Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-02-09
THAT FRISCO MINE.
What a Philipsburg Correspondent Says of
This Rich Strike.

What Philipsburg Correspondent Says of
This Rich Strike.
PHILIPsBURG, Mont, February 7.-[Spe-
cial to The Miner by the Rocky Mountain
Line There seems to be a large amount
of misunderstanding in the late Frisco
strike. Your readers eau rest assured that
here is the status OF affairs at this mine:
The development consists OF an incline
two-compartment shaft, 554 feet deep,
with levels running east and west 100 feet,
200 feet, 400 feet, 500 feet east and $50
feet west. High grade ore in good large
chutes has been opened up in every level
and also an immense quantity OF silver
ore OF 35 to so ounces, a value that allows
a reasonable profit for working, had the
company mill of their own, but which
will not stand the prices fixed by the
smelters, at present in the market. which
amounts to $2s.5O per ton, besides the
cost OF hauling from the mine, which in
creases the cost to $50 per ton.
The superintendent has always held that
the west portion OF the vein would furnish
the nature OF the ground has not been
able to develop that portion OF the vein
only to the 400 level, and drift 1877 feet
long in the west 200 feet.
In the west 400 level, development pro-
ceeds, and an ore body 1S7 feet long, with
an average width, as shown by crosscuts,
of So feet, and assaying from 1S ounces
into the.bandreds, the ore being prineipath
a carbonate of lead, galena and arsenical
ruby, with some quartz and pink manga
ness, but never showing beyond one-eighth
OF an ounce in gold.
October 80, last, shipment OF ore was
made from winze in the 2OO-foot level
west or 200 feet above the 4O0-foot level.
That car load averaged half an ounce or
50 in gold to the ton. At the time it was
considered a fault in the assayer's sample.
A few shifts OF work show that the slip
extended above the roof OF the drift but q
few feet, and here it was the gold ore camein,
lying IN @ mass three to five feet wide, and
q slope was taken along with length of
forty feet in width. AS the ore assayed
into the hundreds of dollars, the superin-
tendent did not at first credit the assays,
nor believe it was more than local pocket.
But as the development progressed and it's
length increased Will tls slope is being
carried up, still held up to the first assays
announced, it was decided as strike of
great Importance.
An investigation Of the winze in the 200
foot level above proved that at that point
they were just on top OF the same ore
body, when work was stopped in October
last.
On the heels OF the gold strike came the
large ore body in the 500 foot level, the
same chimney OF ore that has been cut in
every level "f the shaft, but richer in sill
yer, and carrying also ten to twelve dol
times as much as the levels above. There
was also a much larger body and less
broken.
By this time they had placed there new
pump which speedily cleared the shaft OF
water, and work was resumed at the $50
foot level west. The hanging wall OF the
vein was cut, and ore found, and Yet the
vein is 80 wide that at this writing, the
loot wall has not been reached. Here, in
the 5OO-foot level, east, the ore carries gold
up to SIS, besides ruby silver. Superin-
tendent Smith expects to be compelled to
drive this west drift at least 100 feet before
striking ore, but itcaused him uneasiness to
find it in the door as one might say.
The question is often asked. "why don't
the company ship more ore here?" The
reason is given as above.
The shaft is an incline OF nine degrees, two
every thing is raised or low
cred by buckets running on skids. And the
men and the timbers for levels 60 down in
buckets, and all the waste, ore and every
thing else comes up in them. The speed is
limited. As the company fully intends to
build works of it's own the coming spring,
every effort was put into development and
a goodly amount has been done, too. The
says he is now ready for q
mill.