362 MmmG iitoustet. 



month, on account of the changeable character of the ground; since the pro- 

 portion of necessary dead-work to the quantity of ore obtained will vary 

 according to the richness of the vein at^ any given time ; and much of the 

 expense of mining must be incurred whether the product be great or small. 



The accounts of the mine show that the average cost of drifting 500 feet 

 from the bottom of the Oregon shaft was $10 76 per foot. The average cost 

 of stoping or breasting ore, already rendered accessible by drifts or tunnels, 

 is equal to $25 or $30 per ton. 



To the foregoing are to be added the costs of handling and moving ores, 

 hoisting and pumping, maintaining and operating the machinery, &c. The 

 costs of timbering are hght, because the veins are small and the ground is 

 comparatively firm. 



During fifteen months previous to January 1, 1868, the costs of mining 

 2,336^if tons of ore amounted to $105,342 12, or an average of about $45 

 per ton. In 1868 these costs were still larger, as may be seen by the fol- 

 lowing statement, showing the expenditures for mining work during that 

 year, when 1,988 tons of ore were produced. The whole number of days' 

 work employed in the mine, for extracting and for prospecting, was 20,613, 

 of which amount 13,662 days were expended in the first-named department 

 of labor, and 6,951 days in the latter. 



The cost for labor in extraction was $54, 910 00 



And dividing other items of expense in the same proportion, we 

 have for cost of running cars and machinery and repairing 



tools - - 18, 636 02 



Supplies, fuel, timber, and sundries. - - . - — - - - 22, 853 43 



Cost of sorting ores, and other incidental labor 3, 875 00 



100, 274 45 



The additional costs for prospecting work were — 



For labor, 6,951 days , $27,836 00 



Cars and machinery 9, 481 73 



Supplies, fuel, timber, &c 11, 627 44 



48,945 17 



# : 



