Gilpin observer., 1907-09-12
CHECKMATE
IN GOOD ORE
Charles H. Karns Of Apex, Re-
ports Very Favorable as
to the Conditions of
that District.

Chas. Karns, who is managing the
Checkraate property in Pine creek, was
was in the city Tuesday and in an inter-
view with an Observer representative
spoke very encouragingly of the bright
outlook for the mining industry in that
section.
The Checkmate is being operated by
the Checkmate Mining and Milling COM
pany and has been worked steadily dur
ing the last year. When work was
started crosscut was run from Elk
creek to cut the vein. The vein was
struck less than year ago and ITO feet
has been driven on the vein. This streak
is large one, varying in size from one
to ten feet. Assays from the ore taken
from the vein show values of from $40
to $40 y the ton. About forty tons of
this grade of ore is now in the bins
awaiting shipment. Only the ore carry
ing ver3 good values is saved, the rest
being thrown on the dump, the expense
of hauling being too high to permit of
the low grade being handled. The
Checkmate people are awaiting the
erection of Cotton matte smelter,
which the Mcdonald Smelling company
of Toledo, O., contemplate building. 1t
is very likely that this plant will be
erected this fall. The ore taken from
the Checkmate is of very refractory
nature and cannot be handled satisfac-
torily by the mills.
At the Annie H. property, which is
operated by pittsburg company and
which is located just above the Check
mate on Elk creek, sinking is being
prosecuted with the purpose of adding
another 100 feet in depth to the shaft.
A fine s.-eak is being sunk on, in fact
the entire bottom of the shaft is well
mineralized. This is the No. l shaft.
A tunnel has been run in the hill dis
tance of about 500 feet, which cuts the
No. shaft at IS feet. The No. shaft
is about 300 feet from the No. l. AS
soon as the 100 feet is added to the
depth of the No. shaft, which is now
down $50 feet, drifting will be started.
No shipments are being made from the
Annie H., just development work being
carried on. The operators of the Annie
H. also look forward with much anxiety
to the time when the Mcdonald smelter
is erected as they figure on the new
plant handling their ore.
The Metha mine on the other side of
the hill, is under steady operation and
shipments are made quite often, some
of the ore sent away for treatment rum
ming as high as SIPS to the ton. Sinking
is under way and good ore is being TAX
en- from the shaft regularly. The shaft
is down IT'S feet and drifting has been
commenced. AS soon as the drifts are
in little ways sinking will be pushed
until another lift is sunk. The operators
of the Metha contemplate running a
crosscut tunnel from Elk creek across
the Metha group. There are 13 claims
in the group, which was originally
known as the Fish group. Eastern peo-
pie are interested in the proposition and
S. z. Scheneck is looking after the op-
erations.
If the proposed smelter should be
erected in the vicinity of the above
three mines, the ore from these prop
critics alone will keep the plant well
supplied and it can be worked to its full
capacity of 60 tons without depending
upon any of the other producers of the
Pine creek section. The smelter will
be great boon for that district.
w. S. Barrick has a force of men at
work on the Bonanza property, which
is down depth of several hundred feet.
The Bonanza is located on Oregon hill
and is one of the best showings of the
company which Mr.. Barrick represents.
Drifting is being prosecuted at present
and in this development good ore has
been encountered.