Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-12
Orc Deposits of Northeastern Wash
ngton.

The ten mining districts in Ferry
and Stevens counties. in northeastern
Washington, are described. in report
recently issued by the United States
Geological Survey as Bulletin $50. I'M
der the title, THE ore deposits of
northeastern Washington, by Rowland
Bancroft, with a report on the Repub-
lie mining district, by Waldemar Lind
gren and Rowland Bancroft" Mineral
discoveries were first reported from
this region in 1866, about SIS years af-
ter the establishment of one of the
principal distributing points for the
Hudson Bay Co. near the site of Kettle
Falls, which is not far from the center
of the mineralized area. After the dis
covery of placer gold in this year pros
pectors spread over the region and soon
found most of the lode deposits since
worked The creation of the Celville
Indian Reservation, however, delayed
development in most of the area until
1896. when the northern part of it was
thrown open. to mineral entry. In 1898
the southern half also was thrown
open. Immediately after the opening
of the northern half many claims were
located in the Republic district, which,
up to January 1. 1912. had yielded about
s5.oeo.00o, chiefly from gold ore.
The deposits of the region may be
grouped as ores of gold, silver, lead.
zinc, copper, iron, tungsten nickel, an
timony. and molly bdenum. Two distinct
periods of naturalization are recog-
nized. one of Tertiary and the other of
Mesozoic age. The deposits of the first
tod
site and quartz latte porphyry; those
of the second period include veins and
requirements in metamorphic and gran
itic rocks.
The Republic district is by far the
most productive locality in the region,
and the deposits there are different
from those found elsewhere in north
eastern Washington, forming a type of
peculiar interest. The veins are con-
tanned in Tertiary andesites and lake
beds and in porphyritic rocks that have
been intruded into those formations
Visible gold is rare. The principal ore
mineral appears to be a selenide of
gold, which, however is distributed in
particles so fine that it has not yet
been isolated. The latest phenomena
in the vein formation were apparently
the local solution of quartz and the de-
position of laumontite with concentra-
ton of silver Some ore of very high
grade has been mined from these veins
but the shipments for 1910 ranged from
SIS to S53 ton.
In addition to the deposits in ande-
site and quartz latte porphyry there
are large number of fissure veins and
shear zones in metamorphosed sedi-
ments and diabase. These consist of
quartz, little calcite and one or more
of the sulphide minerals galena, spha-
lerite. tetrahedrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite.
and chalcopyrite. lver-bearing quartz
veins of this type are found in nearly
every mining district within the area
The lead-zinc deposits occur as dis
seminated requirements in metamor-
phosed sediments and as assure veins.
Copper deposits are we'll developed in
the Chewelah district. The ore zone in
this district has been explored for $50
feet along the strike ard to depth of
425 feet along the dip plane and ranges
in width from few inches to 20 feet.