The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-07
BIG LEAD MINES
OF GILMORE CO.
Properties in Lemhi County,
tsaho, Are Described by
:. State Mine Inspector.
SHIPMENTS HAVE BEEN BIG
TRACTION ENGINE TRAIN HAULS
OUT THE ORE.

Idahos state mine inspector. Robert N
Eel. gives the following interesting ae-
count of the properties of the Gilmore
Mining company, operating in the splen-
did lead district Of Lemhi county
The Gilmore mine still continues to be
Lemhi countys chief producer. 1t has
already marketed 100 tons of ore and
concentrates this year and has 800 tons
in transit and in the bins which il expects
to get aboard the cars before the close of
the year.
This property produces the most lie
sirable smelling ore of any mine in the
state. consisting principally of lead car
bonate associated with iron oxide and
lime gangue, and is low in sulphur and
silica, which makes a free smelling mix
Idre that does not need preliminary roast
ing. like galena, aud is in good demand.
THE Gilmore mine is owned principally
in Pittsburg. Pa. but unlike other Pitts
burg Operat tors known to Boise people,
who have lavished hundreds of thousands
of dollars in mining development ana
equipment ahead of production, the own
ers of thSi splendid property have appar-
eLtly evinccd a shiverine fear that the
venture would get ten cents ahead OF
them and have gouged the deposit since
the day ii was struck.
The Gilmore property consists OF
larger group of claims situated in one or
Yer districts in the state. 1t was pur-
chased for a few thousand dollars-less
than five-abOut four years ago; it has
stree produced and shipped ore to the
gross value of something like $4,000, and
now has in sight ore reserves cOnSerYa-
lively estimated at the same amount.
The deposit consists of pronounced
ffssare striking north and south and
dipping west at very steep angle across
the bedding OF a belt of pure blue lime
stone between TWO strong paneled dikes
OF diorite.
The development consists of a short
crosscut tunnel. in which the ore body
was struck at depth of seVenty-fiVe feet
and proved TO be 400 feet long. From
this Level a vertical shaft has been sunk
zoe feet deep. from which four short lev
els have been run through the heart of
the ore body without exploring its full
length. The ore body at the 3W-fOot level
is now EXPOSED for seVenty-five feet in
length and runs in half-moon shape
through q rotten black limestone forma-
ton and shows small spur vein starting
from the first point encountered from the
shaft on the true strike. md viii prob
ably prove continuous string of ore con-
Meeting the other horn of the bow and
forming a loop deposit with a by-horse of
waste in between, as exhibited on
small scale at the tunnel level
Fifteen Feet of Fine Ore.
The main ore body now being stopped
at the 550-fOOt level. from which only
three floors have been started, shows I
back of clean ore fifteen feet wide that
viii average better than thirty per cent
lead and half an ounce silver TO each unit
Of lead. together with little gold
All the development of the mine be-
low the tunnel level has been accom-
plished with a small gasoline prospecting
hoist and haif-ton buckets. If every
pound OF ore reserve now IL sight above
the bottom level was gouged out the
property would warrant the cost of Il de-
cent hoist placed at the surface and
shaft carried down on the vein or III its
near vicinity to water level where eX-
TcHsive bodies of rich sulphide mineral
NAV reasonably be anticipated.
The milling plant, placed on the steep
side hill at the mouth Of the crOSscut
IUrnel. consists Of four homemade hand
Jigs that have been geared to a small
steam engine The ore is crushed with
p small dOdger rock breaker. which COM
pietcs the mechanical equipment of the
nill-no rolls or grinding devices of any
kind. no to bleS. VannerS or sinners.
This crude plant is well handled and
makes sixty per cent concentrates. but
j. could hardly DO less with thirty per
cent feed. The mineral is handled four
o. five times over with shOvels and its
treatment costs twice as much as it ought
t. with properly designed and equipped
mill. Two large cribs of coarse Jig tail
iEgs have been saved below the mill that
average about fifteen per cent lead. but
The fines have always been allowed to run
waste in the sagebrush valley below the
mine and doubtless represent loss Of
rich mineral that in a single season 5
run. il saved. would cover the cost Of an
efficient plant for both Tr,ne and mill.
The mill was still in operation on the
10Th of November. but the first frosty
night was expected TO gorge the cheaply
constructed wooden wafer line that sup
plies il and shut off the operation.
The active nagement of the prop
erty has recently passed into the hands
Of a former Coeur dAlene mining man.
who. if given Il little leeway, VIII doubt
less develop q very valuable mine. as
the large grOup Of claims owned by the
company contains several other evidences
az ore bodies that carry far superior sur
face showings of mineral than the ore
now being mined. one OF these IRON
groupings was being opened at the sur
the vein 800 feet north OF the main
opening and the day ! left had run into
bunch of bOuldeTs OF pure ore some OF
them over 100 pounds weight of clean
sixty per cent lead mineral.
Traction Engine HauIage.
The Gilmore mine is IS miles from
the railway at Dubois on the Montana
division of the Oregon Short Line, TO
which most of its ores have been hauled
by teams which charge so per ton and
pm average of one ton 10 the AMI
NAL
corporation from the mining company
was formed to handle the ore TO Du-
bois. known as the Dubois x Salmon
Transportation company, which has put
Best California traction train on the
read It consists of a traction engine
Of 10 horsepower and four steel wagons
of Is tons capacity. Four round trips
have already been made with this outfit
pulling a 40-ton load. and making the
trip between the mine and Dubois in
average OF A hours running time.
The train runs night and day. using an
acetylene headlight. IL requires a crew
OF three men on each shift. the off shift
sleeping in a sheep wagon trailed behind
the ore cars.
''The road over which this train has
to travel is as nearly ideal as could be
found anywhere. consisting as it does