The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-05

much they done know about saving gold.
and are ready 70 learn from any quarter.
The wyandofts plant will have added m
fsresf. because Ii viii be the first cyanide
plant in Washington. and viii ne the
first practical test OF Dir. Langharsners
improvements. though several expert
mental tests have given good results IL
viii also test the value OF the Sisniika-
nseen district. On which Gkanogan smith
placed such seemingly fabulous prfce-
On the ~imilkam<
The Similkameen mines extend along the
mountains on both sides OF the river or
that name from, the boundary. first south
ward. then eastward 10 Gro. the principal
claims being on Mount Chapacs- when
Is directly opposite the lower ridge. on
which is the wyaniotte. and on Mount
Fliemshara. the peak which ends the
Palmer mountain ridge on the north
From the wyan6otte locations also ex-
tend along the mountain on the left
bank OF the river TO Kruger mountain,
below which IL turns a little southwark 10
Join the CkaroEsn at Orc. after running
through a narrow which often backs II
up 20 Palmer lake and after fall or ~
or 80 feet and series OF rapids which
would furnish a fine water power even at
the lowest stages.
The FIRST mining along the Siniikaueen
was done at the time Of the Cariboo ex-
cstement In 1859. when some OF the miners
drifted southwark and found rsch placers
OF coarse gold on the low bars and IN
the river bed. Piacers were worked n
Granite creek. IS miles above the rivers
mouth, and as far down as Shanker bend.
two miles south OF the boundary. where
work still continues, the aggregate length
OF the ground washed being about forty
miles. The gold In the bars is very me
and dificult TO save. but IN the river bel
IL Is coarse and more abundant. nuggets
worth as much as IS being shown. Wing
dams are built on the low bars. and men
with good facilities make s. or "a lay.
The saving of the coarse gold In the river
bed is difficult by the use Of ordinary
methods. and Capt. Henry Finch Is now
bringing a steamer up the okano&an.
which he built at Wenatchee. 10 dredge
the pay dirt out OF the river bed by means
OF a suction pipe.
The first quartz lodges along the river
were located by the late Okanogan Smith.
and have all been relocated and are being
worked by contesting claimants Among
them were the Eagle and two other
claims on a ledge OF galena six feet wide.
which has been traced through all three
OF them The Eagle has been relocated
by Frank Grogan as the San Francisco,
and he has run a tunnel 60 feet on the
ledge and sunk several small shafts,
which show ore running well In silver ana
carrying a little gold Near this group
are the Msynower, relocated by Mr.. Gro
gan, and the No. by John Mcdonald. on
q ledge of gaIena GRE eight to nine Feet
wide. which has been traced for a mile
and on which Mr.. Mcdonald has run
tunnel 100 feet and sunk a shaft 20 feet.
Another of the Smith claims. two miles
below the Eagle. is the Cabba. with IL
foot ledge OF galena. all we'll mtneralized.
on which Is a shaft 100 feet. Another
@AA I.xIf an
the north side of Mount Ellemeham. where
he had a six-foot ledge of brown quartz
carrying iron and copper pyrites and
traces OF galena, on which he sank SHAFT
50 feet. The assays OF the ledge average
so gold. si2 silver. but for four feat IL Is
heavily mineraiixed and runs up TO $50
gold. lie ounces silver. A relocation has
been made by Allan Reiste and Guy Fruit,
who have Just begun work
The existence of these lodges was mat
ter OF common rumor among the miners
prior 10 the opening OF the Moses reserva-
ton and. as usual when accurate informa-
ton Is not accessible. their value was
probably exaggerated. Thus the influx
of prospectors which followed the OPEN
ing soon spread along the Simiikameen
Among the first discoveries. in 1889. was
the Wyandotte group by George Glrtz.
composed OF the wyandotte. Orc Elmo.
yuiture, Waterloo. Republic and two
milisites with water rights. On the Wy
andotte. which Is near the summit or tho
mountain, Is a blanket ledge of free mill
ing ore carrying so gold and so silver. Is
to 30 inches wide, between granite walls.
Mr.. Girtz ran an inclined tunnel on the
ledge. put up an arastra and crushed
few tons of the ore. From a shipment OF
one ton he realized so above freight and
treatment charges. Most of the work was
done on the ORC Elmo. which has an out
ANnr ha ma al
The first ledge struck WAS iron pyrites
between walls OF porphyry and crystal
iized slate, running 40 degrees east OF
north and west OF south. almost straight
up and down the mountain. AT the sur
face II is six feet wide, but I'm an inclined
tunnel 1t widened to is feet in $50 feet.
AT this point slope was made TO get the
tunnel level. and then II was turned
westward TO develop the ledge. Near the
surface this tunnel cat blanket ledge Of
white quartz two feet thick carrying free
gold, which cut across the pyrftes ledge.
and 50 feet higher up the mountain Ia
another blanket ledge dipping IS degrees
to the east. on which tunnel has been
run 800 feet The pyrites ledge Is coll
ored black with graphite and carries IS
gold, but no silver. while the lower bian-
ket ledge runs SIS 10 so gold in the dis
eovery shaft. changed 10 30 ounces silver
In the course OF the tunnel and afferward
back TO the original gold value. The vul-
ture Is on the north extension OF the main
fat ledge Of the Orc Elmo. The Waterloo
In on a parallel ledge Of about the same
size and character. on which is a tunnel
Is feet The Republic adjoins the wyan-
dotte on a parallel ledge between granite
waits which widened I'm a fs-foot inclined
shaft from 10 inches on the surface 10 two
feet. II also increased in value from 20
ounces silver ard no gold on the surface
TO one ounce gold and q trace of silver In
the FIRST FIVE feet the gold value contfnsf-
ing 70 increase with depth.
In March. 1895. these claims were bought
by the wyandotte Mining. Milling and
Smelling Company. which was organized
Theodore WiIker as president Chris
Leyhe a. treasurer. Paul Soerke as Sec
rotary and Otto Hansing as manager.
development was pushed vigorously
and two nnillsstes were located az the
sale dia not include Girtz's and she VIII
ken claim was located on the Orc Elmo
black ledge 90 secure depth on that claim
The Cyanide Process
The wyandotte Company last spring
made contract with DIR. Iangharnrner.
Nho Is a mining engineer Of experience In
North and south America and Africa, 70
erect cyanide plant with his own i'm
provements at the mine. its capacity TO
be 100 tons day. 20 furnish and erect
other machinery for che mine ard rednc-
ton works and 10 out them In successful
operation He besan work in May, and ia
now gushing II with view Of beginning
operations II. about month he began
by having road built four miles M the
river from Bertrand's ferry 10 the mill
Site AMI I'm blasting ont the
rock around sharp bend A. SON.