Among the most promising properties I saw about Banner is the Cincinnati
Belle, which has made quite a record as a producer of rock of high
grade. This mine, together with several other claims, was purchased by a
Pomona company in 1890, for the purpose of operating these mines, among
them being the Gold King and Gold Queen Mines, of which mention will be
made hereafter. The Cincinnati Belle is situated about 3,000 feet
northwest from the town of Banner, and is in charge of D. C. Lane.
The shoots or lenses of quartz which constitute the so-called ore bodies
of this mine occur in a general course along the strike of the schists,
though each succeeding lens to the northeast “makes” into the hanging
wall, as indicated in the cut under the head of Helvetia Mine.
The mine was developed by a tunnel of 168 feet in length, of which the
first 40 feet required timbering. Near the mouth of the tunnel a shaft
has been sunk on the pitch of the quartz lenses, to a depth of 200 feet.
Levels were opened at intervals of 50 feet. The first level at the top
had been cut 168 feet along the course of the lead; the second 68 feet;
the third 120 feet; the fourth, fifth, and sixth each 50 feet. Each
level exposed a bluish quartz rock, which returns in the mill from $18
to $40 per ton. It is free milling, and is treated by a simple
amalgamation process.
Though this quartz contains some pyrite, which is auriferous, carrying
$8 to $10 per ton, no attempt is made to save the sulphide. The mine
makes but little water, and all the quartz and waste are hoisted in a
bucket. Pine timber is used, which grows in the neighboring mountains
above the mine. It costs 11 cents per running foot at the mine. The
property was only under process of development at the time of my
examination, and as but little stoping has been done, the cost of mining
per ton could not be arrived at. The lenses vary greatly in size,
ranging from a few inches to 4 feet. The vein or mineral-bearing zone is
accompanied by a fissure, which runs along nearly parallel with the
quartz at a distance of a few feet on the hanging wall side. This fault
has resulted in the crushing of the country rock along its course.
In this vein, as it may be called, the rock has been completely changed,
clay, talcose, and chloritic mineral replacing the micaceous rock. This
mineral contains some gold. The inclined shaft has two compartments and
is substantially timbered throughout. From the mine the company has
graded, along the mountain side, 4,000 feet of road, over which the
quartz is transported to the mill in the town of Banner at an expense of
75 cents per ton. The mill contains ten stamps.
The mill is quite complete, but poor judgment was shown in the
arrangement by the management under whose supervision it was built,
which was before the present Superintendent was in charge. As an
instance, the rock from the mine when delivered at the mill is dumped
into an ore bin outside the mill. The rock is then taken inside as
required and dumped on a grizzly. As usual the large pieces fall on the
crusher floor, where they are fed by hand into the jaw rock-breaker,
which stands above the level of the floor. This sort of management
necessitates extra and unnecessary work.