The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-01-04

beginning of the present month when the
season was SO far advanced that it was deem
ed ~inexpedient to place it in position until
spring. A fine shaft house, however, was
erected and a boiler put in and as soon as the
weather moderates, sinking will be resumed
with all possible energy, as no matter what
may be the character of the ore, the company
is not lacking in facilities necessary for it's
successful treatment.
Experts who have examined the Grey
Rock, unite in expressing the belief that it is
a mammoth property, the value of which
beyond doubt, will increase with develop
ment. During all last summer and part of
the fall, the average daily output was 80 tons
and on the completion of the new shaft and
the extension of the necessary levels, there is
no reason why that product should not be
doubled.
PACIFIC.
Another property belonging to this COM
pany, which has a good record in the matter
OF ore production, is the Pacific, located
directly west of Centreville. 1t is developed
by a so foot vertical shaft, from the bottom of
which a level extends west so feet and east
the point in the east drift, where work was
stopped, the ore breast was 13 feet wide and
for some time had been producing enough
ore to keep the Silver Bow mill in constant
operation. The slopes are now being actively
worked and the output continues as before,
ave- ~ Cinn OK toms Nj Ior About fho lot of
December, a crosscut was started south from
the face of the east drift to tap a parallel
ledge which was known to extend east and
west adjacent to the main vein. This was
struck at a distance of twelve feet and proved
to be four feet thick, the quality of the ore
being somewhat better than that of the main
ledge. A west drift has been started to make
connection with a level on the same vein.
about 1875 feet west and on the accomplish
ment of this purpose, the company will have
two levels in splendid shape for extensive
stoping.
Like the Grey Rock, the Pacific is a low
grade mine, but such is the ease with which
the ore may be extracted, four men being
able to knock down from 20 to 80 tons per
diem, that the cost of working the mine is
comparatively inconsiderable and the profits
are much larger than would accrue from the
development of a high grade mine where the
walls are close together and the country rock
hard and difficult to penetrate. Like Grey
Rock ore, the product is perfectly free and
very little difficulty is experienced in extract
ing the silver by the milling process.
LA PLATA.
This property lies south Of the Lexington
and west Of the Josephene. 1t has produced
many tons of very rich ore and shows a hand
some balance in its favor, Notwithstanding
the fact that much of the product was worked
at an early day in a custom mill /. $3.50 per
ton, the then prevailing rate ~ a.sifiet,
Many tons of the ore from below water level
were shipped to the east for reduction, going
by wagon as far as Ogden, but such was the
richness of the ore, that the cost of transpor-
tation did not materially interfere with the
profits arising from the development of the
mine. The free ore body in the property is
exhausted to some extent and when the de-
termination was reached to put in a rooster
at the Silver Bow mill, it was decided to
cease working the mine until such improve
ment was made so that the enormous cost
of transportation could be saved to the COM
pany by the treatment of their own base ores.
Accordingly, for the past summer, the mine
has been idle, but now that the mill has been
provided with the necessary roasting facilities
active operations will be esumed on one of
the finest bodies of base ore yet opened up in
the district. Upwards of POO tons assaying
$3.50 is already on the dump and more can be
extracted at the pleasure of the company.
For several years the La Plata was one of
the mainstays of the camp and the profits
arising from its development did much to
establish the company on a solid financial
basis and to enable them to build the 20
stamp Silver Bow mill which has been max
ing such a successful run since it was started
up in '7S.
MoRIAH.
The Mount Moriah las been idle during the
greater part of the year. About three months
ago a new shaft was started from the bottom
of which, at a depth of 1870 feet a crosscut was
extended which tapped a large body Of ore Of
excellent grade. Such was the rush of water
however, that operations could not be contin-
ued without heavy and expensive hosting
machinery, the importation of which the
latness Of the season did not justify.
The expense was unnecessary, also, as the
Pacific was producing all the mill was eapa-
BILE of handling. The Mount Moriah adjoins
the Anselmo on the east and the ledge can be
very easily traced from that claim through
the Mount Moriah patent.