Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-07-31
Blue Bird Mine Report.

Report of the "Blue Bird" group of
mining claims, situated in the "Hoo-
doc" mining district, Latah county,
state of Idaho.
CHICKAsAw MINING AND SMELT-
ING Co., New Hampton, Iowa.
Gentlemen:-In compliance with the
request of the President of your COM
pany, Mr.. Greenberg, and in company
with him, 1 visited the "Blue Bird"
group of copper mines, in Idaho, owned
byyour Company, for the purpose Of
inspecting, examining and passing
upon the efficiency of the work done
by the present Superintendent in
charge of development work and upon
the character and value of the ore
bodies exposed since work thereon has
been commenced.
We left Spokane for the "Blue Bird"
camp in Latah county, Idaho, on
April 20, 1901, and arrived there the
following day, and found that the
snow had entirely disappeared, so that
/ four no obstruction or difficulty in
making thorough examination of the
surface outcroppings on the "Blue
Bird" and the six other claims which
constitute the group.
In order that you may have an intel
ligent and accurate idea of the value
and character Of the development work
done on these properties, it may be
well, first, to give you some general in
formation as to the character and value
of the surface outcroppings of the ore
bodies or veins on these claims.
SURFACE OUTCRoPPINGs.
The claims are thickly wooded, the
surface being heavily covered with a
sedimentary formation, so that the
outcroppings of the veins or ore bodies
are found only in the gulches and
where placer mining operations have
been carried on. There are a number
of these exposures of the ore bodies at
different points on the different claims,
but more particularly on the "Blue
Bird" showing the veins to be contin-
uous, and showing evidence that they
are of true assure origin. These out
groupings show parallel vein on the
"Blue Bird" about one hundred feet or
more below the present workings
shaft on that claim, the average
width of which is from twelve totwen-
ty feet, samples from which show over
u per cent, or $3.50 per ton, copper.
The outcroppings on the other claims
of the group are not so strong and the
ore bodies are Of different character,
carrying considerable values in silver.
PRESENT WORKINGS.
/ find that all development WORK
done on the properties of this company
up to this time has been confined to
the "Blue Bird" This work consists
of an incline shaft sunk to depth of
one hundred and fifty feet, following
the hanging wall of the ledge at an
angie of so degrees. The shaft is Aka
feet in the clear and we'll timbered. AT
a depth of 80 feet two drifts have been
driven on the vein 25 feet each day.
At depth of so feet another drift has
been run on the vein so feet east. All
of this work is in ore. I find three dis
tinct ore shoots trending to the east
that have been cut by the shaft, all
three showing a high grade ore that
will average $50 per ton in copper and
gold. The matrix or vein filling be-
tween the ore shoots Is thoroughly inn
pregnated with copper and carries a
value of from Sll to $40 per ton copper
and gold. / consider this to be one of
the strongest and most promising fea-
lures of this property, as this same
character of ore predominates in the
Anaconda and other great copper mines
of Butte, Montana. 1t must be remem-
bered that the width of the above vein
is not known, as it has not yet been
crOsscut, and from surface indications
and from the showings made on the
shaft and drifts, would expect to find
an additional body of ore before the
foot wall is reached.
i would strongly advise that cross
cut be run from the $50 foot level south
to intersect the foot wall, also north, to
discover If any veins lie in that direc-
ton, as it is almost sure that at present
the permanent hanging wall is not in
the shaft, and drift both ways on the
ledge. Drifting east fifty feet will give
depth Of about 200 feet and determine
the width and strength of your ore
body at this point.
ORE IN SIGHT ESTIMATED FROM THE
PRESENT $50 FooT LEVEL.
The values of the ore shown by the
present development work, estimated
upon the usual basis of IL cubic feet per
ton, with an average value, say of $35
per ton, assuming that the vein is con-
tinuous with depth as shown by sur
face indications, would give 162, 500 tons
of ore in sight, of the gross value of
S. 677 10000. If you make the liberal
allowance of IS per ton for mining,