The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1897-09-28
'aMines and Mining.re
THE SKYLARK.

each year these many years past,
and still keeps up its good re-
putation as producer and has a
large amount of fine ore in sight.
they only need go up on Rams
horn mountain and call on the
foreman, Leroy Hillman, that,
on account of his pleasant rela-
tions with us all, we all call him
simply in short-"Dick''- k''-and
he will be shown just that very
thing. This mine has been work
ed through so many tunnels dur
ing its immense yield that we
were unable to count and retain
the number but if memory serves
us Alright there is seven east and
the same number west. And out
of nearly every one of these
there has been fine profit made
by the Clayton M. & S. Co. who
own them and have worked
them. This mine has been
worked at a profit since the Fall
of 1879; and has produced mil
lions of money. It lies in a slate
formation-nothing but slate
with the exception of a very
small amount of porphyry. It's
strike is northeast and southwest,
with dip, varying all the way
from slight, at the top. or sur
face, to something over As deg.
in deeper ground to the north
west. Although this mine had
been worked so long and pro-
duced so much, that any sugges.
ton that it is worked out may
reasonably be expected to be re-
ceived credit, the party who
thinks it is "doue" is way off"
No, the Lark is not worked out,
and whenever it is necessary for
q large amount of high grade ore
for the Smelling Company to go
on, they only have TO tease the
Lark and it produces, especially
if "Dick" is attending to it. The
vein is open for large distance,
and the foreman tells us he can
give from it all the high grade
the company needs, and, surely,
there is a large amount of that
kind in sight. OF course, the
vast amounts taken out have
lessened it that much, but under
and over and beyond, no. one
knows, what may be found in the
Lark. 1t has been wonderful,
and it is liable to still go on and
on producing. The ore is, in
many places. solid grey copper
that goes in the neighborhood of
a thousand ounces of silver,
some, even, much more. 1t has
chloride and black copper or
sulphurets-in brief-it has al
ways been and still is extremely
high grade. The width of the
vein ranges from about eight
inches to four feet. To state it
briefly, it is a fine vein of ex-
tremely high grade ore lying in
walls so easily worked that it
can bid defiance to the schemes
of gold men against silver. 1t
can make money for its owners
anyway; and yet, it seems a pity
to take it out at present prices.
If the gold men had such a mine
they would consider it a great
wrong for our government to ex-
tend to them such treatment.
In former years when we visit
ed this mine1it was only a little
hole in the ground, while now
its deepest workings are nearly
a thousand feet from their open
ing and the mountain is honey
combed with tunnels.
Few mines C; n be made to pay
to be worked to this extent at
present prices for silver.
On our visit we were pleased
to meet Mrs. Hillman as well as
"Dick," and took dinner with
them. Mrs. H., who is our for
mer school girl, at Clayton, looks
as happy at her new home among
the mountains as she did in her
school days. From the Lark we
go to the Ramshorn.