The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-26
EMMA AND LAST CHANCE
A Big Property Which Is Proving
the Richness Of the Ward
mel Mineral Belt.
The Present Development and How
tho Mine Is Operated-The
Electric Drills.
Terms ON which the Bunker Hill and Sui
Ivan strike Was settled-Improve-
ments During the Shut Down.

WARpNER, Idaho, Aug. 25.-[Special. l.
am indebted to the courtesy of Manager w
J.. Tretheway and Foreman John Presly fol
an INSPECTION of the Last Chance com
psny's works. Their locations, the Emma,
Last Chance, Republican Fraction ant
Skookum Fraction, are all on the trend o.
mammoth ore zone. These locations are
midway on his great ledge, between the
two extremes of development, the Sierra
Nevada on the west and the Sullivan on the
east, and about 1000 feet up the steer
mountain slope from Wardner's upper
buildings. the great dump at the present
working tunnel and the new Sweeney tun-
mel looming up in plain view from the main
street. D. =. Clifford, of Demersville, was
my companion. He came with your exour-
sionists and was not satisfied with q super
fetal inspection.
At the mouth of the tunnel We found the
blncksmith shops and boiler: passing in
300 feet we find a station cut out. Here the
ledge was encountered at right angles with
its trend. Passing along the drift, which
is on the ledge, Mr.. Presley tells us that ore
was encountered at the point of tapping the
ledge, and has been continuous. Then We
go through Slopes that have been worked
out to the width of sixty feet. Three hun
dred feet from the station we arrive at g
mammoth Slope where fifty miners, shovel
crs, ore sorters and timbermen are work
ing. Galena and crystalized lead are
hanging from walls, roof and c~revices.
This stope is fifty feet wide, and they are
still looking for the foot wall. Returning
to the station we find an engine supplied
with steam, by a steam pipe, from the boil
or outside before referred to. Here an up
raise has been made to the surface, 125
feet, for ventilation. and a shaft sunk 100
feet. Levels havo been run in both directions
along the ledge from the bottom of this
shaft and the stope opened out. Thu
quality of ore is better at that depth than
above. This level has been filed with
water for some time. but is now being
pumped out. The hoist at Che station is
good for fifty feet. Two pumps, one
Cameron and a Knowles, raise 700 gallons
of water per minute.
Electric drills were put in some time ago,
but not being able to control the heating
they were abandoned. Improved ones are
expected from the East soon and they will
b given another trial.
Tn ore bin at the mouth of the tunnel,
and LOCO feet of tramway were swept away
last winter by snow-slides. At the ore bin
they wero sacking high grade carbonate ores
tAhb Ky A1IGCbly v u bluclUOI. LCOAOlAy
in handling ore has been studied and it is
not forced against gravitation in any in
stance after leaving the slopes and is not
handled except by gravity between stope
and ~concentfator, where the same principle
is adopted.
The c~oncentrator is operated by a forty
inch Pelton wheel, fed by a dume from
Milo creek, flowing into a tank of $1,000
gallons capacity, at an elevation of $50 feet
above on the mountain side, and a sixteen
inch Pelton wheel supplied by water pumped
from the shaft referred to above, having
1000 feet pressure. An engine is also in
position and used at times when water is
scarce, the shafting and gearing being SO
arranged that both water and steam may DO
used at the same time. A dynamo for
lighting the concentrator is also operated
by the small wheel, making 1,4W rezolu-
tions per minute. 1he capacity of the con-
oentrator is forty tons of concentrates every
twenty-four hours. The concentrates are
hnuled by wagon to the railroads. When
shipments do not require transfers, they
are shipped in bulk; in other instances it il
sacked, the sacks averaging about 120
pounds each.
At a point up the mountain side high
enough to give good dumpage room. a tun-
mel 711O feet was started last spring: 1t is
now in 700 feet and is being driven twelve
feet daily. 1t will tap the ledge at, right
angles, 425 feet below the bottom of the
shaft above. After connection has been
made this will become the working tunnel.
All ores will be dumped down to this level,
and hosting of ore and water will be
avoided. Double tracks will be laid and
they will have ore in sight sufficient to run
five years. Rand drills arc being used, an
engine ut the mouth of tho tunnel, and air
compressor supplying power. Another en-
CINE at its side runs dynamos, one illum-
mating the town, the other for power, when
electric drills are used, and for the illumi-
nation OF the engine house and underground
works at both points. seven to eightthous-
and feet moro will tap the ledge.
The men at the time Of our visit were
lubilRnt, and shouting praises to Manager
tarily, announcing that all underground
men will be paid $3.50 perday, commencing
Aug. q. No demand having been made by
the men for this advance. they attribute it
to Mr.. Sweeney's libefality. This advance
will effect twenty mon. All the miners have
ben paid $3.50 heretofore. The totalnum.
Der OF men employed is 120. Those doing
dead work, work eight hour shifts, Others
ten hours. and night shifts nine hours.
On the application of this company,
Judge Holman, Judge of the First judicial
district, granted a temporary order re-
straining the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
company from diverting the waters Of Milo
creek to their tank recently erected to sup
ply water power at the break station in
town, for operating the Bleichert tramway.
Arguments were heard on the case in Cham
bers at Wallace on the the Goth instant.
Inc following are the terms on which the
strike at the Bunker Hill q Sullivan were
settled:
$3.50 per day will be paid to all miners
and laborsrs employed underground.
mo gum clothes will be furnished by
the company.
"Ihe contribution for medical fees will
be optional with employees RS follows:
ISL. No collection, with a release to the