The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-11-05
THE IVANHOE MINE.

For the first time since operations
commenced on the Ivanhoe tunnel
some two years ago, we had an oppor-
tunlty Saturday to visit the mine. The
time selected for making the visit was
fortunate, for three of the chief stock
holders in the company were present
having come in for the purpose of in
spectlng the property. They were Mr.
Reilly of Calgary president of the
company, w. b. Poucher, of Edmon-
ton, treasurer and John Cormack, OF
Edmonton, all of them substantial and
leading business men of the communi-
ties in which they reside, and person
ally, delightfully."- pleasing and agree
able gentlemen. They were well salts
fled with the progress made on the
tunnel and encouraged with the pros
pect of ultimate success of the under
taking. Through the courtesy of Man
ager w. B. McChesney and Superin-
tendent A w. Boyd, we were taken
through the tunnel and given every
opportunity to examine the equipment
and avery portion of the work. 1t can
be said truthfully that in no instance
in the mining history of this north
country has work been carried on up
on such large scale, more systemat-
ically or in more business like man
ner than at the Ivanhoe. There has
been no waste of funds in extravagant
and unnecessary equipment on outside
work. Money has been applied to le-
gitimate mining, and as result there
is an extraordinary amount of accom-
plishment to show for the amount ex-
pended. The tunnel is credit to Sup
erintendent Boyd, under whose direc-
tiOn it has been driven, and the eXcell-
ent management of the property is due
to the personal attention of Mr.. Nc
Chesney. The company has something
tangible to show for it's outlay which
has not always been the case with op-
erations of mining companies in the
northwest.
The groupings of the Ivanhoe ledge
are situated on the high ridge con-
Meeting Palmer and Ellemehem noun
tains, overlooking Palmer lake and the
original workings, from which excell-
ent ore was extracted, concentrated
in a small mill and shipped years and
years ago, are in the nature of an in
cline shaft at, or near, the summit of
the ridge. When the present owners
secured the property, two years ago,
it was decided after a careful and
thorough investigation, to drive in a
wofhEsg tunnel at a point we'll down
on the mountain with the object of
cutting the ore body upon which the
shaft was sunk, at great depth. TAX
ing into consideration the dip of the
vein it was calculated at the beginning
of operations that the tunnel would
have to be driven between 1000 and
5000 feet before the ledge could be
reached. The plans as originally for
mulated have been insistently and con-
sistently carried out A tunnel IL by
Z feet is now in the hill some 4,400
feet The formation is slate and has
been uniform in pitch and texture from
the very start. The rock is solidly in
place. There are no intrusions, nor
any sign of upheavels or breaks in the
natural formation a good indication
that veins and ledges should be true
to place. That the ledges go down has
been demonstrated in several places
in the tunnel where ore has been cut
in conformation with the dip of the
lead at the surface. Two or three of
these lodges are quite strong and we'll
defined and the ledge matter well min
eralized, thus strengthening the con-
fdence of the operators that the main
ledge will be found at least near the
point where contact was expected AT
| this time it is believed that the tunnel
| is very near the main ledge and its
discovery is expected any day.
The tunnel in construction could not
be excelled as an example of superior
workmanship. The big hole runs as
true as die ,and at the breast, better
than 1000 feet from the orifico, day
light can be seem The cut through the
rock is remarkably smooth and regu-
lar, showing that the superintendent
| in charge knows his business thor
oughly. In few places, timbering was
considered necessary as a safe guard
to the crew, but in the main, the tunnel
| is through solid rock. Considering its
length, the tunnel is unusually free
from water. During the greater part OF
of the time that work has been i'll pro
gress the management has run two
and three shifts. At one time opera
tions were suspended for three or four
| months, so that work has been going
on only some 20 months. That there
has been no loafing on the job is in
dicated not only by tunnel over 4O0C
| feet long, but by the great amount ol
preliminary WOlh Hldue NECESSARY ny
| the constructing of buildings, install
ing machinery and building roads.
w B. McChesney, who has devoted
his entire time during the past two
years raising funds and supervising
| the work at the mine, has sought ne
publicity as the work progressed. 81
| disinclined has he been to mention
the enterprise he has in hand that i
has been difficult to obtain informa
| ton as to what was going on at thu
Ivanhoe. He has attended strictly tt
| business, paid his bills and asked NJ
| favors. Mr. McChesney had no object il
taking the public into his confidence
He did not embark in the enterpris,
to work the public. His aim was t.
make a producing mine, if the ore ex
listed from which a producing min
could be made, and to that single en-
he has bent all his energies. He chanc
ed his own means, and a few friend
of high standing in the communitie
in which they live, having confidenc
in Mr.. McChesney have joined with hiT
in an effort to make the project a sue
cess If he succeeds they will be tn
beneficiaries. If he fails there viii nc
be a raft of disillusiOned stock