The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-24
MINES NEAR WARDNER.
The Last Chance Company About
Ready to Free Their Prop
erty Of Water.
Active Development and Rich
Strikes Reported From Other
Mines In the District.
yhat II Being Done In Various Portions
or jefferson County-OperatiOns In
the British KO0tenAi

WAnpNER, Idaho, Aug. 23.-[Speoial. l.
The Last Chance company have started
their pump, and in Ave days expect to have
their lower levels clear of water. 1t will be
remembered by readers of THE INDEPENDENT
that they allowed the mine to fill with wa
ter after the Tyler broke into their slopes
several weeks since. Assistant Manager
Tretheway says that since starting the
pump. they have enough water to run the
e~oncentrator. II was intended originally
to run it wholly by water. but in dry sea-
sons il becomes necessary to apply steam.
and during the time the pump has been idle,
both steam and water have been used. The
mammoth Sweeny tunnel, to tap their
ground GOO feet below the present workings,
is going in At a uniform advance daily.
The Old Abe l. Tompkin's company
whose locations are on East Elk creek,
have decided to expend 5000 in develop
ment work. Two lodges have been exposed
on their ground. The lower n ID six to
nine feet in width, all ore and minerslized;
the upper at the surface is three feet OF
grey copper, assaying up to 800 ounces silver
per ton. The latter stands nearly perpsndic-
ular, while the lower one has a sharp pitch
toward the upper ons. Their theory is that
they are one and the same ledge, split on
the surface by a horse. A tunne has been
run at q point down the mountain side to
tap them at a depth of 500 feet for the up
per, and about 450 feet on the lower one.
This drift has tapped the latter, and will
be extended to the upper ledge. the esti-
mated distance being ssvsnty-tive feet. A
small shipment of ore made to Helena last
year averaged 100 ounces of silver per ton.
These locations are on the dry ore belt run
ming nearly parallel with the south fork of
the Coeur d'Alens river, and in soRe places
within one-half mile of that stream. II
has been outlined from Elk creek on the
west, to a point above Osborn, a distance
of about four miles, and embraces, among
other less prominent locations, the Caur
d'Alene Nellie on the east and near o.
born; the Polaris Black Hawk, now being
developed by a Spokane company, the
Knioksrbocker, bonded by John M. Burke,
O. D. Garretson and Col. Wheat, and the
Yankee, on Dry Creek, which has paid for
developments by ore shipments.
The Tyler, one of the old locations on
Wardner's great belt, is shipping high grade
carbonate ore.
Repairs and additions are being made in
the S~temwinder concentrator. which has
been shut down since last fall, owing to
the breaking of the cable on their Holiday
tramway. A new steel cable is enroute, and
will cost 49, 500 delivered. This mine being
on the great zone, between the Bunker Hill
aud Last Chance, and the co%ncentrator on
the Union Pacific track, two miles distant,
four miles Of cable is required. The ca
pacity Of the concentrator will be increased
from thirty to forty tens OF concentrated
daily. 8. A. Denan, the able nillwright, is
in charge of the repairs.
A building boom il on in full bloom at
the Union Pacific depot, among them two
business houses. One will be occupied as a
general store.
Hector Diselites recently returned from
the Toad Mountain district, Kootney. Ut
is Kootney north of the boundary line, and
Kootenai in the United Ststes.) He is e1-
hibiting beautiful! specimens, carrying 40
per cent. copper and gray copper, and high
in silver, from his locations. But little ore
j. being shipped from the district, how
ever.
Geo. T.. Crane received samples of Ralsns
ore 4 few days since from the May Day, a
property located by Tom Butler on Deep
Creek, Montana. He reports a ledge seven
feet wide, all mingled with kidneys Of pure
Ralena. E. c. Gore, of Spokane, and Chas.
X. Poteet, also of Wardner, are interested
in this promising prospect.
Tn Sherman, on Elk Creek, is ono of
this seasons promising discoveries. Charlie
Manley, an old reaident OF Montana, was
the discoverer. Fred Franks and p. Hyde
are also interested. Galena and native sill
yer were encountered from the grass roots.
They drove a tunnel and tapped it at a good
depth, then sunk from the face of the tun-
mel sixty feet. The ledge shows the full
width of the shaft. They will now run
levels and open slopes, and expect to ship
enough ore from this development to cover
all expenses.