Metals, San Bernardino County
(excerpt)
California Journal of Mines and Geology, January 1940
State of California Division of Mines
Alvord
Mine. It comprises 6 patented claims and one mill site situated in Sec. 1, 2 and
12, T. T 11 N., R. 3 E., S. B. M., in the Alvord Mountains, 6 miles northeast of Manix and
14 miles northeast of Yermo, a station of the Union Pacific Railroad; elevation 2500 ft.;
owner, Dellosso Gold Mining Co., F. G. Dellosso, president. Huntington Park, Calif. The property was located in 1885 and operated until
1891 by the Carter Gold Mining Co., of Pasadena, Calif., J. McLore, president.
The ore mined was treated in a 5-stamp mill at Camp
Cady on the Mojave River. It is reported that they recovered $12.75 per ton by
amalgamation with a loss of $1.25 per ton in the tailings. The total production during
this period of operation was $50,000.
The property was operated from 1906 to 1910 by
Alvord Gold Mining Co., of San Diego, Calif. This company installed a 6-Nisson stamp mill.
From 1916 to 1920, the Tintic Bonanza Mining Co., of Salt Lake City, Utah; Gidion Snyder,
president, operated the property. F. G. Dellosso purchased the property in 1925 and formed
the Dellosso Mining Company and patented 6 claims in 1931.
The claims are located along a broad belt of
crystalline limestone. A dike of porphyritic rock cuts across this belt of
limestone at an angle of about 90°. The Principal mineralization occurs east of this
dike. The rock is more or less schistose in character, through which at frequent intervals
are intruded eruptive dikes. At the east end of the belt is an accumulation of tufa and
basalt. The belt strikes E.-W., with a dip of 75° S.
The mineralized portion of this lode extends from
the porphyry (like east through three full claims and disappears finally beneath the
eruptive rocks. The entire lode is gold-bearing, some of the hematite and jasper rock
being rich. Gold also occurs in the calcite, though usually lower grade than where
accompanied with iron. Iron sulphides also are found carrying gold. The ore mined was
limonite and jasper, showing some copper stains.
Development on Royal claim consists of glory hole
150 ft. in length and 140 ft. wide. This orebody dips 70° S. The glory hole is 200 ft. in
elevation above lower tunnel and 100 ft. above upper tunnel. The upper tunnel is driven
east 500 ft. on fissure in limestone. Orebody developed on this tunnel level was 100 ft.
in length and 6 ft. to 12 ft. in width; sloped from tunnel level. to 40 ft. of surface
outcrop. The lower tunnel is driven east 550 ft. in the foot wall lime At 100 ft. east of
the portal, a crosscut was driven south 100 ft. along contact of granite and limestone. At
150 ft. cast of portal, intersected orebody exposed in upper tunnel.
Equipment consists of C.P. compressor driven by
15-h.p. FairbanksMorse gas engine. Mill equipment consists of 9-in. by 15-in. Blake type
crusher; 6-Nisson stamps; amalgamation plates; and cyanide tanks.
Water is secured from well 500 .ft. deep, with a
capacity of 5000 gal. per 24 hr., 1-1/2 miles southwest of mine. Two men are
employed.
Bibl. : State Mineralogist's Reports VIII, p. 499 ;
XI, p. 359 ; XIII, p. 319 ; XXVII, p. 281.
American Mine. It comprises 4
patented claims situated in Sec. 19, T. 4 N., R. 11 E., S. B. M., on the north slope of
the Sheep Hole Mountains, 10 miles south of Amboy, a station on the Santa Fe Railroad;
elevation 3600 ft.; owner, Marcus Pluth Estate, Daggett, Calif. ; under lease and bond to
American Mines, Inc., F. H. Merrill, president and manager; George Nilsson, secretary;
Paul E. Fuller, superintendent, 908 Richfield Bldg., Los Angeles.
The country rock is rhyolite and andesite.
Mineralization occurs in fine-grained rhyolitic porphyry dike. The ore occurs in fractures
and seams in the rhyolite, the gold occurring free and associated with hematite; also
small amounts of arsenapyrite and chalcopyrite. The orebody strikes E.-W., clips 25° N.
and is from 60 ft to 150 ft. in width and about 600 ft. in length along the strike.
Development
consists of a tunnel driven S. 30° E., 400 ft., then drift northeast 60 ft. to
north-south fault, with drift north along fault 100 ft. At 300 ft. from portal, the tunnel
intersects shaft sunk on orebody from surface. The shaft is 120 ft. in depth. There is a
drift driven southwest 260 ft. from shaft. All workings on tunnel level are in trachyte.
Upper tunnel. is driven south 200 ft. and 150 ft. from portal, drift west 150 ft. to
shaft.
Mine equipment consists of 120-h.p. Fairbanks-Morse diesel
engine and Ingersoll-Rand compressor. Mill equipment consists of crusher, rolls, rod mill
and sand-leaching cyanide plant, with a capacity of 50 tons. Twelve men are employed.
Atolia Mining Co. (tungsten). This
property, consisting of some 60 patented claims, is situated 3 miles southeast of
Randsburg; elevation 3200 ft. ; owners, Atolia Mining Co., L. Wernecke, president; L. E.
Putnam, superintendent; offices, 1022 Crocker Bldg., San Francisco.
A new gravity concentration and flotation plant was
installed on the property in 1938, with a capacity of 300 tons per day. They are treating
tailings from former mill and ore from leasers working on company's claims. Forty-five men
are employed.
Bibl.: State Mineralogist's Reports XV, pp. 830-839; XVII,
pp. 370-372 ; XX, pp. 96-97 ; XXVII, pp. 365-366 ; Bull. 95, pp. 70-78 and 125-128.
Atolia Rand Placers (gold and tungsten). The
property comprises 600 acres situated in the Atolia Mining District, in Sec. 19-30, T. 30
S., R. 41 E., M. D. M., one mile southwest of Atolia; owner, Atolia Rand Placers, Inc.,
and Molybdenum Corp. of America Dr. G. W. Sargent, president; Marx Hirsch, vice president;
T. J. Crawford, secretary; M. C. Whitaker, consulting engineer, New York City. The
property is under lease to H. H Morse and C. E. Irwin, Atolia, Calif.
In 1934, the Molybdenum Corp. of America financed the
building of a concentration plant having a capacity of 1500 cu. yd. per 24 hours. This new
plant started operations October, 1934, and was operated until December, 1936, when
operations were suspended. In 1938, H. H. Morse secured a lease on the property,
operating the 100-ton concentration plant for the recovery of gold and scheelite; also
operated the plant as a custom mill for gold and tungsten ores of the district. They are
treating about 80 cit. yd. per day of gravel. Thirty-six men are employed.
The gravel deposit is erosion material
from the Rand Mountains, washed down and deposited in narrow gulches. In the alluvium.
through which there are several narrow channels, gravel has been deposited. This action
has been intermittent resulting in "layers" which may be separated by a false
bedrock of caliche. The general course of the channels is northwest-southeast. The area
that has been tested with test holes is about 3 miles in length by one mile in width.
While these are concentrations on bedrock (quartz-monzonite), values are said to be
disseminated throughout the alluvium, thickness of which varies from 8 ft. to 30 ft. The
average gold content is said to be 70¢ per cu. yd. In addition to the gold it is estimated that the deposit
will yield 2 lb. to 10 lb. of scheelite per yard.
Mill: The gravel was transported to mill by two
110-h.p. caterpillar tractors which hauled two 10-cu. yd. LeTourneau scrapers to 350-cu.
yd. capacity hopper, equipped with 5-in. spaced R.R. iron grizzly. From hopper 5-in.
material is fed by automatic feeder to 24-in. belt conveyor, 139-ft. centers to 28-cu. yd.
circular, steel hopper. From hopper gravel goes to scalping trommel (5 ft. by 15 ft.)
where it is screened to minus 2-in. size and. to 5/8-in. size; oversize from trommel to 3
Hartz jiggs. The minus 2-in. goes over impact screens where it is screened to 16 mesh;
plus 16-mesh material to 3 Joplin jiggs, while minus 16-mesh size goes to three 36-in.
Ainley bowl separators where the gold is recovered; the Hutch product from Joplin jiggs to
3 Wilfley tables. The concentrates recovered on jiggs and tables carries 64 per cent WO-3;
overflow from tables to sump tank; then pumped to 30-ft. in diameter, 8-ft. high Dorr
thickener. From 1000 tons of (,rude material treated, they recover one ton of scheelite
concentrates in 24 hr. Plant is driven by 350-h.p. Fairbanks-Morse diesel engine,
directconnected with Westinghouse generator. All equipment is driven by individual motors.
Water to operate plant is pumped from Cuddeback
Lake, a distance of 8 miles, through 4-in. pipeline. Seventy-five horse power is required
to operate pumps. The plant is idle at present (Sept., 1939) but if market for tungsten
improves, there is a chance of resuming operations, with some changes to be made in flow
sheet of plant.*
Bibl.: State Mineralogist's Report XXX, p. 323.
*Footnote on the Atolia Rand Placers. Since the above
was written, information is received that the Molybdenum Corporation of America and Atolia
Rand Placers, Inc., owner, has changed to Pacific Scheelite Corp., controlled by the
Molybdenum Corporation of America, who owns 90 per cent of the stock and Atolia Rand
Placers, Inc., owns 10 per cent of the stock of this company. The concentration plant,
with a capacity of 1500 cu. yd., operated from October, 1934 until 1936 when operations
were suspended. It is stated that in recent months, a considerable amount of the original
equipment used in the mill has been sent: to other properties owned by the Molybdenum
Corporation, such as tractors, original power plant and some jigs and tables.
Bagdad-Chase Mine (Pacific Mines).
The property comprises 77 patented claims, totaling 340 acres. It is situated in the
Stedman-Mining District, 7 miles south of Ludlow; owner, John H. Hobbs, Glendora, Calif. ;
under lease and bond to the D'Aix Synd., F. C. D'Aix, president,; Carl D'Aix, trustee;
Chester A. Todd, trustee, Chicago. Ill.
The ore is deposited in an igneous breccia on a
contact of monzonite and rhyolite. The brecciated material which is the result of
faulting, consists of both rhyolite and monzonite fragments cemented with highly siliceous
material. The strike of the mineralized zone is east and west and dips 25° to 30°
N. The average width is 8 ft. to 15 ft. The ore is principally oxides of copper, with some
silicate and very finely divided gold. The gangue is very siliceous and is heavily stained
with iron oxides.
Developments consist of vertical shaft 400 ft. deep
and incline shaft 450 ft. deep sunk on an. inclination of 30°, with several thousand feet
of drifts and crosscuts.
The D'Aix Synd. started operations on the property
in the early part of 1938 and operated until March, 1939, during which period it shipped
850 tons of ore to Magma Copper Company's smelter at Superior, Arizona. Some shipments
also went to American Smelting Refining Company's smelter at Hayden, Arizona. Ore shipped
is stated to have averaged $9.80 per ton in gold, with $2.85 in silver and 0.89% in
copper.
Mine equipment consists of 2-cylinder, 125-h.p.
Victor diesel engine; 10-ft. by 10-ft. Sullivan compressor; 25-h.p. single drum hoist.
Idle.
Bibl.: State Mineralogist's Reports XV, p. 790;
XVII, pp. 341.342; XXVII, pp. 278-279.
Big Four Mine (Red Bridge). It
comprises 10 claims situated in Goldstone Mining District, 34 miles north of Barstow;
elevation 3500 ft.; owner, W. B. Redfield, Goldstone, California.; under lease to W. A.
Fritz, Long Beach, Calif.
The mineralized zone is about 1200 ft. in width and
about one mile in length. The shale and schist in this zone are cut by numerous quartz
stringers and veins of quartz carrying gold. The general strike of the zone is NW.-SE.,
with. a dip of 25° NE. The sedimentary rocks are cut by diorite dikes, roughly parallel,
with a N.-W. strike.
Development consists of 5 shafts 50 ft. to 125 ft.
in depth and an open cut 50 ft. in length by 20 ft. in width. The vein quartz and
stringers mined are reported to carry from $20 to $200 per ton in gold. A number of
trenches have been made across the mineralized zone to determine the average grade of ore.
Four men are employed on development work.
Bibl.: State Mineralogist's Report XV, p. 807.
Belmont Mine. It comprises 5 claims, situated in
the Goldstone Mining District, 34 miles northeast of Barstow; elevation 3500 ft.; owner,
Belmont Mining Co., Dr. W. W. Ramsey, president, Stockton, Calif.; under lease to W. E.
Bailey and Arthur Beale, Goldstone, Calif.
Two parallel quartz veins occur in shales and
schist, strike N. 60° W. and dip 25° NE.; width 12 in, to 3 ft. The main shaft is sunk
on the footwall vein to a depth of 400 ft., with levels at 100, 160, 230, 330 ft. and
about 1000 ft. of drifts and crosscuts. Ore mined is said to carry from $8 to $20 per ton
in gold.
Mine equipment consists of 25-h.p hoist, Chicago
pneumatic compressor and blacksmith shop. They recently installed a 25-ton. amalgamation
and concentration plant.
Mill has a capacity of 25 tons; amalgamation and
flotation; crusher, ball mill, Dorr classifier, amalgamation plates, Groch flotation cell.
Mill run of ore is stated to average $14 per ton in
gold. Six men employed on development work.
Bibl.: State Mineralogrist's Reports XX, pp. 46-47;
XXVII, pp. 287-288.
Big Horn Mine (Mabel-Contention).
It comprises 18 claims situated on the east slope of the Providence Mountains, 23 miles
west of Essex; elevation 3750 ft.; owner, Big horn Exploration Co., Watsonville, Calif.,
F. H. Wagenheim, superintendent, Essex, Calif.
The formation is principally quartz-monzonite,
diorite, quartzite and andesite. A series of parallel, intrusive dikes of andesite cut
quartz-monzonite. The dikes have a north and south trend. The quartz veins occur on both
walls of these dikes. The veins vary in width from a few inches to 4 ft.; strike N. 20°
E. and dip 40° to 75° W. The ore is siliceous in character and contains values in gold,
silver and copper.
Development: The principal development work has
been confined to the Contention and Mabel claims. On the Contention Claim a 3-compartment,
vertical shaft has been sunk to a depth of 325 ft.. with levels at 160 ft. and 300 ft. On
the 160-ft. level, there is a drift south 440 ft. to Subway shaft on Subway vein. The
Subway vein is west of the andesite dike; strike N. 20° E., dip 65° W.; width 8 in. to
12 in. Vein quartz is mineralized with pyrite and chalcopyrite, with values in gold. About
68 ft. south of shaft, cut E-W. vein; dip 50° S.; width 10 ft. On 300-ft. level, there is
a drift south 110 ft, to east-vest vein, and crosscut from shaft is driven northeast 110
ft., with about 100 ft. additional to drive to intersect Contention vein.
On the Mabel Claim a shaft has been sunk on
the vein to a depth of 140 ft., with 80 ft. of drifts on 140-ft. level. Width of vein is 4
ft. At a depth of 40 ft. from collar of shaft, they encountered sulphide ore.
Equipment: Power plant cowists of 240-h.p.,
4-cylinder, Fairbanks-Morse diesel engine, direct connected, with 200 K . V. A. generator;
Imperial Type No. 10 Ingersoll-Rand compressor, capacity 550 cu. ft., driven by 100-h.p.
motor; two 55,000-gal. tanks for water storage; one 30,000-gal. tank for oil storage.
Mine equipment consists of 80-ft. headframe, with
ore bins; 25-h.p. hoist; complete machine shop. Four men are employed.
Bibl: State Mineralogist's Reports XV, p. 801;
XVII, p. 349; XX, pp. 196-198; XXVII, pp. 303-304.
Blue Bugle Mine. It comprises 8
claims, situated on the north slope of the Old Woman Mountains, in Danby Mining District,
in Sec. 19, T. 6 N., R.. 17 E., S. B. 6-1/2 miles southeast of Danby, a station on the
Santa Fe Railroad; elevation 2900 ft.; owners, Nicholas C. Aldo arid W. Baldwin,
Hollywood, Calif.
Three parallel veins occur in granite about 200 ft.
apart, strike N. 30° W., 80° E.; width 12 in. to 2 ft. Vein quartz carries free gold
associated with iron pyrite, arsenopyrite, galena and sphaterite.
Development consists of a shaft sunk on West vein
to a depth of 160 ft. About 1000 ft. north of this shaft, another shaft has been sunk on
vein to a depth of 50 ft. Selected ore shipped to Burton Bros., Inc., at Rosamond,
California., is reported to have had an essay value of $50 per ton. At present ore is
being mined from Florence vein from opencuts along outcrop for a distance of 500 ft. These
workings are about 1000 ft. south of No. 1 shaft.
Equipment consists of 6-h.p. hoist and portable
Ingersoll-Rand Compressor, capacity 260 cu. ft. Ore is hauled by truck to mill, with a
capacity of 20 tons per 24 hr.; 6-in. by 8-in. crusher, to rolls and ground to 1/8-in.
size; then elevated to ore bin; ore from bin to Herman ball mill where it is ground to 40
mesh; then over amalgamation. plates (4 ft. wide by 8 ft. long) ; overflow from plates to
Plato concentrator. Mill is driven by 40-h.p. Holt gas engine. Concentrates produced are
reported to carry $200 to $300 per ton in gold. Water for mill is pumped from No. 1 shaft
to storage tank, then flows by gravity through 2-in. pipeline 900 ft. long to mill.
Bonanza Dome & Beacon Group of Mines
(tungsten). In the Bonanza Dome Group there are 6 claims and in the Beacon Group
7 claims, situated in the Mirage Lake Mining District, in Sec. 6 and 32, T. 7 N., R. 6 W.,
S. B. M., 14 miles west of Adelanto and 23 miles northwest of Victorville; owners,
Nicholas Baxter and Norris Williams, San Bernardino, Calif.; elevation 2500 to 3000 ft.
Scheelite is in contact with metamorphic rocks
along contact of granite and limestone. The scheelite is irregularly associated with
epidote in lime-silicate rocks. The general strike of the mineralized zone is N.-S., dip
60° W. It varies from 50 ft. to 90 ft. in width. Opencuts expose three
lime-silicate veins from 8 ft. to 20 ft. in width. Ore extracted from opencuts and shallow
shafts is reported to carry 0.5% W03. Three men are employed on development work. |
