(By Jack Bell.)

Rawhide, Nev., July 4. - Grutt Balloon Hill is still the center of attraction in the camp, which has been doubled by the opening of a two and one-half foot vein in the shaft 21 feet below the 185-foot station. As far as can be determined the ore is in place and shows a highly silicified altered composition that pans in both native gold and silver, with gold predominating. President W. E. Casson, who is now in complete charge of the mine considers the new strike of vast importance for the reason of the composition of the matter carrying the values and its trend with the vein system north and south. The assays have not been received on account of the holiday season, adn the value of the ore taken from the shaft is variously estimated at $50.00 and upward.

Eight more men have been added to the payroll on thsi now famous lease, and drifting is going forward with renewed energy in the three directions fromn the "hub" where the high-grade ore was encountered at the 185. Radiations being south, southwest and southeast. The southwest drift shows eight inches of lamination frozen against the hanging wall that is freely sprinkled with native silver. The lowest assay received from this streak of ore is $1,126.00 per ton. This product is being stripped anda ton a day is being taken to the surface where it will be stored and saved with a view of making a carload shipment of this and the higher-grade ore that is taken from a smaller streak on the footwall which gives assays of better than $12,000. It is the purpose of the company to get together a carload of this ore that will exceed in value the famous $400,000 car of the Hayes-Monnette lease that was gotten together at Goldfield. It is safe to say that within the next 90 days a car better than the Mohawk's will be broken from the backs alone. In the drifts at the 185-foot point the stope will be broken out as soon as the development is far enough advanced on the level, and it will be at this time that the richness of this piece of ground will be known by the settlement sheets from the mills.

Three shifts are at work in the shaft sinking and the present capacity of the hoist is taxed to its utmost. The following is the equipment that will be installed on this lease within the next 40 days: A 40 H. P. Fairbanks engine, a 10 by 10 compressor and six machine drills with all their appurtenances. This plant will be placed at the point where the incline has been driven from the 120-foot point to the surface which is in Stingereee Gulch. Three shifts are at work in the incline at this time squaring up and putting the shaft in shape for heavy work. This hole comes directly from the ore and the raise being broken at the 185 will connect with the winze sunk from the 120, which will mena that the ore will be handled but once, which is 100 per cent economy.

The Lawyers' lease on the big Bethania estate is running the Grutt Balloon Hill a clean second. A short drift run from the bottom of the shaft at the 80-foot point opened up the latter part of last week shows a clean breast of solid quartz. Some very high grade specimens were taken out Saturday and pannings that stirred visitors to a high pitch of excitement were taken from points across the entire breast. This is one of the prettiest ore shoots that has been broken up anywhere in the camp and can be broken down and sent to the mills without sorting. Sinking will be continued to the 110-foot point when drifts will be run north and south on the big shoot for the purpose of defining it at that depth and also to open up stoping ground. Stevens and Van Pelt, two members of the local law firm owning the Lawyers' lease returned from Goldfield this morning, and immediately after their arrival inspected the work that had been done during their absence and were quickly carried to a high point of enthusiasm by what they saw. It surely means for them greater wealth than they ever dreamed of possessing.

At the Bridges-Daniels lease on Bethania estate the working of completing a 200-ton shipment is going rapidly forward. A fine grade of high grade mill dirt is being raised at the rate of five tons daily and this will be kept up until the shipment has been made. This lease is also creating considerable of a sensation throughout the camp and bids fair to rival both the Lawyers and Grutt Balloon Hill.

The Gold Reef Mining company, operating Blocks one and two of the Queen Bethania claim of Bethania Mines estate has completed the installation of a machine hoisting plant. The company recently purchased the machinery for this hoist and moved it from the Prince lease on Coalition estate t the Gold Roof lease on Bethania estate. This company begins sinking the early part of this week and great things are expected the first few feet of sinking, as the miners will begin directly on high grade mill rock which now covers the entire bottom of the shaft.

The management of the Queen estate have abandoned Kearns No. 2 workings and leased this block to a San Francisco syndicate. The lease had been working on company account and the entire expense had been borne from royalties from the production of Grutt Balloon Hill lease on this estate. This shaft is at the 400-foot mark and is in good mill dirt all the way. At the 200 it shows exceptional values of high grade ore. The lease is for three years with a royalty of 30 per cent to the company. This leaves the Queen estate without workings on company account.

The management of the Mint lease started breaking out a station at the 400-foot level late last week. The sulphide ore that was encountered at the 40-foot point shows a shipping grade of ore better than $50 from every particle of rock taken from the break. Stations are being cut both sides of the shaft and everything in sight is ore. Sinking is continued with three shifts and the shaft is nearing the 450-foot point. This is the most important development on that estate.

Frank McKelvy, superintendent of the Victor lease, has opened up four feet of ore on the Yankee Girl ground four miles north of camp. Assays across this discovery from a 16-foot depth show $86 in gold, silver and copper. This is virgin territory and the find extends the district in another direction.

A. A. Codd of the Codd Mines company, which is operating the St. Ives lease on Queen estate has been granted a five-year's lease. This lease adjoins the Grutt Balloon Hill.

On the Big Four this week, in the north drift at the 200-foot station there has been opened up two and one-half feet of ore between perfect walls that assays $29 per ton. While a streak of high grade on the footwall runs better than $500 per ton, silver predominating. This lease is now known as the Merrit Mining and Leasing company.

The Lillian lease on Consolidated has increased its force to nine mena nd is developing high grade milling ore at the 100-foot level. Grutt Hill Truitt is now in the spotlight by reason of the opening of a 12-inch shoot of high grade ore, the largest and richest ore shoot that has ever been opened up on Grutt Hill. The find was made yesterday morning 18 feet south from a point 86 feet west in the main crosscut. The ore shows great filaments of pure gold with horn-silver plentifully distributed through the quartz. This lease is owned and operated by Messingill, McCloy and Brown, sub-leasers of the original leaseholders.

A clean-up was made at the Murray mill on Victor ore from a 66-ton run. It netted the company almost 10 pounds of bullion, 300 tons more are on the way, and the mill is running steadily from the Victor's production.

The Miller lease on Coalition is now cutting the station at the 200-foot level. Crosscutting for the ore will be sent forward from this level and sinking will be at once resumed.

Work on the big reduction plant of the National Ore Purchasing company is being rushed with all speed, and the management sees no reason to change its estimate of the date set for the initial purchase of ore, July 15th.