Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1898-05-28
MINES OF THE NORTHWEST
AROUND THE VARIOUS CAMPS.
Big Ore Body In the keystone In
the Sylvanite Distrfct-Five-Stam
Mill In Pony Gulch-The Wine
ON the Iron Mask-In the Fort
Steele District.


on the Iron Mask-In the Fort
Steele District.
The new crosscut tunnel on the Key
stone mine reached the footwall Saturday
and the vein was proved to be about l(
feet wide between walls, says a cores
pondent at Slyvanite, Mont. Drifting was
Immediately started south along the foot
wall and is now advanced about Is feet
This will be pushed on until under the big
stope on the upper level, when crosscut
will be run to the hanging wall. Drifting
will also be done north and a raise will
soon be made from the north drift to the
upper level. The big stope referred to or
the upper level was encountered in drift
ing south on the footwall from the face
OF the crosscut tunnel. After drifting
about 45 feet the drift went through two
feet of ore into rock that was supposed
to be the foot wall This was cut through
and found to be a horse two feet thick
1t was passed and tremendous body o1
Gre was entered that has since been known
in this camp as the ''big stope." This is
now shown to be IS feet wide and the
hanging wall is yet to be discovered. This
great ore body has been explored for l25
feet and its width holds out throughout
that distance. The drift has been run POO
feet further and now shows about six
feet Of ore in the face. A north drift has
also been run about 200 feet but no such
immense ore body has been entered as on
the south drift However, the drift has
opened up ore varying from five to six
feet wide 1t is conselvatively estimated
that there is ore enough in sight to keep
tn presnt l0-stamp mill running day and
night for two years.
Pony Gu1ch.
1t is reported here that Mr.. Craven.
until recently amalgamator at the Daddy,
will put up tive-stamp mill this summer
to work some of the ore from Pony gulch,
between Delta and Beaver station. Idaho.
Spokane parties are said to be behind the
enterprise, which should be paying one,
as there is some good ore up Pony gulch.
Years ago there was d mill built there
which crushed the rock with rolls instead
of stamps-a method which has proven
a failure on the hard quartz OF the Occur
d'Alenes. The mistake was also made Of
locating the mill where it was inconven-
lent and expensive to get the ore to it,
and steam power was used to run it. Even
with those disadvantages it was almost
a success, and it is confidently beleved
that mills driven by water and suitably
located would prove that there are num-
ber Of mines in that region that will pay
for working and some that will be profit
able
Since the old mill-the Fay Templeton
-cl d down there has been thing done
on Pony except assessment work, and the
region which at one time was a promising
one, has nearly dropped out Of sight. The
Fay Templeton property was reincorpor-
ated last fall, some Of the prominent min
ing men Of the south fork becoming in
terested in it, and it was then understood
that arrangements would be made this
spring to work the property on business
basis, with the expectation that some
money would be made from it. The old
mill was torn out, the boiler being sold
to the revivifcation works at Murray, but
there the work ceased, and nothing more
has been heard regarding it.
The Iron Mask.
The Wine on the Iron Mask, near Ross
land, has reached the lO5-foot level below
the main tunnel, which is equivalent to
depth from the surface of 305 feet. the
deepest workings yet opened on the prop
erty. About two feet of excellent shipping
ore has been disclosed in the Wine. In
the west drift on the main tunnel level
raise in under way to open ground for
stopping. The raise is disclosing some
good ore. From the annual report of the
minister of mines, the production Of lode
properties in the year 1897, was S26.547.
This was lead and silver. In 1893 the
first ll70 unces Of gold was reported, to-
tai values, 1927 400. Copper was first
marketed in 1894, there being 324 $50
pounds, valued at Sl6234. The total of
the lode mineral values for the year 1897
was S7,052,43l. From the year 1887 to
1898, 10 years, British Columbia produced
from her lode mines $l5, ,O94,427.
Montana City Placers.
The prospecting operations on bed rock.
conducted by means of a large centrifugal
pump on the placer grounds near Montana
City has led to the employment this sea
son Of a steam shovel and other modern
gold saving appliances such as is in sue
cessful use at Bannack and elsewhere on
formerly rcih surface placer grounds in
this state. Part Of the machinery is al
ready on the ground, and the work Of get
ting it in position for actual operation
is being pushed without delay. Last sea-
sons prospecting thoroughly demonstrate
ed the fact that the actual bed rock OF
the pacers at Montana City had not only
never been molested but that they are
rich in gold, a fact which has always
been maintained by miners familiar with
the ground, and the installation of the
dredge process to save the gold will be
watched with great interest by everybody
interested in the development Of that sec
ton Of the country.
The North Star.
One of the largest mining deals Of the
year IS reported 10 De progress Vi HeSo-
tiation at Fort Steele in the East Koote-
nay district. A large English syndicate,
backed by the Rothschilds, is negotiating
for the purchase of the famous North
Star mine on basis of 100000. One
of the principal owners Of the mine, d.
ID. Mann, has been given authority to sell
by the other owners, and it is reported
that negotiations are progressing favor
ably. The North Star is one of the oldest
locations in the Fort Steele district and
there are millions of dollars worth of ore
in sight. 1t has been under development
for number Of years and only the lack
of adequate transportation facilities has
prevented the property from taking a fore
most rank among the silver mines Of the
world.
vn,lr Camn