Gilpin observer., 1915-06-24
COUER D ALENE
SHOWS BIG ORE
A MINE THAT LESS THAN SIX
MONTHS AGO, WAS DEEMED
WORTHLESS, BUT NOW SHOW
ING LARGE BODIES OF THE COL.
DEN METAL.

The Occur d. Alene mine on Acad-
emy hill, within the corporate limits
Of Central City, that silently has
done sentinel duty for 10 these many
years, is once more the scene of
great activity, and the screech of
its whistle again calls the layman
to his daily labors.
About the first Of February, The
National Finance and Holding COM
pany. of Toledo, Ohio, took over this
group of mines, and installed w. F.
Gray. one Of its staff of mining en-
gineers, as manager. When Mr.. Gray
arrived upon the scene, discourage,
ment and dilapidation met his eye.
The old shaft house was small, the
hoisting power inadequate and the
shaft caved in places its entire depth
Of 700 feet. The first work was to
enlarge the shaft house, install an
additional 40 h. p. horizontal boiler,
and repair shaft, all of which re-
quired some six weeks time. When
bottom of shaft was reached, work
men were employed to clean out and
develop the lower levels with the re-
suit that large bodies Of ore appear
in each Of its several workings.
The east breast of level. nearly ver-
tical, beneath Central City's main
business street, has a streak of ore
from 31a to 4 feet wide, paintings
from which show native gold, capa-
BILE of producing ore worth from $40
to $50 per ton. From breast of drift
to shaft. Manager Gray is now en-
gagged in putting up three raises, each
of which show a streak of ore six
feet wide of a fair grade, also a
raise northwest of shaft, that shows
streak equally as wide. A crosscut
has been driven TO cut the north
wall, where streak of ore was
found from eighteen inches to two
feet wide of good grade, and on
the south wall is streak of ore 2h
feet wide of like grade
At the 600-foot level east, the
floor of drift shows two feet of ore
that assays from 2 to 2.90 ounces
gold per ton, and from this point
to surface, the whole is virgin ground,
as well as the crosscut streaks that
appear on north and south walls.
Enough of this ore has been treated
to show that mill should be erected
at the dump where all ores could be
treated automatically, thus saving
thousands of dollars in hauling and
treating charges, as well as labor
saving.
| The management is also hampered
by net having hosting power, COM
pressor power, etc, large enough to
clear the mine from ore that is now
in sight and could be broken, were
the machinery modern and first-class.
We're these immense bodies of ore in
a mine at Cripple Creek. or in some
remote part of the mountains, far
removed from civilization, instead OF
at our very door. the news of this
wonderful find, would be heralded far
and near. and thousands flock to the
new Eldorado. tt e ore now show
ing, and being blocked out. is suf-
ficient to keep a fifty-ton mill in
steady operation, providing it could
be rebroken and hoisted from the
mine, and would not only employ
large force of men, but would save
much in transportation and milling
charges.
This is only one of the many mines
in this county that has lain idle
again being worked by new and i'm
ported blood, and is forging to the
front, another of which will appear
in this weeks issue