Silver Mines

Hi Friends,

When I was visiting a mining ghost town last weekend, I took the chance to do a little research on the area and look through a couple of the old mines.

These silver mines were near Barstow, California, which is in a desert climate with a small mountain range. Many tunnels were dug through the mountains, and the silver ore was hauled away by rail carts and then bigger trains to crushing and processing plants, where the material would be crushed and refined.

Recent assay results showed good silver content still in the ore, however, the cost to mine it out has made it essentially a breakeven to money losing process as the price of silver is still modest and costs of machinery and manpower has gone up at a higher rate over the years. There are no significant gold veins in this area (found at least), and silver production is usually a byproduct of gold mining.

Here are some shots of the shafts and topography of the area:

Interesting stuff for sure, and if you are anything like me, you love a good chunk of silver in your hands!

Thanks for coming by,
Brian