The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-08-20


spondent visited the Paragon Consoli-
dated Mining company's property at
the mouth of Paragon gulch yesterday.
This property is located six miles and
a half east of Murray, on the county
road, about 1000 feet from the end of
the Wallace and Murray railroad. 1t Is
the. only mining property now produc-
ing to any extent on the North Side,
operating not only its mines, but a
mill also. The company owns an ex-
tensive group of claims, which cover
the ridge between Paragon and Ce-
ment gulches, and years of develop
ment work has been done upon them.
While illusions have been made now
and then to the operations of this ex-
cellent and courageous company, 1t Is
very doubtful if the local public even
has any idea whatever that such a
large mining enterprise has been in
a state of intelligent development at
their very doors.
Tho .company's Early Efforts.
For years the company explored
some claims with pure galena crop
pings at~the head of Paragon gulch, a
mile northeast of the present scene of
labor, but without adequate results.
Tunnels were driven and shafts sunk
at considerable expense, but no re-
ward gladdened the expectant stock
holders. Expensive machinery had
been installed, and flume construct
ed to create power for a compressor
and air drills, which necessitated a
mile of pipe to carry the air. Then a
snowslide swept down and crushed
the shaft house and scattered the ma
chinery. This would have discour-
aged many companies, but it did not
seem to have any serious effect upon
the Paragon. 1t promptly transferred
its activities to the mouth Of Paragon.
gulch, where it had acquired num-
Der Of claims.
Gave Great Promise.
Some work had been done there
which gave great promise. This was
prosecuted with the company's usual
vigor, under the management Of L. w.
stedman. Tunnels Nos. l. 2, and 4
were driven, beginning at the top of
the Paragon Cement ridge, with lev
els 200 and 800 feet apart down the
mountain to the little village Of Par
'agon. These tunnels In all represent
bout 5000 feet Of work, including
drifts, chutes and wines. The ledge
was exposed in all of them and from
No. II carloads of ore and con-
centrates were shipped under adverse
conditions As the ledge improved
right along with depth, in both lead
and zinc values, 1t was determined to
get below water level.
No. 5 Tunnel.
No. tunnel became the main factor
Of operations To make this tunnel
possible Ito secure the necessary level
below No. A. a double compartment
shaft was sunk some so feet, and a
hoist and pump installed The writer
should say here, perhaps, that mo.
5 tunnel" is a misnomer in mining
phraseology. 1t is practically a drift,
and miners would designate It as such.
but the sequence Of the work down
the mountain. and for ease Of refer
ence 1t is here spoken Of as tunnel.
in which the work has been carried
on for some time. This tunnel Is now
in about 500 feet, and represents a
large amount Of excavation, 6 feet
wide, and ~ feet high, with a
number Of drifts, one of them 80 feet
in length, all through. self sustaining
rock. About $50 feet from the shaft
a small fracture or fault was encoun-
tered This disturbed the country
rock somewhat and 1t appeared a lit
tlo difficult to locate the ledge. On
this account the tunnel became sinu-
Gus, but It's size made the turns easy
In some $50 feet. however, the ledge
was encountered, showing q vein Of
quartz from to IL inches wide, car
rying iron, galena and zinc. It was