The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1909-09-03
MINING
& MILLING co.

to the Banner Mining q Milling Com
pany's property, located about three
quarters OF mile west of Silver City,
where We met the president aud gen
eral manager Of the company, Mr..
Peter Steele, and received from that
gentleman a cordial welcome and an
invitation to come in and rest and
smoke a good Havana We found Mr..
Steele in good spirits and highly elated
over the recent good showings made in
the Banner during the progress of de-
velopment work, and he very kindly
gave us what information we desired
about the property, its present work
inps, future outlook and the future in
tentions Of the company
The Banner mine will undoubtedly
before long prove one Of the best pro-
ducers in the district. 1t was first To-
Gated in 1890 by Fred Crete and Robert
Leonard, and was purchased and taken
over by Mr.. Steele and associates in
1865, since which time it has been de-
veloped by several tunnels, drifts and
shafts, and finally by mill level cross
cut tunnel A Nissen four stamp mill,
thoroughly equipped with every neces-
sary convenience and appliance for
successfully treating the ores, has also
been erected on the property. This
mill is one of the best and most sub
stantial ever installed in the west, be-
ing equipped in every particular with
only the most modern and up-to-date
machinery and with concrete floors
throughout. A tramway is now being
constructed from the mouth of the cross
cut tunnel to the mill.
On invitation of Mr.. Steele we ac-
companied him over the property aud
into the mine, arri,ang at the face of
the tunnel just in time to hail the men
who We're on the point Of splitting the
fuse for nine shots. The tunnel is now
in over 1900 feet crosscutting five sep
arate and distinct veins of ore, all OF
which show good values sufficient to
fully guarantee future development.
1t is Mr.. Steele's hope and desire to
have the mill running full blast on
Banner ore in the very near future,
and with tile present encouraging and
bright outlook for the property there
is hardly doubt hut what this desire
will very shortly be realized and the
stamps dropping on exceedingly rich
ore from the Banner mine.
On our emerging from the tunnel the
miners spit the fuse in the shots and
shortly joined us on the outside. They
have about eight minutes time in which
to escape from tile tunuel after the fuse
is spiC. Mr.. Steele suggested that we
re-enter the mouth of the tunnel and
experience tile sensation of a shot. We
followed behind and stood in the mid
die of the track, while he and MIR.
Fegtly leaned against either wall of the
tunnel, and while there was probably
not the remotest possibility of danger
at distance of 1900 feet from the
shots, the experience and sensation was
such that we do not care to repeat it
very soon. The first shot nearly lifted
us from our feet, while the concussion
from the second shot was so great that
it turned the writer completely around
in his tracks aud lifted the hats from
the heads of all the party. We did not
wait for any more shots but hastily
made our escape. The sensation was
such as if every bone in the body had
become unjointed. A good laugh was
enjoyed over the incident.
The work of developing the veins en-
countered in the Banner cross cut tun-
mel is being pushed north as rapidly as
possible and the veins all show much
improvement in the character of the
quartz. In the north drift at the face
of the tunnel the Banner vein is fully
four feet wide. The ledge has well de-
fined walls, and the indications of soon
encountering shoot of rich ore are
very encouraging.
On the 965 foot ledge the ore is i'm
proving in values as well as the general
character of the ore.
Several rich shoots of ore that are
known to exist in the upper workings
of the mine will be encountered in the
north drift on the Banner vein, and as
this drift is over 800 feet lower than
the upper works large body of good