Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-06-14
mp | r

Empire is little bit of town out
in Montana, located about Is miles
northwest of Helena. .5
1t was named after one of the 15
properties which now comprise the
group owned by the Gold Cord Mining
company.
Had the town developed along the
same. lines as the property from which
1t takes its name, it would have been
one OF the most important cities in
Montana. n@tl
The Empire vein is splendid piece
of property in itself. It was the mine
from which the old English company
took out nearly $2,oO0,000, but with
out much more than scratching the
surface.
s The vein on this property was inter
sected by the croscut tunnel at a
depth OF 100 feet under the surface,
and at a distance of 100 feet from the
mouth of the tunnel A level, or tun-
mel, was then driven east on the
course of the vein for the full distance
of $500 feet. a.
The greatest depth attained in the
course of this work was something
& over 400 feet, but the average depth
I was not much over $50 feet. The
width OF the vein averaged about
eight feet, and the average value of
the ore was close to SIS per ton.
Perhaps rs per cent of the ground
& q, to be more correct, the vein, was
worked out to the surface, leaving
about rs per cent of the ore still in
place, and nearly all of it blocked out
on four sides. This working out re-
fers only to the ore above the No. /
tunnel level.
When the Empire vein was inter-
sected by the crosscut tunnel it was
supposed that another 1900 foot prop
erty, known as the Smithville, was an
a extension of the former, but this was
subsequently proven to be an error,
as it developed that they were sepa-
rate and distinct veins, crossing each
other at such a slight angle as to de-
ceive the engineers in charge of the
work at that time.
A level, or tunnel, was driven on
the Smithville to the west to a. dis
lance of about 1000 feet, but very lit
d tie depth was secured, although some
high grade ore was taken out. The
average value of the ore, however,
was several dollars per ton less than
that taken out of the Empire. AS on
the Empire, not to exceed rs per cent
OF the vein matter, or ore, was taken
out between this level and the sur
face, and the average depth for the
distance worked was something less
than 200 feet.
r. After the property passed from the
control of the Englishmen, engineers
We're put to work to ascertain the val
ues in the mine and report on the
best methods for recovering the same.
For prosecuting this work v shaped
trenches were dug across the floor of
the level at intervals of 10 feet, or a.
& total Of 250 such trenches in the $500
\ foot stretch. From the bottom of each
trench four samples were taken, or
1000 in all, and each one not only as
sayed and PANIED, but subsequently
checked and rechecked to a point
where there was no chance for error,
The great big assays, that is, those
running away in the thousands, we're
thrown out, and yet the average for
the full $500 feet, 1900 feet of EN-.
pire and 1000 feet of Smithville, was
better than $3.50 per ton. AS an alb
solute matter of fact, some of these
assays ran as high as $4,000 per ton.
Now, herein lies the significance OF
what we have been telling you. In
the 1,500 feet of Empire, the ore on
the floor of the level averages SIS per
-=:=========::-:====-= BETTER w