The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-02-21
High Grade Ore Is
Being Sorted,
Sacked
ORE TAKEN FROM DRIFT
Strike Will Lead to Revival
of Mining Activity on
Big Creek

lN lNCE THE last issue of the
Miner, which contained an ex-
tended report of the remarkable
ore showing that has been devel-
oped by the Big Creek Mining COM
pany, the east drift has continued in
the same high grade gray copper ore
that was described at that time. The
drift has now been advanced 40 feet
east and about 10 feet west of the
Crosscut, Work at this time is confin-
ed to the east drift and the high grade
ore that is being removed in the course
of development is being sorted and
sacked for shipment. The ore as it
comes from the mine is dumped over
a grizzly. The fine material which
passes through the grating is hand
jigged and produces an average Of %
sacks a day of shipping ore The tail
ings from the jig of course contain
much ore which will later be recovered
when the company is equipped with a
milling facilities. The coarse ore and
rock that passes over the grizzly is
caught on a platform below. A hose
is turned on to remove the slime and
make it possible to distinguish the
ore from waste. The waste rock and
such chunks of ore that may be too
low grade for shipment are thrown
out and the high grade sacked. In this
manner an average of six sacks of
high grade is obtained day. making
total of "a sacks of shipping ore pro-
duced daily 1t should be borne in
mind that this shipping product is the
result of ore removed by one shift en-
gagged exclusively in running the drift.
And this is not all, for it has been
found impossible to jig and sort the
ore as fast as produced in driving the
drift and the management is now
planning to put another shift on the
jig and sorting 1t is expected that a
car will be loaded for shipment by the
middle of next month.
Great Mine in the Making.
The strike made by the Big Creek
company is unquestionaby one of the
most important that has been made in
the Coeur d'Alene district in many
years, and will result in giving an i'm
petus to mining in that section of the
district which promises to result in
the discovery of other rich and per-
manent ore bodies. The discovery of
what appears to be two independent
and large bodies of gray copper and
lead in the Big Creek property Is most
of mineral discovery in this wonder
full district Some Of the earliest dis
coveries were made on Big creek and
development has been carried on with
persistency for a period Of thirty
for a period of 80 years. During this
long period the Yankee Boy, on the
opposite side of the canyon from tha
Big Creek, has been steady produc-
Ell of silver and it is still being prost
ably worked, the lower workings pro-
ducing considerable lead along with
gray copper. 1t is estimated that the
upper workings of the Big Creek have
produced 100000, but it was not un-
til the present strike was made that
people were brought to realize the
great possibilities of deep develop
ment of the property. The Yankee
Boy had proved a little bonanza and
men have been disposed to measure
the future of Big Creek by that as a
standard But Big Greek is on diff
ferent vein with altogether different
characteristics and must therefore be
! judged upon its own merits rather
than by comparison. At this time 1t
certainly has the appearance of the
making of a great mine
Many Good Prospects.
From the Big Creek and Yankee Boy
the creek has long been located up to
the head of the stream and its tribu-
taries. Numerous veins with surface
shoWings uneXcelled are in course OF
development, and the success that has
come to the Big Creek company is GER
tain to have a most beneficial influ-
ence in speeding up further explora-
tory work There is hardly more in
viting field and it is reasonable to ex-
pect a great revival of mining activity
in that section.