The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-12-08
New Body of Ore Struck on the
Lower Drift.
4 PR0VEMENTSAT THE FRISCO
The New Mill Has More Than Double
the Capacity Of the oId-Co-Oper-
ative Plan at the Morning.

Wallace. Idaho. Dec. There is con
siderable uneasiness in mining circles
over rumors that some of the mines
now operating in the Occur d'Alenes
will colse down within couple of weeks.
One of the rumors was that the Gem
would shut down today.
j. A. Finch, of Finch & Campbell.
managers of the Milwaukee Mining Co.
the owners of the Gem, was asked If
there was any truth in the rumors
There has been no such order given
out as yet said Mr. Finch frankly.
but l cannot say positively just what
we will do. We have been employing
l55 men until lately and now have a
force of 1875 at work. The mine has not
made any profit for several months.
and November will show a deficit of
probably $4,000 to $4,000. We sunk a
shaft this year which was run down
l25 feet and a drift has been run at
this depth along the vein for a distance
of 100 feet. What appears to be fine
chute of ore has been struck within
the last three days in the breast of this
tunnel. When first encountered it was
Is inches in thickness and has widened
to five feet, In view of this recent strike
pect to keep the mine open during the
winter with one crew. that is, one shift
for the mine and mill, which will give
employment to about 70 men,
A FINE WATER POWER.
One of the novelties of the Gem mine
is the hoist. The stream of water used
is caught 1000 feet up the mountain side
and turned into a 1O-inch iron pipe.
The water as it rushes down the steep
bank is forced into a 4-inch pipe. and
furnishes at the mine about 400 pounds
pressure, which hoists the ore from the
new shaft
The several claims belonging to the
Gem mine were located in 1885 and are
owned by the Milwaukee Mining Co.
This company bonded the mine in 1887
and the concentrating mill was built
in 1889. The first run made was in Au-
gust of 1892
The mine has been opened with three
tunnels which extend 900 to 500 feet
into the mountain. During the pres
ent year the company has added ma
chinery to sink a shaft from the level
Of the lower tunnel This shaft has
been sunk $50 feet At 1875 feet a station
was cut out and drift was made for
the ledge. The ledge was not encoun-
tered just where it was expected and
there was considerable uneasiness
among those interested. but it was
not for long. The ore body was found
several days ago and a fine 5-foot ledge
Is now being worked. The company
Is also stopping between tunnels one and
two and between two and three. The
new ore body uncovered is Of a better
grade than that in the slopes above
and the indications are that the vein
will be wider The shipments amount
to from 1000 to LOO tons per month.
The new twin air compressor put into
the Gem power house for the air drills !
preparatory to sinking the shaft. is
one of the finest pieces of machinery |
in the Occur d'Alenes and alone is said |
TO have cost about $780, 900. 1t has an |
Is and 2Sx30 compound Corliss engine. !
and has duplex air cylinders. The |
wheel, which weighs eleven tons. is /
II feet in diameter. It is a 20 drill ma
chine and occupies a space in the power
house 3Ox45 feet 1t was put in the
mine last August. When at the limit of
its speed this monster air compressor
requires about 300 horsepower to on
crate it. The Gem is now arranging
to run all winter.