The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-16

HI Wise ia a mining engineer. recent
Is from the East wao has just conlietsd
a careful examination of the mines III the
Sliverton and Monte @rlsto dIstFscss- 4Le
results OF his investigation are gwen IN
the following interview:
Not only are many 81 the cluzeas q
Seattle and WASHINGTON nteresteI IN the
SiIvertou and Monte tcrisS) mining sec
tons. but Eastern capitalists nave also
asked for Information regarding the sdlNS
OF the mineral. extent or territory anu
size of ore bodies thus Tar expiofed' by
request OF some Eastern capitalists ana
mining men / visited this mIucfal sSSuoh
few days ago, and was SURPRISES, "a, a. me
activity in those camps. and noticlhg the
interest you take in the mining resources
OF your growing state, also feeIlns hthuIy
towards business followed Tor tNenty
years, / may say something interesting
10 your readers:
After leaving Everett. the Monte Cflsto
railroad passes through several mineral
formations before il reaches its terminus
Near Granite Falls Is found coal STRIKE
OF nearly a north ana south direction OF
perhaps a mile, or one ana ohe-AdLi
miles in width, Then come nfne, poF-
phyry and quarliite OF perhaps four or
five miles in width after which the rich
mineral section of Sllverton is encouh-
tered with a granite formation, mostly,
with more or less talcoSe and eruptiVe
slate and serpentine- This formation
characteriZes that OF Alaska ana Srltlsh
Columbia, and may also be followed DOWN
the line TO the Blue Ridge mountains or
Eastern oregon. also the Cascades, the
Bitter Root mountains OF Idaho ana the
Sierra Nevadas of California, making
Washington near the center OF vast
mineral zone OF which but little is as yet
known. notwithstanding the TACT tnat
mining has been prosecuted 10 greater
or less extent along the entire pelt fof
thirty years past.
About midway between the Silverton
and Monte Cristo centers the road again
crosses a fine coal strike, apparently two
miles in width. In that district In Wnlcn
the Monte Cristo mines are being operated
the ore seems to have an iron base carry
ing more or less gold in paying quantities
while the section surrounding ollVerton
has a copper base ore carrying paying
quantities of the yellow metal. consider
able silver is found in both these iron and
copper base ores.
Mature has done as much for this
great mineral section as the miner could
demand while the Monte Cristo railroad
gives him an immediate outlet for the
productions of his mines. This is the Tune
OF year when fair Judgment can be rem
dered on the amount OF snow fah curing
the cold season, and II the past winter Is
a criterion. great depth and snow slides
are not to be feared as rule.
with the abundance OF timber. coal
and water and fine bodies or ore SHOWN
in this section, the miner and capitalist
should reap a harvest in legitimate out
put of mineral. 1t Is not just 10 say that
ALI the properties now being developed or
soon to be legitlmateIy prospected Will
turn out dividend payers or bonanzas, or
ing milling or concentrating ores by any
means, as that would be making an as
sertion that could not be suostantiated
Some OF the ores examined showed ma
terial that would make il very difficult TO
concentrate. and others are too rebeliious
10 make II desirable for smelling unless
depth brings a change in character or
some live Yankee with his inventive
genius brings forth some new process tnat
will annihilate the element that holds the
rebellious mass together, and frees the
min al oh oa than has vet been done.
"As a rule, however, the ores OF these
districts show smelling and concentrating
properties. and If surface indications nod
good in depth many paying mines VIII De
opeLed within the next few years
Ores that have copper base nave long
6cen considered safe 10 follow az dePtn
with expectation Of little change in value
At water Level. asSlas been proven by the
great properties worked for years past
around Butte. Mont, and in Lake supe-
''The strike of the veins in the Silverton
and Monte Cristo sections are little
north OF east and south OF west, with a
very slight pitch or dip to the northeast,
cutting the formation almost az rlgnt
angles. The mountains rise quite Abruptly
IA great height. with shorter pencheS
or foothills than those often met with IN
mining regions, making 10 possible 10
work the veins by short tunnels until the
ore Is encountered. and In many instances
enabling the miner TO start directly on
the ledge. without the expensive DEAD
work - often encountered. ores are
D1trPu nE tunnels at from 10 10 - per EfAlt-
cheaper than by hosting through smart.
not taking into consideration frSt cost or
expensive machinery. but basing the es-
innate on the expense OF fueI anu Iap9I
to keep the plant in running order. Nhlic
the deeper the shaft becomes the more eN-
pensive and tedious the WORK
Considering the abrupt elevation or
number OF the mountains on wnich sew
eral mines were noticed, IL IS SAFE 10 es-
innate that the veins may De worked uy
tunnels and adit levels TO deptn OF rom
q . htaf
/ Is compelled TO go below the level OF MS
tunnel. Thus Il may be seen thst = prop,
erty with pay orc may he mace COCO
dividend producer before expensive MOST
/ ing plants are necessary
III am right in my surmise, that good
bodies OF ore Of a paving quatlty are 20
be found IN these districts, II would seem
that q j. only question or time when
Eastern and home capltal VII suPpaltt
the miner and prospector. Tie ~otos
( prCsp eCtor and miner are used from thc
Fact THAI nearly all good properties pass
from the firSt 10 the second, and tEen into
tha hands % q third party-tae capltai4st
/ or stock company. The average pIoSPvc-
so docs not profess nor, As a rule desire
/ to know hon 10 mine. He has Done rs
work in discovering the properly ana, ots-
posing % e 70 the miner, VINO IL ~ =,
works and develops the property 10 tnat
point "A here large sums 81 money a -
guIrp1 on an outlay Tor EntchAAefy+ 81
che man % means steps pa Oh a ~ ~
f,.lStn.ss basis calculating purchase
price the expense OF further 1eNetotl,l''.4lt,
cost 81 p5anf etc considering Ct"s*4} ttts
r~ohab1s returns annually. and II u VIA
give him a legitimate per cent. on We
COMBINED outlay. without TOO great A4sA-
che mine ~ accepted 49,
Large bodies ~ low grade ore are more
80 Dr. desired now thau at any other tine
during the history % mining ih Ali- .obii-
try Il is generally believed ih&t " ASA
suEtcn IS blessed with fniS character g.
mines. and e may be reasonably SUPPOSE
that The coming summer ana next lev
wears Eastern men vii investigate and
ascertain these facts.
~ took occasion 60 Gnd ont the PROB
ahie cost q lumber, freight Fafes. fmtt.-
lug charges etc, as well as wages p2ta
{ Il appears that rouxh lumber usually
used in and around mines can be hsd IN
Seattle and Everett az from Sa.aa 70 - ger
: essA and fre4Ehte1 70 st5TeFton from ~
srstt FOR about 81 per car. costing HtJle
more from Seattle for freight. car car
rytng from % coo 20 "a .Ga feet. ore IL ear
ried from Sslverton and Monte Cristo 30
the Everett smelter for about 3 per ton
and smeitsd AZ a cost 81 from = - ..
according 20 IhA character or ore MN
ers' WAGES sge 8 per dag. ard board less
tran s. Taking these faForao4e conGl-
tlu0s into consideration. x makes 81 Pos
siHis for n low grade property % pay
fair margin q profit The Si3Ferton and
Monte Cr!sto country being thus B2tHr-
ally and fAvoraaly situated. are i1FltiEE
fields BAT ghe fact still remains that Il
must set De su Disseminated fhaf the fnif4-