The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-09-12
THE sEM1-wEEKLY MINI R BUTTE. MONTANA SEPTEMBER IL 1885

EKLY Err BUT
THE ALICE COMPANY.
A Visit to Their Mines by q
Miner" Reporter.
"A GRAND
For its Owners and the Citizens o.
Butte Generally euains
Of Ore in Sight.
Last Monday a reporter of The MNEB
visited the famous Alice and Magma Charta
mines, and made an inspection of the un.
derground workings Of these two grand
properties. The two mines are owned by
the Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company,
and are undoubtedly two OF the richest
mines ever opened up by nan. In his wan
behring's through the lower levels, The
MINER man was accompanied by Superin-
tendent w. E. Hall and Foreman VIM.
Shovel, who did all in their power to make
the pencil pusher acquainted with the
workings Of the mines, the run OF the lodges
and the general condition sef the
property. How far they were
successful the following report OF what we
saw will explain. We confess to being I'M
able to report the mines az they are. The
Alice and Magma Charta, with their twelve
miles of shafts, drifts, wines, raises and
cross-cuts, with the mammoth and costly
machinery, the large and commodious
hosting works. engine rooms and the many
other necessary buildings, the thousand
and one different appliances for the proper
working Of the mines, the handling of rock
and above all the ventilation OF the mines,
all OF these things properly described and
reported would take one entire edition OF
this paper, and could only be truly repre-
sented by the worthy superintendent of the
company, MFR. Hall, whose Thorough
knowledge of practical mining has made
the Alice Company what it is to-day.
THE AGN chart
was the first mine visited. An inspection
of the first level of the Magma Charta would
cure the veriest croaker in the world, and
would knock the blues out of any disheart-
ened citizen in Butte. On this level, west
OF the main shaft, a body OF ore can be
seen 400 feet in length and measuring from
seven to sixty feet wide that is worth $42
per ton. All that is done on this ore body
on the first level is a few Slopes raised up
from three to four feet from the pack of the
level. This ore body reaches clear to the
surface n contains scarcely any waste.
The average width of this shoot of ore is
about fifteen feet. There are only three
men at present working on it, that number
being sufficient to extract all that is neces-
sary at present. Drifting is being carried on
on this level, and the face of the drift is all
in ore. 1t is impossible to state how far
this ore body extends. In going east from
the Magma Charta shaft vast ore reserves
were seen north and south OF the main
lode, with a ''horse' OF decomposed granite
intervening. 1t is impossible to form
an estimate Of the quantity of ore there
is in sight on the first level. How
ever, there is enough OF the precious stuff
exposed on this level to run the large mills
ri the company for several months.
DEM GROUND.
In the Valdemere ground, which adjoins
the Magma Charta, on the first level a body
OF ore was seen that measures It's feet long
as far as developed, that varies in width
from twelve to twenty feet. This ore BODY
is about 100 feet from the Magma Charta
ground, and extends downward to the 900
foot level ofthe Valdemere, which, is the low
est point SO far reached on that claim.
This Valdemere shoot of ore is of good quail
ity, but is not being extracted. 1t is one OF
the ore bodies held in reserve and is a ver-
liable bonanza in itself.
2OO-FooT LEVEL.
The second level of the Magma Charta
was next visited. This is 145 feet from the
first level. Here a grand sight met the eye.
A long range OF Slopes were seen, 400 feet
long, in rich sulphuret ore. The ledge runs
from eight feet in width upward, carrying
on an average three feet of very fine ore.
These Slopes run from the pack of the 200
foot level to within SO feet of the first level
and are worked in the regular stopping or
der. The o is a beauty, and it made this
scribe feel good while looking at the i'm
mense quantity of ore exposed to view
there.
From the 2OO-foot level we were con-
Quoted through a Wine on the foot wall
until
THE THREE FOOT LEVEL
was reached. The east drift on this level is
in 1926 feet from the shaft, on what is
known as the main north ledge. The drift
is all in ledge matter, a great deal OF which
runs very high in silver. Another drift is
being carried in on the foot wall OF the
ledge, directly opposite the east drift, going
a. " "SOOSAAy vi Va VIZ
main east level. In the face Of this drift
can be seen two feet OF splendid looking ore
that will assay about 5000 per ton. The
ground in both these drifts is very hard
and but small progress is made in drifting.
The ledge on the 3OO-foot level is opened
up a distance OF 800 feet, showing an aver
age width of II feet. The 400, 500 and
6OO-foot levels have not been carried in as
r-r as the two drifts above mentioned, but
,vor1- so lo;uo ootivo1u ~ucl,o1 Of thnSo
points for the purpose of intercepting this
ledge. A careful inspection revealed the
fact that the pay portion OF the ledge in
the two 3OO-foot level drifts, was much
wider in the bottom of the drifts than it
was on the top. This is a very significant
feature and gives great promise OF it open
ing out much wider when it is found on the
lower levels.
SOUTH VEIN.
A cross-cut of 100 feet brought us to the
3OO-foot level, south vein. Considerable
work in the way of stoping is being done at
this portion of the mine. A row OF slopes,
400 feet long, west of the shaft, are being
worked. and from all OF them large quaint
ties of ore are being extracted. The ledge
is wide and very regular at this level and the
ore production is something great. On the
400, 500 and 60O-foot levels this same ledge
has been exposed and every arrangement
made for the commencement OF ore extrac-
ton. No stopping is carried on at the lower
levels. the management holding these
points in reserve until the upper levels
are worked out, or until a larger supply OF
ore is needed. On the 800, 400, 0 and
6OO-foot levels the ledge runs from II feet
wide upwards, while insome places it opens
out in large ore bodies. The ere reserves
in the Magma Charta are something wonder
full and must be seen in order to be fully
realized. 1t is a grand mine in every
respect. Its timbering is safe and
secure, the ventilation is everything that
can be desired, the manner Of working the
mine cannot be beat, while a harder or
more contented lot OF miners cannot be
found in America.
The 7OO-foot level has not been opened
up as yet, but a cross-cut is being carried in
to cut the ledge.
After visiting all the important places in
the Magma Charta mine, we were very
quickly hoisted to the surface, and wendell
our way to
THE ALICE NINE.
Books might be written on this grand
property; most certainly we can not give it
full justice with the limited space at our
command. Our readers have been kept
fnlly DOsted on the great improvements re-