The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-04-13
BONANZA CHIEF.
Two Mining Experts Visit sud Investi-
gate this Valuable Property.

time in a thorough examination of the mines
and reduction works Of the Alta Montana
Company. OF their trials, failures and ulti-
mate success, l shall speak hereafter. On
Monday, 9TH, accompanied by Ernest Greuier,
NJ. E.. metallurgist for the Alta Montana
Company, l boarded the coach at Jefferson
City and was soon jolting along over the road
towards the Bonanza Chief mine. A ride of
twelve miles brought me once again to this
mine, and again meeting Mr.. COPYRIGHT we
were escorted to the neat little office building
near the mill. Here we had ample time to
inspect the assay office, &C., before the trian-
| gle notified us that dinner was waiting. Re-
pairing to the dining-room we satisfied the
cravings of a splendid appetite on Montana
oranges, sweet, light bread, delicious beefsteak
and a splendid cup of coffee. After compli-
mcnting Mrs. Bradenhover on her successful
cooking we were ready to visit the great b.
nanza Chief. The first point of interest on
our way was the tunnel, run to cut the vein
60 feet deep. The hill on which this mine is
situated is so low and flat that a tunnel to cut
it very deep would have to be run a long, long
way. The object of running the present tun-
mel is to demonstrate whether or not the ore
is free below the water level, and to drive on
through the vein and determine its width. If
the ore in the tunnel is free, /. e. can be
worked by stamp-mill process, we'll and
good. Should the ore prove refractory so 1t
would not pay to run through a free stamp mill,
then it IS just what the Alta-Montana Company
need for a tiux at their works, as at pres
ent they are hauling iron ore about 40 miles,
from the Heating mine, at Radersburg. One
thing looks favorable for the ease Of working
the Bonanza ore by stamp mill, and that is the
formation of the country rock, as it is identi.
cally the same formation as the great gold
mines of Blackhawk and Central, Colorado,
while the Heating gold lode, of Radersburg,
when the ore became too base to save by
the stamp-nfIl process is in an entirely differ.
ent formation. But l digress. The tunnel
l was speaking of will soon settle this ques-
ton without my going into any elaborate de-
tails at present. The tunnel lacks about 70
feet of cutting the foot wall. A month or
tunnel is well timbered with sawed timbers,
and is intended to be used only to drain the
water from the mine. After inspecting this
portion we go up to the discovery. Here,
amidst a pile of huge quartz boulders-the
groupings of the ledge-is the following la
comic notice:
BONANZA CHIEF LODE.
Discovered and staked April Sth, 1879, by
o. F. Boyd, w. A. RAIDER and II. A Fisk.
We claim cS0 faat nortb- w oct arly an1 -SO faat
south-easterly from this stake, and 300 feet on
each side of center of vein. Said lode runs
nOIth-westerly and south-easterly.
On a pine stake, one year ago to-day, little
dreaming of the immensely of the buried
treasure under their feet, these honest, hard,
working prospectors staked their claim. After
the lapse of one short year. what a change,
Our prospectors have become bonanza kings
have pocketed their lucre and are off to visit
friends and loved ones in the distant States.
The greatness of the Bonanza Chief mine
izea at $ $1,000, 900. A first-class 2O-stamL
mill has been erected about 400 yards from
the mine and many other improvements
made. On account of not having the key OF
the door we removed d board and l stepped
inside of what Col. Bob. Fisk, of the Herald
calls a " gemincr wonder of the mineral king
dom" The tales Of the Arabian knights
came into my thoughts as l walked arount
and viewed this immense body of gold-bear
ing quartz. Imagine a large pit or quarry &C
feet square, no walls or indications of walls
being visible on either side. The ore. as
stated in my former letter, is stained witt
iron, and consists of honey-combed anC
iasperized quartz. 1 obtained some beautiful
specimens OF jasper, some showing free golt
to the eye. There are also several streaks O.
copper running through the vein and small
specimens of native copper have been found
l shall probably visit this mine again al
soon as the tunne penetrates the vein, bu
for the present nothing more can be said O
the Bonanza Chief except that samples O
ore, taken from every part of the vein nov
open, yielded 5000 per ton.
Ihe mill will begin crushing by the 15tl
of this month and soon good clean-ups ma.
} be looked for. The vein on which is locateI
the Bonanza Chief, can be readily traced 70
, a distance of four miles, and it is useless t
state 1t IS located 1Or tnat distance ana pei
haps further. l am told that good prospect
r are obtained in many places along the out
|, crop, but in no place was it so rich as on tn
, Bonanza ground.
2 Whether this mine will eclipse anythin
heretofore ound in mining, Or whether it viii
" prove to be an immense blowout, remains t
be seen but from present appearances on
would naturally think that the original loca
tors, when they christened their find, builde
better than they knew. K