Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-06-10
COPPER PROSPECT IN ALASKA.
Our Northern Border Promises to Be as Val
liable for Copper as for Gold.
NIBLACK, Alaska, May 90, 1904.

NIBLACK, Alaska, May 90, 1904.
EDITOR WASHINGTON STANDARD:
In response to your invitation to
keep you posted about this country,
wrote you some time ago about the
big showing of ore at Niblack, Prince
of Wales Island, and possibly may
have seemed too optimistic, because of
the fact that | and number of Olym-
pia men had mining locations at this
place. But my widest hopes of the
past have been more than realized by
the present developments.
To begin with, nearly two-thirds of
the original locators and owners have
either sold their claims or allowed
them to lapse by failure to perform
the annual assessment work. Of the
fifty original locations only about 10
or 16 remain in the names of the first
owners. This infusion of new blood
has meant also an influx OF capital.
There are now two strong crews
working here night and day, one of 30
men and one OF 10 men besides three
little camps OF two men each.
The Niblack Copper Development
company is composed of Milwaukee
and Cleveland men and has plenty of
money to work with. This company
has lease on all of the Wakefield
properties, some 20 odd claims. 1t
has large shaft down $50 feet, on the
so-called McWilliams property, and
has proved the contention OF number
OF experts that the great bodies of
iron in this zone are Gaping for
copper and that the value of the ore
increases with depth.
At the GO feet level q crosscut
showed 81 feet of solid high grade
copper ore. When they began to sink
again it was noticed that the iron in
the shaft gave place to copper until at
a depth of $50 feet a fine grade Of
chalcopyrite came from the bottom of
the shaft. The object of the present
crosscut at the $50 feet level is to find
out how much wider the ore body is
than at the 60 feet level. It is not
unlikely that it will show over 100 feet
of solid ore. The N. c. ID. Co. will be.
gin the erection of a smelter OF large
capacity in the fall.
The Westcoatt property is one mile
TO the eastward, and on the same vein
or zone, has made an equally good
showing in proportion to the amount
of work done. The ore body here is
known to be q feet wide. Work is in
progress here night and day and will
continue indefinitely. Mr.. Westcoatt
is now in Chicago making plans for
the erection Of a concentrator, tram
way, wharf, power plant, etc.
A fact which speaks we'll for the
strength Of this mineral zone is that
properties have formed very strong
outcropping of the vein over the noun
tains to the westward. This ore is
very rich on the surface, an average
showing about 10 per cent. copper for
40 feet in width. The lode is thus
shown to be over five miles long.
1t is needless to cay that every
claim in this locality will be repre-.
sented this year. There will be no
more lapsss of title because OF lack of
faith or lack of money.
Incidentally 1 may add that the
whole Ketchikan mining district is
prosperous and growing steadily. Two
smelters are in course of construction,
one at Hadley and one at Copper.
mount and there is plenty OF ore to
run them till our grandchildren are
old men. Work is plenty and wages
good for those who want to hire out
and there is plenty OF room for pros.
pectors who will prospect.
am, sir, respectfully yours,
JOHN S. BEAsLEY.