Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-28

Improvement being undertaken by the
Snowshoe company. The electric light
plant to light the mine and mill is being
installed, and the material is arriving for
the construction of a telephone line to
connect the town with the mine which is
situated 13 miles south. Work on the new
air compressor plant is nearly completed,
and ii is thought that the machine drills
will be in operation by the 10th of next
month. The development of the mine can
then be pushed much more rapidly than
heretofore.
Yesterday the saw mill plant of William
Criderman, which has been engaged in
the manufacture of lumber for the build
ing trade in town, was purchased by the
Snowshoe company and will be immedl'
ately removed to the neighbOrhood of
the mine. A contract for 400, 900 feet OF
lumber has been let, and the logging will
begin at once, as there is plenty of snow
to do it economically.
At the rate at which the development
of this mine has progressed since it was
taken over by the English company, it
may be safely predicted that an addition
to the reduction facilities will soon be
necessary. The mine is now equipped with
a concentration of 200 tons daily capacity,
but 1t is really capable of producing a
great deal more ore than that, and re-
serves are being increased every day. The
work is being done by Howard c. Walters
of Spokane. manager, and l.. L. Patrick
was appointed superintendent of general
operations at the mine last week. Mr..
Patrick has had considerable experience
with the mining and treatment of lead
silver ores, having been connected for a
number of years with some of the large
Colorado properties. He was for a time
with the Colonel Sellers mine at Leadville,
and the Bay Horse at Aspen. During re-
cent years he has had charge of the Blewett
gold mine in Washington and the Mon
tezuma silver-lead property in the Slo-
can, and is undoubtedly q valuable acqul-
sition for the company.
A most thorough and searching exam
nation Of the Buzz Saw group of mines
has been conducted all this winter by j.
NJ. Dikeman. in behalf of the United
States e. British Columbia Mining COM
pany of Kansas City, which has a bond
on the group. The president Of this COM
pany is Arthur Winslow, formerly state
geologist of Missouri, and we'll and ia
vorably known throughout the west and
British Columbia. Mr.. Winslow visited
the Buzz Saw late in the fall, and was ia
vorably impressed by the mine. His com
pany is operating mines IN Colorado and
British Columbia, and is understood to
be a strong concern financially. The Buzz
Saw group consists of five patented
claims. cituated on Shaughnessy hill, SIX
miles south of town. They nave been de-
Veloped by five cross-cut tunnels which
encounter the lead at different levels, anG
from each of these tunnels there has beer
considerable drifting on the lead bOtf
ways, and the drifts are all in ore. The
lead varies from three to six feet il
width. About 1000 feet of development
work has been done, which puts the
mine past the prospect stage as far as
quantity Of ore is concerned. The ore is
Of two kinds, lead carbonates and galena
the total value per ton in silver, lead ant
: gold being thought to vary between $lt
2 and $15. While the company has made nc
? official announcement of its intentions il
) is understood that the Investigations have
been satisfactory, both as to the genera
average of the ore, and its susceptibility
to concentration. The company has main
tanned an office in Libby this winter, ant
a few men have been employed at the
mine, and it is confidently asserted by
!. those who are in a position to know tina
the mine will be a producer this year. A
few carloads of the first class ore were
l shipped several years ago, but to operate
the mine requires a concentration to be
built at the mine, and surveys looking tx
this end have been made. Goodchild &
Co., the Thompson Falls merchants, are
the principal owners
The neighbOrlng camp of SylVanite, q
miles north of here, has been somewhar
on the retired list during the present win.
ter, owing to the shutting down of it's two
quartz mills on the Keystone and Cole
Flint properties. Development work has
been carried on in the keystone, however
and apparently with encouraging results
The lead is a large one and of low grade
| the value being chiefly in gold.
John Peterson has made an importan'
~ ri1-n IL, thn I if+1n S,NpI-a,, no ca,-o.> I'll