The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-11
MONTE CRISTO MINES.
Enormous Quantities of Ore
Awaiting the Railroad.
LEDcEs EASY OF DEVELOPMENT.
The Tunnels Drain Themselves, the
Tramways Are Feasible and the Sup
ply Of Mineral Inexhaustibls.

MONTE CRIsro, Sept. Especial Core
spondence. THE Colby Hoyt syndicate is
the chief owner OF the larger part of the
Monte Cristo mines. 1t is this syndicate
that IS largely building the railroad which
VIII have its termini at tide water at Ever
EFT, and In the mountainous pocket which
forms the district of Monte Cristo. The
purchase was on the strength of the ex-
animation made by Alton l.. Dickerman,
the personal representative of the syndi-
cate in al its extensive mine holdings,
and mining expert of national repute.
Although at the time less than 800 feet Of
tunnels had been driven in the entire dis
trict. so well had the glaciers of past ages
and the waters of uncounted wears cut into
and laid bare the veins of mineral that
there could be no question of the immense
bodies of ore in the district Careful as
says established its value--that of
low grade base ore, carrying gold
and silver in about equal quantities and
large percentage of iron and lead, aver
aging from $50 to $40 per ton, but often
much higher, and of extent almost unlim-
tied. Thus it came that in the books of
Snohomish county stands the record of a
transaction in which 1917, 900 was paid for
chief interest in mines that were then
but prospects -certainly the largest trans
action of its kind yet made in Washington
The companies controlled by the Colby
Hoyt syndicate include the Monte Cristo
Mining Company, the Rainy Mining Com
pany and the Pride of the Mountains Min
ing Company. owning in all about forty
claims. in which there are now some thir-
teen mines in process of development.
The officers of the companies, the per-
sonnet of all being the same, are Joseph
L. Colby. Of Cleveland, president and
treasurer: f. w. Wilmans, of Seattle vice
president; Charles f. Rand, of Cleveland,
secretary; Alton L. Dickerman, consult
ing engineer. and William c. Butler, of
Seattle, general superintendent. The COM
panies' offices are at GIT Bailey building,
Seattle.
In all about twenty tunnels are being
driven. most of them into the face of the
lead, but several through the country
rock TO tap the veins further in. IN order
to secure advantageous positions from
which to work the mines. Indeed, the
work that is now being done is, with SIN
gle exception, simply that Of develop
ment. Supplies are expensive and accom-
modatious limited. Until the railroad is
in and the extension system of tramways
required in place, only limited force can
be put at work.
The mines Of the Monte Cristo Company
lie in the two large basins. Glacier and &c,
which range from the townsite back and
in southeasterly direction to the wall of
the Cascades. about two miles above. The
basins are parallel with each other, and
have nOrthwesterly trend. They are
perhaps, 800 to l 900 feet in width, and
their precipitous sides more than 1900
feet high. On the high ridge between
them lies the big glaciers on which
spring and summers sun beat alike
in vain. Its elevation is about 5000 feet
above the sea. The townsite of Monte
Cristo has, at the log cabin which serves
for the company's Office, an elevation of
little more than $500. feet. The mines
range from this elevation, which is about
the level Of the Rainy, to 4S7S, the eleva-
ton of the Pride of the Mountains, and
about that Of the '76 and the Monte Cristo,
As one stands at the foot of the town
site, at about the forks of Glacier and rs
creeks. and looks southeasterly, Glacier
basin lies beyond the hill to the left, while
rs basin is at the right straight up the
stream. The station and freight depot of
the Everett Il Monte Cristo railroad will
lie about where one stands, the ore
bunkers lying along Glacier creek
to the left. up to the concentration,
IL
feet above the concentration lies the Rainy
mine, one Of the principal properties
OF the district. Here two tunnels have
been cut, at about the creek level, one
some 80 feet in length, and in this some
prosecuting has been done. The drift
struck the top and ran along rich chute
OF ore, carrying about $40 to the ton. II is
mainly gold ore. carried in iron pyrite
and showing little lead. The crosscut to
the footwail shows wide vein; in fact,
the vein may be traced by the outcrop
twenty feet to the right of the tunnel. In
the main the ore Is concentrate but that
from the heavy seam noted will be direct
shipping. The Rainy is the most Access
sIbie and easily worked of the mines of
the district, aud as the vein may be traced
from the tunnel mouth at the creek level
long distance up the side of the noun
tain, the quantity OF ore already in sight
Is enormous.
A little higher up the gulch, and 500
feet above the creek level, i. the West
Seattle, IN which an eighty-foot develop
ment tunnel has been run. The drift was
opened IN the country rock to secure a
favorable point OF attack, and has now cut
into an eicht-fOot vein, showing largely in
ryrite. Higher up. above the tunnel
mouth. is a rich outcrop of solid galena
and pyrite, which by. recent assays runs
about so.
The Clara, lying On the opposite side
and AZ the head OF the ravine, Just below
the Mystery. shows narrow vein of fair
gaiena ore, developed by tunnel now in
abou; seventy feet
by the side of long. steep incline,
known a. the Mystery rocksiide, its yellow
ore dumps in full view from the townsite
IL the Mystery mine, which has developed
into one Of the richest OF the districts
mines. The lower tunnel. now in about
eighty feet, IS being driven TO tap the
vein 81 its lowest exposure. The
upper tunnel has been driven
straight along the ledge seyenty-fve feet.
The vein is from eight 10 ten feet in width.
stands almost perpendicular, and is laid
bare for several hundred feet above the
tunnels. The ore Is gold bearing, carry
ing iron and some arsenic no lead. II is
largely concentrating. with rich seam in
the middle twenty 10 thirty inches in
width, carrying $50 rock. There is an i'm
faen-e b1ty of ore IN sight. The ore in
the tunnel mas been Left standing. and the
men are now drifting through, folio wing
the ledge 10 the opposite side of the
mountain, whore II outcrops in Glacier
basin. The Pride of the Woods which
appssgs N the Glacier basin side. j. IN
ooaoiedly Identical With the Mystery
ledge. and closely resembles II IN cnarac-
isr-a gold bearing concentrate. Two
tunnels are being cut on the Pride Of the
Woods. The ledge may DC traced in tie
opposite SIDE % the basin the outcrop
showing a ledge three 10 fifteen feet In
width and extending long way up the
mountain. 4 tracing tunnel in theI Y
l.. al the ssde ~ the Pride Of the Woods
shows = vein Likewise Resent bling the Mys-
terry
= The greatest surface showing in the
basin. and rlSaiIag that Of the celebrated
~. l. the Pride Of the Mountains The
yssR ~ II great width eight to .weu,v