The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-03
.INOPtIlWe ernMIneS.
MINING OF NICKEL
Sudbury, Ont, District Had a Good
~ Season.
OUTPUT DOUBLED IN TWO YEARS
'sInstrument Men" Not II Success in
Locating Properties-NO New
Discoveries.
Special to The Journal,

Sudbury, Ont, Jan. g -The progress of
nickel mining in the Sudbury district
this season has been Of the most crafty
ing character. The total output of all
the mines is about double that of two
years ago. Though no less than ten diff
ferent companies own workable nickel
properties in the district, only three. of
them are doing any actual mining, and
some OF the others are practically de-
funct. The, failure of these = companies
was due to various causes, but: in no case
to the ore. In their mines giving out In
fact of all the properties so far exploited
in the district, and on which the surface
outcrop was OF a promising nature, only
on three have ,ore-bodies not been found.
and sufficient work has not been done yet
on any Of the three for final conclusive
test. .-.
The diamond drill is not safe method,
in testing such irregular deposits of ore.
with the drill in "radiate ted" holes, "a fine
large ore-body was found by sinking a
shaft between two Of the holes, but
missed by the idrill. AS consequence
whenever nickel property is bonded, a
condition is put into the option that no
diamond drill test shall be made, but
that all development work must be done
by sinking shafts, etc., in the usual way.
Several capitalists have been in the
district this season exploring for nickel
with the magnetic needle. The old local
prospectors. some of whom have been on
the ranges more or less every season for
the past fifteen years, say that this is
very unsafe guide, as. there is often more
attraction on bands Of mineraliZed shales
than on most Of the best and largest bod
les of nickel ore; and also that real
nickel mine of any size is seldom wholly
concealed even in the green woods but
crops out boldly on the surface in some
place.
The remnants Of the whole nickel belt
not previously taken up, have been closely
gone over again during the past three
and more recently by the instrument
men" above referred to, but not a single
new discovery Of any note has been made
and the most of them are now turning
their attention to an iron range north to-
ward the Height of Land and also to the
copper belt along the north shore of the
Georgian Bay. They say it is no use look
ing for nickel mines any more There
are only three groups of nickel properties
now remaining unsold and in the hands
OF the original owners. The first group
is on the west end Of the north nickel
range, and at present inaccessible for the
want OF transportation facilities, being
from fifteen to twenty miles back from
the nearest point on any of the railway
lines. The second group is in the town
ship ot LeVac, some twenty-five = miles
west of Sudbury, and from four to- eight
miles to the north of the main line of
the Canadian Pacific, at Onaping station.
The third group is on the main nickel
range, and consists of the North Star
mine in snider, and the Cochrane mine
on Blue Lake, on what is locally known
as the high grade belt, with other scat
tered properties in different parts of the
district as far south as the Spanish river