The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1908-02-28
Nj I N I N G
IN owYHEE COUNTY
THE Banner.
Extracts from State Mine Inspector Bells
Report for the year 1907

(Extracts from State Mine Inspector Bells
Report for the year l9o7)
Next to the old bonanzas, the property
now attracting the most attention in the
Silver City District is that Of the Banner
Mining 4 Milling Company, who have
quite an extensive development on pro-
nounced fssure vein in rhyolite which
traverses the company's property for 5000
feet and parallels the Trade Dollar vein
at distance of about 2000 feet to the
west. This property is now being equip
ped with milling plant of 30 tons daily
capacity, which is rapidly nearing com
pletion and is expected to be shortly put
in commission on the extensive mineral
reserves of the Banner mine by early
spring. The fssure trayersing the ex-
tensive group owned by this company is
large and well defined, in places 10 to 20
feet between walls, and has been opened
by a series of crosscut tunnels to vertical
depth of 400 feet and has total Of 3, 700
feet of development, of which 1,544 feet
were run during 1907, principally in the
form of drifts along the course Of the vein
which traverses the rhyolite formations
the same as the upper horizons of the
Trade Dollar, and carries several excellent
ore shoots containing some of the cnarac-
teristic minerals of the Trade Dollar vein,
conspicuous among which are some beau
tiful specimens Of valencianite, rare
form Of chisel pointed felspar crystals for
which the Trade Dollar is noted, and has
often been quoted in geological literature.
This enterprise was promoted by local
Silver City people. the leading spirit being
its president, Mr. Peter Steele.
As the drifts are carried north on this
interesting fissure, it is almost sure to
meet the same changes in formation as
did the Trade Dollar vein and penetrate
the underlying basalt and granite. 1t is
of such strength as to warrant the antici-
patton of its being continuous entirely
through Florida Mountain, as was its
famous neighbor, and it is not improb-
able that its extensive development to the
north may reveal bonanza values, as rich
ore bodies and placers have been worked
on the northwest slope in the direction of
its strike. The management expects to
be able to deliver a grade of ore ranging
from $1,000 to $1,000 per ton in value to
the mill, and very profitable results are
anticipated from the operation.
The mill is adapted for concentration
and amalgamation like that of the Trade
Dollar, and it is expected to make close
SdNlIlB Ol lilc VALUES. II 10 COillASStCu Will
the mine by short horizontal and gray
ity tramway, which, together with its
drainage tunnel development, will afford
an economical means of ore extraction
and transportation. This mill will also
be run by electric power supplied by the
Trade Dollar Company's plant. The
Banner Company property is situated on
Long Gulch, about mile west Of Silver
City, and is carrying total crew at the
present time of about 20 men, greater
portion of whom are employed on the
mill construction. The average crew fol
the past year has amounted to "a men,
and the extensive footage of underground
work has been accomplished at very
reasonable cost, as the vein matter is soft
and the walls well defined. The situation
of the present lowest tunnel is still 3OC
feet vertically above the level of the mil
and the topography affords a splendid
deep tunnel site of no great length from
that point.