Fergus County argus., 1902-04-30

of the plant closing down for lack of
ore for many years to come.
The trip through the mines and diff
ferent workings in this great property
Is an interesting one and It was
through the courtesy of L. w. King.
who acted as guide, that the ARGUS
representative was enabled to make
the rounds last week. The tour com.
menced at the mouth of the mill tun.
mel, where candles were procured
and start was made into the almost
Stygian blackness of the tunnel. A
distant rumbling was heard, which
became louder and more distinct, un-
I'll with flash of candle light from
the accompanying miners candles,
and heaying grinding and rumbling,
fve ore cars passed by. drawn by
white mule which is trained to handle
the cars without the usual aid of lines
or bride.
The mill tunnel. through which the
ore is conveyed to the bins, is in the
nelghborhood of $500 feet In length
and contains number of ore chutes,
through which the ore from above is
loaded into the waiting cars. A
1,7O0-foot drift has been run to the
Standby claim from the Mill tunnel
for the purpose OF tapping the ore
bodies on the latter claim. A short
distance up this drift are located
some of the wonderful caves for which
this property is famous. At its ex.
treme end a thirtythree-foot prophyry
dyke has been encountered and the
ore on the Standby claim is only a
short distance away. A 420.foot drill
hole was lately sunk from the top of
the mountain, about 260 feet distant
from the porphyry dyke and since
then natural blow holes in the end of
the workings have been discovered
from which a sufficient draught is
emitted to blow out a candle.
In the sinking Of the drill hole
big cavity was encountered which II
is thought connects by a series of
caves with the blow holes at the end
of the drift. Both the Mill tunnel
and the Standby drift are run direct.
ly underneath the ore body and cut
out of almost solid lime rock, having
at some points a depth of 450 feet.
A second drift has been iun from the
Mill tunnel toward the Virgin gulch,
where a winze has been sunk to 4
depth of lis feet in solid ore. The
three principal slopes now in use are
the Chicadee. Cave and Lookout, all OF
which are heavily timbered and work
ed, by means of chutes, into the main
working tunnels. The caves are
reached from small entrance along
side the car track and the surprised
visitor drops into a subterranean
chamber, from the roof Of which hang
stalactites of grotesque and wonder
full form. Chamber after chamber is
entered and in the more remote rooms,
where the formations have not been
blackened by the action of powder
smoke. the crystals are seen in all
their pristine beauty and glisten won
derfully in the fitful light of the
candles. This wondrous cave covers
an acre of ground and is composed of
about twelve minor caves, and though
some of them are somewhat difficult
of access the visitor is well repaid
for his trouble by seeing some of the
most beautiful crystal formations to
be found in the state. In one sec
tion will be delicate traceries which
excel the artistic production of the
Frost King, while in an adjoining
room can be seen giant stalactites Of
grotesque shape that is accentuated
| in the dim light OF the candles.
The climb back to the surface Of
the tunnel is steep one and forcibly
brings to mind the depth to which
these subterranean chambers pene-
trate. The surface of the mountain
was gained by long climb up through
the timbered levels of the Cave stope.
where the ore is being extracted and
sent down the chute to the working
tunnel. The timber road. which runs
into the mountain for several hundred
feet for the purpose of allowing tim
bers to be taken to the workings. was
reached by short climb through a
section of the Lookout stope and the
/ L.. ~ tx.t