The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-09-26
Quicksilver and anthony in Central
ldaho--Preliminary Report by Bell.

contained metal in the ore.
Inc only drawback to the plant is
It's small capacity, totaling at three
charges, little less than three tons
per day. To compensate for this
small capacity Of the plant, however
the quality Of the ore that is being ac-
cumulated at this time at the furnace
1t Is believed by the management, will
safely average 5 per cent quicksilver
or 100 pounds of the metal to the ton
OF ore put into the retorts, which
promises very handsome production
or this interesting and desirable met
al for such small plant.
The furnace has been undergoing
repairs at the hands of this California
operator and these repairs We're so
1ar completed as to justify the be-
lief that the production of metal
would be started by Monday, July Is.
II the mine development is speeded
up little, it can doubtless maintain
supply ofmineral throughout the
balance of the open season this year.
J The Fern company has several 9TH
er interesting ore courses on the pro-
perty carrying similar high grade
bands of crystalline cinnibar mineral
and all having about the same strike
to the northeast across the lime beds.
One Of these openings, with some in
teresting values at the surface, is an
old Thunder Mountain operation that
was driven for gold values Is years
ago and subsequently abandoned by
reason of its low findings in precious
metals 1t is developed by a short
tunnel now caved at the surface and
exhibiting a well defined vein Of
cherry quartz two feet thick show
ing some excellent samples of rich
cinnibar ore. Several assay tests
made for the writer from this and
other prospects of the district by A.
G.. Van Eman Of Boise, gave very low
results in gold and silver.
Adjoining the Fern property to the
south, the Buck Bed claim of the
Yellow Pine Mining company. local
Boise organization, exhibits at the
surface in shallow root cuts, sue
cession of northeast assures of blu
ish cherry and sintery gangue in the
same lime formation containing sim
liar rich crystal cinnabar material
from which high grade specimens can
be obtained by selection. A most in
teresting feature of this particular
claim is massive shoot of cherry sill
lea that IS 80 to 40 feet wide and over
100 feet in length and by reason Of It's
superior hardness outcrops boldly
above the enclosing lime formation.
This big deposit of silica with it's in
teresting cross fractures, containing
cinnibar showings, is decidedly
promising prospect for further devel-
opment and it constitutes very like
ly vent for the occurrence Of cinni-
bar, which decidedly favors the cher
ty inclusions in the limestone.
The White Metal group. owned by
pany, another Boise organization,
comprises quite large group of
claims with numerous surface mani
festations of mercury ore in similar
blue cherty assures and Is also be-
lieved to embrace at it's south end the
big ore bearing fault zone of the
Smith property on it's course to the
southeast ---al
Extending south from the Buck
Bed claim and the Fern company's
the Chief group, owned by
Boise people, covers quite large
area and has several promising sur
face indications Of ore including one
well defined fissure vein at least three
feet wide that Is uniformly mineral
lied with a disseminated mixture OF
lead and copper minerals and con-
tains some very interesting exposures
Of lead and copper carbonates and
soft bright red oxide mineral, which
Is probably lead oxide as the ore does
not respond on this particular out
crop to retort treatment for quick
silver as fully as the other red min
aral specimens found on this and the
adjoining Fern claims. This deposit
Is we'll down towards the granite
contact and the crystalline metamor-
phic minerals previously referred to.
Good prospects Of rich cinnibar
mineral have been found for more
tha ma mile southeast Of the Fern
group to the Monumental creek sum-
nit where the road turns down to
Roosevelt and short distance be-
yond which the sedimentary forma-
lions are believed to be abruptly cut
off by the prevailing igneous forma-
ion in that direction.
Northwest of the Fern mine, about
/ mile and over the divide, on the
i'm of the Cinnibar creek basin, the
Gold King claim is an old Thunder
Mountain location on which an in
cline shaft was sunk 40 feet on well
marked fissure in the lime four feet
vide parallel to the bedding but with
IN opposite steep dip. This strong
assure contains cherry quartz gangue
hat carries good sized kidneys of
,ery pure anthony sulphide ore. An