Page 385 - miningincalif1927

326 REPORT OP STATE MINERALOGIST. : :

Developments consist of a number of tunnels and opencuts along the
outcrop. Idle.

Bibl: State Mineralogist's Reports XV, pp. 501-504; XVII, pp.
318-319.

Verdugo Mountain Graphite Deposit. It is situated 12 miles north-
east of Los Angeles and 2^ miles northwest of Montrose, in Sec. 29,
T. 2 N., R. 13 W., S. B. B. and M., on the Hostetter Ranch. Eleva-

tion 1500 feet. Owner, J. E. Hostetter, Los Angeles. Under lease to
Standard Graphite Company, Glendale, California. L. S. Freeze,

president; Dr. Sutton, secretary. This company has subleased the
property to E. B. Babbit, of Santa Barbara, California. W. 0. Kunkle,
superintendent.
The deposit occurs as a vein of graphite schist in granite, on the
northeast slope of the Verdugo Hills. The vein strikes S. 20° W. and
dips 50° SE., and is 7 to 30 feet wide. The vein has been exposed in

two places; in an opencut about 130 feet above the floor of the valley
and at a higher elevation on the hillside by a shallow shaft.
Developments consist of an opencut, and 70 feet below this opencut
a tunnel is driven southwest a distance of 60 feet, exposing a vein 5
feet wide which dips 45° southwest. The graphite is crystalline but

in small flakes, with very little or no mica associated with it, the
gangue being quartz and feldspar. The graphite schist carries from
10% to 15% graphite. The ore is being mined from the opencut, from
which it is being trammed in cars to mill bins. The mill has a capacity
of 25 tons per 24 hours. From bins the ore is fed to hammer type of
crusher, then goes to 4' x 4' Marcy ball mill, in closed circuit with
Atkin's classifier. It is then treated by concentration and flotation,
There being one Wilfley table ; one 4-cell K & K rougher, and two 3-cell
K & K cleaner machines. The float concentrate goes to 3' x4' Oliver
filter, the cake from Oliver filter to 2 rotary dryers (20" diameter
by 21' in length), then by screw conveyor to tube mill, where it is
ground to pass to minus 100-mesh, of which 80% will pass 200-mesh.
The product from tube mill is elevated by bucket elevator to storage
bin. From bin the material is conveyed )<> two McKain-Reel screens,
where screened so 90% will pass 100-mesh, the 10% oversize being

returned to the tube mill. The minus 100-mesh product goes to bin,
from which it is fed to barrel loading machine. The company is pro-
ducing four different products for paint stock, which are as follows

28% to 34% carbon,
35% to 40% carbon,
40% to 45%) carbon.

The foundry facing product is classified in the following grades
tuyo
r\u. 46% to 48% carbon.caruun.
iu rtovo
No. 1j.
No. 2 49% to 54% carbon.
No. 3 55% to 60% carbon.

The mill is at present producing 4 tons of product per 24 hours.
Twelve men are employed.

Bibl: State Mineralogist's Reports XV, p. 504; XVII, p. 319.