, 1889-07-11
THE PRECIOUS METALS.
A Practical Miners Opinion Of the
Propositions in the COL
Vile Country.
In William Vanker's Opinion There
Is Nothing Finer in This or
Any Other Country

Nnrker ~ Murtagh, mining brokers OF
tolNi came In from that country "a
day or two ago, and was cornered at the
Windsor hotel by u REVIEW representa-
tive. Mr. Varker was for many years
superintendent of the Old Dominion
mine, and Is thoroughly conversant with
all the mining propositions in that
region. Work IL now practically sus-
pended, he says, in the Old Dominion
proper presumably for tho purpose of
developing 1t at a greater depth, and
they are cross-cutting with that object
In view.
"To my certain knowledge" Mr.. Var.
kcr added, the owners of the Old Do
minion have taken sut over 500, 600, but
| woul suggest that in justice TO the
property and the mining community,
the running of tunnel now Is detri-
mental ns II stops all production for
some time to come In my opinion the
Old dominion ~ very fine property
IN met, ! don't know of anything better
in this or any other country.
"lherc are other properties in tho
same neighhorhood," :" MIR Varker said,
that promise we'll On the Fila, owned
by Frank Moore and others of spokane
Fails, considerable development work
has been done, and they have taken out
some good ore. Their shaft has attained
adcpth Of 10 feet, and working tests
show 20 to 200 ounces. Four carloads
have been shipped from there"
Continuing, Mr.. Narker said the Rust
Ter, owned by the Hustler Mining Com
pany, is an cNtentiOn of the Old Domin-
ion, They are not ~ wrok at present, but
1t Is understood they are making prepa-
ratiOns to put ON large force for devei-
opmcnt. They have taken out some
very line ore, equal to any on the hill.
"Onc claim deserves more attention
than It has cvcr received said Mr..
.Narkcr, ,"and that is the Paris Belle. 1t
Is directly east OF the Old Dominion,
and the boys Morrison, Oliver and
othersl will undoubtedly strike big min
cral it their means hold out, enabling
them TO continue their work, for they
are workers, ! assure you"
The next and only other property that
Is being worked Is the group owned by
the Colvillc Consolidated Mining Com
dent aud Nj. &. Murtagh secretary. This.
is 5000 feet above the Old Dominion, and
five claims figure in the group They
are developing the property hy means of
a tunnel, which Is now in 26O feet. They
have struck ore in two places, but not IN
paying quantities. Their objective point
Is, they think, $50 feet from the
starting point, to "a shaft that
shows vein of from one to two
feet of mineral.bearing quartz. This
they propose to put through the hill,
providing their means hold out, and
upon this proposition they feel tolerably
safe.
"Clugston creek" Mr.. Varken con-
tinuing, has been considered "a low
grade camp, but there are properties i'm
that region that have merit, and could
he placed upon "a paying basis provided
We didn't have to ship the ore across the
continent for treatment. The Tender
foot, owned by Tom Hayden and others,
the Silver Lode, the Dandy, owned by
the Swede boys and others, could be
placed on paying basis if their ores
could he treated at home. ] have taken
working samples from the Silver Lode
that yielded from thirty to forty ounces
OF silver, twenty-eight ounces of copper
and twenty TO thirty ounces lead. TAX
ing into consideration the fact that it
costs sl5 a ton to get the ore to Spokane
Falls, and SIS to the nearest smelter
where ores of that charscter can he
treated successfully, and adding a cost
OF >! ton TO mine AN assort IL, il is
readily seen there is very little margin
left for the operators. There are other
properties along Clugston creek in tho
same condition as the Silver Lode.
Mr. Narker was asked about Wanacut
lake. He has never inspected the claims
IN that region, hut has seen samples
from there that are very rich in silver.
farther north. West of Colville on the
range from Chcwelah district up, there
are many places, embracing the SUNNI
country, that have "A great deal of merit.
81 iind,' said Mr. Varker that n
great many owners of the claims have
not the means to develop their proper
ties but are asking fabulous prices for
them. ! refer to those who have not
done u sufficient amount of work or ex-
posed enough mineral to justify the
prices asked for mining is regarded by
practical men as a Legitimate business,
and no practical mining man is going to
pay fabulous price for something
that he cannot see. If n lot of these
mossback prospec;ors could he induced
to realize the situation they would make
more money and il would be far better
for the country"
\ road is being surveyed to the Daisy
property, which, when completed, will
bring il within fifteen miles of Colville.
II the Colville smeltcr Is ever started up
that property can be placed on paying
basis.
you may say" Mr. Varker added.
THAT there is ore enough in Stevens
county To keep. smelter running full
blast for an indefinite period"
Mr.. Narkcr received q letter Yesterday
from MIR. Murtagh, stating that the ar
ray OF samples from the Colyille consol-
idated properties had been received, from
Tacoma, showing l22 ounces gold and
l5,SO-lO0 silver, This property is about
nine miles from ColYilIe and two and a
hall miles from the Spokane Il Northern
railroad.
Mr. Murtagh adds that the work of
grading for the depot at Colville has be-
gun, and the contract has been let for
five miles of grading south from Col
vile, on the Spokane & Northern.
some of the boys were down from the
Colvillc con solidated group and report
ed the outlook very favorable, and all
felt jubilant over the prospect.
Mr. Narker will leave in day
or two for the mining country and ex.
poets to have some good news to report
when next he.visits the metropolis.