The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-17
HIGH GRADE COPPER ORE.
Good Promise of a Great Camp in
the Upper Camas Prairie
Valley.
Probability OF a Fifty Ton Concen-
traitor Being Built at
Spring Gulch.
Force Increased on the Tiger In the Iseit
Mountain Dtstrict-Hoovcr
Creek Mines.

Special Correspondence OF The Independent.
M1ssouLA. April 1L.-One Of the promia-
ing mineral sections OF the country ts in
tho upper end OF tho Camas Prairie valley.
In the vicinity Of the Copper cliff. Tho
Cliff Ia a high reef of quartz orc rock I'M
preRnated with copper oxides and oar-
donates. Large sections Of il are stained
green aud blue with tho copper c~arbonRtes
and portions OF 1t show considerable free
gold. The cliff itself ID from seventy-hvs
to 100 feet high and the rock is very hard
containing considerable horn stone. Tho
copper stains ahow along Its face and ON
top for several hundred feet in width. The
copper stains are also prevalent through
much Of the surrounding rock and extend
in o belt for several miles to the cast of it.
A number of claims have been located, but
very little has been done on any of them In
the way of development work. Tn claim
known as the Copper Cliff, (%although it
takes in only a small portion of tho reef
pRoper) has received the most work. and
for the small amount done, indicates that
this section will be the site of a great cop
per camp in u few years. The Copper Cliff
10 owned by Messrs. Rely, Shippler q
Adams. who have been working
it continuously during the past six
months. Commencing about 200 feet
from the base Of the precipice they drove a
tunnel through the soft ground until the
hard reef was struck. In doing this they
cot two veins from twelve to fourteen feet
wide, one about forty feet from tho mouth
OF the tunnel aud the other something over
100 feet. The first vein encountered showed
considerable native copper, and the second
was nearly solid copper pyrites and black
copper sulphides. assays for which give
from II to 80 per cent copper and from $25
to $40 gold.
When the hard face of the reef Was en-
countered the owners went back to the Sec
ond vein and have commenced driving a
lateral drift on this ledge. Some seven or
eight carloads OF high grade copper o:e
have already been extracted. a portion Of
and will be shipped to the smelters to be
tested.
On the south side of Camas prairie work
is progressing as usual On the Charcoal and
Alkaline. and high grade ore is being shipped
to the smelter. At the old camp of Wallace
nne are being driven on the Sleeping
o0llu d1u I1luueI lIodbuEcs oHCA VI WIlCu
are showing up we'll.
At Spring Gulch the Keystone and King
company are working a force Of mon on
both the Keystone and King mines. The
work on the King is largely development
work. prosecuted with a view to
erecting a fifty-ton concentration in the
spring. Some shinping ore, however, is
being extracted. The Keystone is pro.
ducing considerable good shipping ore,
about forty tons now being on the dump
sacked, but the bad condition Of the roads
at present prevent shipment. The last two
carloads of ore shipped to the United
Smelling company at East Helena gave
very satisfactory returua.
q. Jeldness has been working all winter
on the Little Anaconda under lease, aud
now has $4,000 worth of ore on the dump,
which will be shipped as soon as the trail
and road is open. AT present there are ten
feet of snow on the divide between the mine
and Carter. The ore from his mine is
galena. running from sixty to ninety
ounces in silver. Owing to the want of
transportation facilities only the highest
grade ore can be sent to the smelter. In
addition to the streak of high grade ore
there is a much larger mass of concen-
trating ore. most of which is left standing
in the mine. as without machinery it can
not be profitably worked. The company
owning the property are contemplating
building a road and erecting q conoen-
traitor in the spring.