The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-02-26
ALL AROUND THE CAMPS
MINES OF THE NORTHWEST
Mineral Claim i'm the hamtoops Dis
trict Affords an Interesting study
development Work in Park
County. Montana--A Strike by
Two Travellers in Idaho.

The Erin mineral claim, situate on the
north side of the Iron Mask and Copper
Oueen mineral claims, about five miles
southwest of Kamloops, b. c., and owned
bv Messrs. Beattie, Buxton and Blair, and
on which development work has been go
ing on for some months past, is said to be
proving itself one of the best properties in
the camp. On New Years eve an immense
body of ore was struck in a crosscut made
from the shaft at depth of 40 feet. The
vein of solid ore is about seven feet wide
and gives an assay from $40 in gold to 80
per cent copper, as well as proportion of
silver. Other assays made run in value
from $26 to $62 per ton. At Coal Hill the
Pothook 7xl2 shaft is being energetically
sunk by force of six men, making an av-
erage of about one foot each day of 10
hours. The shaft has reached a depth OF
40 feet, all in much shattered and decom-
posed rock, with the assures filled and sep
amted by thin plates of native copper,
and, as yet, impregnated but sparsely with
rich copper glance. One corner, the south
west, is sight worth seeing being plas-
tered with bright native metal. Altogeth-
er this claim is a most interesting study.
Just how the native metal came to be de-
posted in such profusion throughout this
great mass is a conundrum not yet solved.
There is not much, if any, doubt, that it
is a product of alteration, and it is not
likely to prove a normal constituent of
the dyke, even if, as seems probable, the
fissure be found to be on dyke. 1t ap-
parently comes from the teaching of the
gray ore or glance. The rock itself is
either serpentine or a mixture of that rock
with clorite, and this alternates with a
conglomerate of many parts. About "a in
gold adds to the value and the plates of
native copper are gradually becoming
thicker as the work of sinking progresses
struck 1t Rich.
Michael Guertin and his son, Alcide
who left Fort Saskatchewan in May last,
with man named Irish, to travel to Ida
no by team, are said to have struck it rich
in that state through an accidental discov-
cry of rich quartz claim. The story
reads like fiction. The party was travel
ing over high range of mountains near
Boise City, when one of their horses be-
came exhausted and they were compelled
to camp for the night on themountain top.
In the morning Irish wandered little
pick up some fragments of peculiar look
ing rock, which he showed to his compan-
ions. They examined it, and, actuated
principally by curiosity, took bag and
partly filled it with the broken rocks. On
reaching Boise City they had the rock as
sayed, and the assayer pronounced it gold
quartz worth $S5 to the ton. On the news
becoming known throughout the town,
great excitement was aroused and Irish
was offered $4,000 for his one third share,
which he accepted and departed for Port
land. The claim was duly surveyed and
staked and active operations will. com
mence when the snow goes The Messrs.
Guertin and their new partner. named
Carson, have been offered $4,000 for the
claim, but refused the offer.
Well Equipped Party.
SiXty-seven men, comprising the Alas
kan-KlOndike Cooperative Expedition,
have arrived at Tacoma over the Northern
Pacific. The party comes mainly from
New York and Philadelphia and will leave
Tacoma for Alaska with one of the most
complete outfits ever taken into that
country. They will carry a complete com
plement of the most approved machin-
cry, two steam launches, sawmill. and
an assaying and refining plant. Fifty
horses have been purchased in Tacoma for
draft purposes. Three mechanical engin-
GERS, two mining engineers, one assayel
and refner. two chemists, two physician,
and one dentist are included in the party
They will carry an outfit sufficient to last
them IL months.
To Control the KIondiIxe.
Joseph Ladue, recently from the north
en gold fields, says: "The North Ameri
can transportation and Trading Company
is the only one now buying claims in tn,
klondike. l understand that they ar,
acting as agents for the Rothschilds.
met Mr. Cudahy on the train from Chi
cago to San Francisco and he told me tina
they had just received 100000 i'm draft
which had been given in payment O