noticed a peculiar interest among all the miners, a feeling '
<br />contentment as though the work they were engaged fn was of vital importance to themselves, and a display 1
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<br />intelligence rarely met with under similar conditions. i
<br />After viewing. the boarding house of this great enterprise and partaking of the good things in the ,i
<br />~y of eatables that weregiaced before us, we at once came to the conclusion that from all Mr. McWilliams
<br />told us about the behavior of the men, and by past experience, that good eatables are consistent with ~;
<br />tentment.
<br />To come to a summary, I wish to regfsier the following facts in regard to ithe mine part of the ~
<br />sr.-There are immense bodies of pay ore in sight, already blocked out in the mine and on the dumps.
<br />n + '1 he country rock in which the wins are found is diorite, which contains generally more true fissure
<br />, ~~~?: veins than cry other country rook, and which by its presence reduces operatingexpens~s to a cer• ~!
<br />-~~'' rain„extsat;^dliaiiuating the cost of timbering iatunnels.
<br />SccoNn.-Cost of. getting ors from mine to mill is reduced to a minimum, A two•bucket aerial tram 3s in ,~
<br />operation on'a direct 19ns:from the mouth of the mine to the mill, avsragmg the delivery of I500 ~
<br />pounds. Qf ore to the mill susry ten minutes.. The work of leading the buckets is looked after by ons '
<br />man, who kesgs tally of thslnumber of buckets delivered.
<br />Txuso.-Timber, as all fmportaat item to a' mine. The mountain in which this property is located is well
<br />clothed with a growth of spines timber, which at a nominal sxpcnse can bs delivered at the various
<br />levels ready foi usc, Ths management has at the prsssnt aims enough cut and delivered ak the vs• y
<br />rious portals, and cried iri flte headings where it can be handily reached, for use this coming winter , ,
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