The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-01-03

would have been great deal higher
but for the uncertainty of the federal
excess profits tax law requirements.
which applies to part of the current
years operations.
Due to the stimulation Of interest
brought about by the high metal
prices prevailing throughout the first
nine months of the year, marked ac-
tivity was manifest in Idaho In the
development of and search for new
ore resources. This was particularly
true of the districts of the state out
side of the Coeur dAlenes and some
promising discoveries were made ana
numerous small shippers were enabled
to get on the market by virtue of the
high metal prices.
In the Occur d'Alene district events
of note during the year were the COM
pletion of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan
million dollar lead smelter and refin-
cry at Kellogg, which has now been in
successful operation since the last or
July In the production of de-silverized
lead and fine silver bars. The expan-
sion of the plants capacity is now re-
ceiving consideration.
Railroad Extension.
The extension of the North Fork
branch of the o. w. r. & N. railway
up Beaver creek several miles, to the
new Jefferson mill, was completed
to serve the numerous lead zinc de-
posits of that part of the district,
where extensive development work is
under progress at the Ray-Jefferson
and also the more recently acquired
Amazon Manhattan group, both under
the control and management of the
Day brothers Another new railway
branch to be nine miles long was
started and three miles of the grade
is already completed by this same
railway company up Pine creek for the
purpose Of serving the several fairly
well developed lead -silver-zinc ore de-
posits of that district. Both these dis
tricts have numerous splendid pros
poets. and some quite well developed
mines that carry good values in COM
bined lead-silver and zinc minerals
Their progress will be materially fac
|ilitated by these much needed trans
portation advantages.
Labor Shortage.
Deeper sinking work was done in the
main shafts of the principle producers
including the Bunker HHl & Sullivan,
the Morning, HecIa, Hercules and In
terstate- Callahan mines, at each OF
which, depth sufficient for one or more
new level was attained. There was
fully 1000 men employed in mining
and milling operations during the year
in Idaho, of which 5000 was credited
to the Coeur dAlene district and that
district could have used several hum
dred additional miners IL they had
been available.
Aside from the main points of de-
velopment mentioned, very limited eff
forts were made in new work by rea-
son Of the scarcity of labor and the
increased cost of material. The most
serious difficulty experienced by the
big operators was in their mine timber
supply which was brought about by
the activities of l. w. WIS in the
logging camps and a rather tense sit
uation developed during the summer
as a result, which involved bringing
in a small company of U. s. soldiers
whose presence had beneficial effect
on the activities of these unpatriotic
: agitators. Wages were voluntarily
: raised by the operators early In the
year with the advancing price of lead
to a total bonus Of $125 per day for
miners on a $3.50 base, and has re-
; mained the same since the slump In
lead values.
Nearby Ore Market.
The excessive boom in lumber val
ues prevailing has worked hardship
on the sources of mine timber supply
, which has increased in actual cost
during the past two years more than
Continued on page -