The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-01-13
Prospecting for Tungsten.

of giving out.
Prospecting for Tungsten.
There is some prospecting for tung
stem going on now notwithstanding
the unfavorable weather conditions.
Snow has fallen almost continually
since the 1st and this new fall, added
to what was on. the ground before that
time, has made surface exploration sl-
most impossible. Yet the memory Of
old placer miners runs beck into the
sos, and when they were sluicing in
the side gulches on Prichard creek.
They remember that they had lots of
heavy, cream -colored sand in their
clean-ups and experienced difficulty in
separating the fine gold from it. The
annual freshets, however, it is found,
has so shifted the tailings that the old
diggings are not quite as familiar as
they were in "the days of old-the
days Of gold" The prospecting,
though, is leading to the belief that
the source from which the scheelite
sand came may be found in the spring
when the snow disappears. Ledges
nearby are supposed to have contrib
uted the rich mineral to the gravel.
The largest amount of this gulch pro-
duct, according to the writer's mem
ory, came from the Bruner placer on
Trail creek, just across the mountain
from Murray, south, below the Grown
Point groupings. The sand had no
value in those days, and even If 1t had
no one was familiar with the mineral.
From this time on perhaps placer min
ers will pay as much attention to the
sand as they DO to gold or platinum
Some day Trail gulch will be reWorked
its entire length, and this may also
be said of Pony gulch, where consld-
erabIe scheeIite was found in the 'SOs'
In Montana gulches have been worked
over three times-first with sluices,
and then twice by the booming pro-
cess, the last turning over of the gra-
vel paying far better than wages.
Much gold has been recovered in Mon
tana by this persistent method of pla-
Ger mining. Now there is prospect
of valuable by-product
Crews Have Returned.
The mine forces of the Giant Ledge
and Cedar Creek companies returned
last Monday from the outside, where
they had spent the holidays. Both
companies are operating with water
power, and naturally have some diff
Guilty during the months of January
and February to carry on work stead
lily, though every soft spell affords an
opportunity to turn the water into
flume and pipe to operate the COM
pressors. Notwithstanding the in
take of both companies is quite high
with from to 7 feet of snow on the
level, there is an ample supply of wa
ter at this season, and only very
cold wave will interrupt progress. The
managers of both companies declare
that 1916 will make the stockholders
feel that they have not put up assess
ments in vain. The Giant Ledge is
sinking below the 2OO-foot level for
station on the 300 level, when drifting
on the ledge will commence. This IS
the deepest work carried on In the
Murray district and is watched with
keen interest. There is no apprehen-
sion as to results, as it has already
been demonstrated that at depth or
$50 feet good ore was struck. the
company is so we'll equipped now that
rapid progress is made.
The Cedar Creek eompany's tunnel
has been pushed ahead with all the
energy possible. and II weather condi-
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