The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-26

was shown some very rich specimens. Spent that day looking about the town and the adjoining mines. and the next morning started in the saddle with M.. Boyd and MT. Biedler to visit the sur face sh0wings of the Palmer Mountain Tunnel Company, on Palmer Mountain. We started to look at the Copper World property, which lays some three thous- and feet beyond the Tunnel Company's properties, but when we reached the top of the mountain, we found from IS inches to two feet of snow, which prevented our seeing the surface as we had hoped to do, and we, therefore, abandoned Che trip to that property.
 We swung around onto the Summit claim of the Tunnel Company, which has an elevation of some 5.eO0 feet We then passed over the surface of twelve of the claims on which sufficient surface wosk had been done to give one a very good idea of the ore, and saw some very fine looking ore bodies. Tn coming down the mountain, saw one Eerd of 2,S00 sheep, grazing where there was about an inch or two of snow.
 While viewing the surface claims of the Tunnel Company, I saw the Black Bear 22-horse power gasoline hoist, with a shaft going down on the vein to depth of 250 feet, from which was reliably informed at least $15o.o0O has been extract ed. The width of the vein is from two to six feet. From the War Eagle claim, which also adjoins the Tunnel Company's cliams. ore had been taken from the vsia to a depth of 100 feet to the amount of s4S.0oo. 1000 tons having given return of s2l 900 in the Black Bear Min. Was informed that the vein in the bottom was six feet wide.
 ''In my judgment, there Is no district 'n the country that can show any such sur- face prospects, in which the width and depth of the veins are also proved at great depth. This trip consumed most of the day.
 'On the following. day walked to the Toats Coulee Creek, from which is to be developed the valuable water power of the Tunnel Company. The location for the power station was some 5000 feet from the mouth of the tunnel I followed the creek up to the point where the dam is to be built. and then back over the road way, which has already been graded and upon which the Hume will be carried to obtain the elevation to create the extcn- sive power. Nature seems to have paftic- ularlx laid out this spot to assist man in his undertakings to cheaply delve into the rich mountain sides and extract the ore at small cost, compared with what many districts have to pay for similar work. As 1t was a somewhat rough walk and there being considerable climbing was pretty well exhausted on my return from the trip.
 ''The following day spent examining the veins cut in the tunnel. Found the tunnel had been cross-cut into the moun- tain to a distance of 4.0OO feet. and in running same. more than twenty-eight gold-bearing veins had been cut. The last one had a depth of nearly 1,40O feet from the surface. From the surface indica- tions. what the next 4.0O0 feet fin the tun- nei will show, is beyond any ones com prehension.
 I have never seen in my experience anything that compares to this propo3i- tion in mining way.
 The following day I visited the tun- nels and shaft of the Security Company, from which ore assaying as high as $41.- eco per ton has been extracted. I have some very nice samples with me, taken from that vein. I then visited the Black Bear Mill--a -ive-stamp mill which has cost some $30,000 to erect. and in which various properties in that district have been able to make mill runs on their ore. The Pinnacle people had recently made a mill run of some 300 tons of ore, and it had averaged better than s20 per ton.
 ''I also visited a brewery erected by a German from the old country. with the assistance of one carpenter. The present output of this brewery was but ten bar rels per month. I never tasted a finer beer. Was interested in the way the large stores protect themselves from a total loss in their stocks. in case the town should be swept out by fire! An excava- tion Is made at distance from the stores. which is either walled in or put in with wooden walls covered with earth.
 'On my return to Republic met a Mrs Greenslate. who has a brother, w. S. Crosby, living at Evergreen and a broth- CT. Matt Crosby living at Brewton. As she had not been in Alabama for some twenty-five years, lsheswas very much in- terested to learn all that had to tell her about that section, as it had prcvi- ously been her home
 'In returning from Republic to Spokane I met the Assistant General Manager of the Granby Mines at Grand Forks, Can ada. and learned that. after some five years development. they were just about to pay their first dividend of 1 per cent on an outstanding capital of over $13,0OO = 900. This Is on ore that averages less than 8 per ton, but is handled in very large quantities (2.0O0 tons per day) and with a smelter which smelts at a very low cost
 While In Spokane I had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Samuel Aughey. who was located for some time in North Ala bana. He stands quite high as a geolo- glst. and states to me from the character of the ore which showed him as coming from the Palmer Tunnel Company's mines, that if the conditions there are as state, that it is tke most promising mining proposition that he knows of in this coun- try. For several years he was instructor in chemistry. geology and metallurgy at the State institution at Lincoln. Neb.. and made some surveys for the United States Government in that State. On the whole. I found everything in connection with the Palmer Mountain Tunnel Com? pany's properties better than represented. and shall have many interesting things to tell fn vnIi on my rettIrn