The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1912-02-29

timbers which the operation has de-
manded. The timber resources of this
region at their best were of a scrubby
scattered nature, and this company, fol-
lowing the custom OF the country with
other associate and precedent mining
corporations, have purchased their cord
wood fuel and portion of their mining
timbers at a very high cost, the equiva-
lent OF about $40 or $l4 per cord, from
local settlers who in turn derived it from
the scattered patches Of knotty fir,
juniper and other desert mountain
timbers of low value growing on unoccu-
pied public domain. After paying such
high costs for this essential requirement
OF their mining and milling operations,
they are called upon by some recent
aggressive ruling Of the Interior Depart
ment to pay for this material a second
time its value to the Government, and
II the Governments claims against the
company are successfully established, it
will have to quit and abandon its
property to the detriment of its 200
employees and their dependents, which
form a model mining community at
this point, practically wiping out all
the property interests of this Important
settlement.
The Banner
A mile or 80 south of Silver lies the
Banner Mine. Great things are expect
ed for this property and active work is
going on. Peter Steele, president of the
company, is the active manager and
superintendent at the works, with the
assistance of August Crete, who. is also
Secretary Treasurer.
All the energies of the management
has SO far been devoted to development
work, of which an immense amount has
been done. Just now preparations are
being made to take ore from, the 4O0level,
where some very promising indications.
have been found. The work is. handi-
capped by reason of the loss of the air
which was put out Of busi-
ness few weeks ago by an accident.
Mr.. August Crete. who is in charge Of
the work in President Steele'a absence,
is much encouraged by the outlook at
the 400 level, but is too conservative to.
say much about it at this time.
The state Engineers report on the
property is in part as follows:
AT the Banner Mine, some interesting
ore discoveries were made during the
year. This property carries a we'll
defined fissure vein thar runs parallel
to the famous Trade Dollar vein at a
distance OF abont 5000 feet to the west.
1t has been developed by eross-cut
tunnels for several hundred feet in
depth, and the particular location Of this
development has disclosed a very strong
hissure several feet ib width. The op-
erations during the past year have been
directed with view of finding the con
tinuity OF the rich ore values that the
original surface level of the mine con-
tanned. and on which its purchase and
development was based and justified.
The rich surface ore values to the mine
have been followed down now by the
present work to the 20O-foot level, at
which point the work is being extended
in strong vein to the north and indi-
cations are that the future of .he mine
lays in that direction.
The property is equipped with first
class milling plant, which was operated
lor several short runs during the past
year with profitable results. The ore
in character, mineral contents
and origin with that of the Trade Dollar
nearby. These milling results, in ad-
1ition to quite little output OF bullion,
resulted in a small shipment of con-
centrates that netted the company at
The rate of 81 100 per ton, which further
IDENTIFIES the character of the ore with
ts famous neighbor, as this result is
very similar in value to the former rich
shipments OF the Trade
Dollar Company, and the management
n charge OF the property has great conf
ience in being able to uncover a resource
)f this class of ore that will prove very
profitable to its stockholders, bv further
extension OF the development work con-
inuing north in the strike of the vein.
As tar as the strength of the fssure is
concerned and the formation in which
t is contained, the Banner presents an
attractive chance for the development of
profitable mine, with the example at
land.
A long tunnel now driven in 2,70O
eet has been extended for the inter-
ection ofits ore resources at great depth.
'ut the property is in the hands of a
cry conservative management, who has
lecided to discontinue this line of attack
md stick to the sensible Cornish method
II closely following their best ore values
Until such time as a sufficient reserve of
'ay ore has been undercut as to warrant
he further extension of this deeper work,
which is a commendable course.
The Wenn ersten Gro,.n