The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-04-10
MANGANESE MINING
IN SH0SH0NE COUNTY
EXAMINED BY eEoLoolsT FROM
THE STATE SCHOOL OF
MINES.

|
occasional association with other ores
of the district. The result of inves-
legations made by d. c. Livingston,
| geologist of the Idaho school of mines,
Tungsten, Cinnabar, Manganese.
Molly and Tin Deposits of
Idaho" is therefore Of special inter-
rest and is given below:
Cummings Property.
deposit containing manganese oc-
ours about one mile east of Prichard,
which is at present the terminus of
the Murray branch OF the O.-W. Il. 4
n. line.
The property is owned by Mrs. L.
V. Cummings Of Wallace, Idaho, and
was operated at one time by l.. ].
Tefft, of Wallace. The outcrop is
about 1900 feet northeast of the wag-
on road between Murray and Prich-
ard and about $50 feet higher than
Prichard creek. 1t is in Sec. 81, T.
20 N, r. 4 t., Boise Meridian.
The country rock is Revett quartz
lite, in which crushed and brecciat-
ed zone over 80 feet wide has been
cemented by manganese bearing ma
terial consisting partly of pslomel-
ane. This zone has strike Of S. 80
degrees e. and Is reported to have one
we'll defined wall. but this was not
h,, he IA,
known. 1t is reported to outcrop Tor
a distance Of over 1000 feet. Some of
the quartzite beds have been more re-
placed and mineralized with mangan-
csc than others. There has been con-
siderable movement along this zone
and it is probable that the zone itself
is fault. This zone has been expos
ed in one place by short and branch
ing crosscut tunnel containing 70 or 80
feet of workings in ALL
This tunnel shows about SO feet Of
this black oxide material in the
quartzite. Some Of it is soft and rot
ten but most of it is badly mixed
with quartzite.
Two samples were taken; one from
the best looking material in the cross
cut, represented width of 20 feet.
This sample contained; Manganese,
HOP; iron, is; silica, TAG; sulphur,
0.016, and phosphorus 0.OS per cent,
The other was sam
pie of the highest grade material that
could be obtained by hand sorting the
rock from the vein, and contained:
Manganese, 1876; iron, 81; silica, 55.1;
sulphur, O.O45; and phosphorus, O.OS
per cent, respectively.
Experiments made in the metallur-
gical laboratory at the University or
Idaho showed that it was not posi-
BILE to concentrate this material to a
shipping grade Of manganese ore. Ev-
identity the high silica content Of this
material precludes it as a possible
source of manganese, unless some
method could be devised for raising
the manganese content and at the
same time reducing the silica below
20 per cent. There Is evidently large
tonnage of this kind Of material avail
able on the property that could be
mined and handled very cheaply If
such method of treatment could be
worked out
AS the tunnel cut the deposit only a
few feet below the surface the work.
ings are entirely in the oxidized zone,
and hence it was not possible to ar
rive at any definite conclusion in re-
gard to the origin Of the manganese,
but the probabilities are that 1t was
derived by means Of surface waters
from manganiferous siderite in the
rocks.
Butte Detroit.
The Butte Detroit property, owned
by Charles T. Anderson, Is situated
about two miles below Delta and
about 200 or 300 yards to the east of
Beaver creek, in approximately Sec. 4,
T. 21, NJ, R. 4 E., Boise Meridian.
The outcrop was not visited but |
seen in Mr.. Anderson's cabin |
showed very similar type Of man
ganese occurrence to that which &C.
ours on the property just described
and which is between two and three
miles to the north.
The country rock is also Revett
quartzite and the manganese miner
alization Is practically identical. The
outcrop was reported by Mr.. Ander-
son to be a crushed zone over IS feet
in width with an east-west strike.
The manganese bearing material Is a
recent discovery and there has been
very little work done upon the prop
erty.
The lone group Is owned by Dan
Sieger Of Murray and is situated near
the top of the ridge between Bear
gulch and Paragon gulch and about a
quarter of mile east of the Bear Top
mine. 1t Is 5 miles from Murray by
wagon road as far as the Bear Top
buildings on Bear gulch, and then by
trail. The outcrop Is at an elevation
of 400 feet and 1900 feet above Bear
gulch.
A fissure vein in Prichard slate
with an east-west strike and dip Of