The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1912-02-13
Belts REPORT

Report on Custer County for
l9l1 by Robert N. Bell, State
Mine Inspector.
The principal point of mining
interest during 1911 in Custer
county has been the leasing op-
erations On the property of the
Empire Copper company at Mac
kay, where the interesting ore
deposits of their White Knob
mine was the source of a very
considerable production of cop
per ore, the total shipments of
the year from these leasing op-
erations aggregating 22O cars,
which were shipped to the Salt
Lake Valley smelters for treat
ment and afforded a very decent
margin of profit both to the com
pany and to the numerous small
lessees involved in the operation
This property carries an enor-
nous deposit of garnet rock and
metamorphic mineral in a con.
tact of limestone and eruptive
granite, with irregular segregat-
ed bodies of copper ore of fair
value. The mine has been re-
peatedly handled by lessees and
by the company. 1t is equipped
with a large smelling plant. but
the company operations have in
variably failed to pay profit by
reason of the fact that too much
waste was mined with the ore in
an effort to maintain a large fur
nance capacity. The leasing
operations have been invariably
profitable, as the ground is divid-
ed up into number of smaller
operations, and successful re-
suits depend on the care with
which the ore is followed, hand
led and kept clean, and the leas
ing methods seem to attain this
result much more successfully
than has any of the several at
tempts at handling the property
on a large scale by company
management. The perslsten'
success of these leasing opera
tions is a strong argument II
favor Of the permanency OF the
deposit, which has been studiet
; by some very eminent geological
, authorities, and it is believed
that with more extensive devel
4 opment at depth better segre
CATION of it's numerous branch
ing ore channels would be en-
y countered and a more prOdtabl
mine result. The mine is IDEAL,
: situe ted for deep cross-cut tun
J. mel work, and with the expend
) ture of the necessary capital TO
it's fuller development woul
( very probably afford a large re
{ source of profitable ore.
l. LOST PACKER MINE. -Anott
. er interesting deposit of coppe
( mineral which was successful
e operated during the year is tn
: Lost Packer Mining company
> Loon Creek. This deposit o.
l. ours as a narrow assure vel
y containing copper sulphide OF
n relatively very rich in gold.
is equipped with hot-blast pyr
Il tic smelter of 100 tons daily cal
70 acity and produces the hlghe'
Al grade of gold bearing coppe
% matte in the United States. In
~ small furnace was run IA day
O during the past summer and pr
,r duced in round figures matte
- a gross value of 500, 900. 1t III
r made two previous short runs
a. 90 and 80 days on the ore fro
% this mine that combined hay
a Welded a total gross output
# # something like $500, 700, whlt
% 20 is evidence of the high quall'
a of the ore. G
w " The Lost Packer is a true II
- ~ sure vein in gigantic count
g. rock that traverses a steep mou
N y tain slope, and while it has pee
- repeatedly interrupted by lntr
,, sive igneous dikes, its smoot
;s slickensided walls and cle'
,s hands off rich sulphide ore ma
. been proven to total depth
. over 500 feet by a succession
Of % adit tunnels, and the mine
I ls looking stronger in its low
Is !, levels, with a considerable re
:, arve of rich ore in sight. Its U
% "a fortunately isolated situation
,s 10 it's greatest drawback from
rs r. standpoint of profitable oper
-. -, tion. The treatment of the 9
e. 60 involves hauling coke fuel l
~. " miles by wagon over a fou'
=, ~ mountain N country, which enta
S "a, an enormously high cost
nv 4, smelling en- and by reason OF I
ns ,s very short hauling season. gre
ssSd dificulty is experienced IN g
IN the fuel.