Hyder Alaska miner., 1919-10-24
HISTORY OF THE
 PREMIER

To say that the eyes of the mining world are today turned toward the Premier mine sounds like trite ex-' pression, but It is nevertheless a fact. This great property on Salmon river is already being acclaimed the worlds greatest mine, and development, as mining development is measured, has hardly begun. One of the pioneer min ing engineers of the Slocan country has stated for publication that the Premier is worth seven hundred million dollars today on the ore exposed. More con- servative members of the profession nlace the ore in sight at between thirty and thirty-five millions, which probab- lv more closely approxim tes the facts.
 Taking the ijwer figure, the Premier is today a greater mine than the fam ous Comstock was at a corresponding stage of development, and when that Is said, little more remains to be stated to convince any outside doubters of the worth of this property.
 Mining journals all over the United States and Canada are reprintlng in full the history of the mine, written by Chas. bunting, a pioneer of the camp, and an unexcelled authority, and hrst published by the Portland Canal News of Stewart, B. c, :.
 It is well that the truth regarding this mine should be given the widest possible publicity. For this reason. ana because the existence of the Premier alone warrants the building of the town of Hyder, the Miner Is reproducing MT. Bunting's article in its first issue.
 ,iuch has been written about the I ,emier Mine, situated near the head .,f tie Portland Canal, which, while interesting, is at variance with the Iocts The writer is well acquainted win the property, its ere Dooles' ,atues and history and will brieny review the tacts relating to the aoose and indicate the immense posslolll- iies of thls remarkable mine. All the known ore bodies of the Premier three distinct veins generally referred m as the low-grade veins, as well as the high grade vein, are found on two of the companys claims. These are the Cascade Falls No. 4, and the Gas cada Falls No. 8, which were two Of roup of eight claims numbered l to
 and known as the Cascade Falls .roun They are situated on the west s,n sIope of the range which QlViues tI.e salmon River from the Bear River md were the first locations i'll that eaction of the Salmon Valley. They we're discovered and staked by Wm liiIworth and the Bunting Bros. ln tune 1910. The two claims numbered
 
 staked later by other parties passed to the control o1 O. B. Bush, the oaillon Bear River Mining Co.,, Delng orsanlz ed ty him during the winter oi l'lo-li to operate them- - so,
 The work carried on the two 1ol lowing summers by the Salmon-Deal River Mining Co. which conslsteu ol short tunnels and surface cuIs' was confined to the low grade sio"lnso' the results being fairly good. great outcropping, showing much gooo looh ing quartz, some iron pyrltes anu little native silver was passeu up after a few shots had been put llilo It, and no attempt was made to trace !! out. This outcrop has since ploNeu to be the biggest and pest suriace showing of the high grade vein.
 The property was then ldie onen Ine summer of 1914, when it was examln- cd for a well known Eastern Canao- ian Company by w. J. Rolf The out cropping referred to attracted his at tention and interest ana Work coni menced at once. The vein was traced for fully 800 feet, down the hill III westerly direction, the surface was stripped and cuts put in at interVais along it's whole length. The results were excellent, good ore being expos ed in every cut, some of 1t running as high as $500 in gold and silver.
 After securing such hne returns lor eoma unknown reason-possibly on account of the outbreak of the war this company discontinued wocK. eccd deal of credit is due w. J. hoil for his shrewdness in confining ms work to this particular vein to the exclusion of the low grade shoWlngs' thereby demonstrating the presence of at least one large ore body running exceptionally high in gold and sliver' witb a lead content of less than one tenth of one per cent. Until this tune sneculation regarding the future oI the camp. had been based on the great showings of low grade ore.
 An entirely new conception or the notentiaIities of the camp was direct outcome of his activity. The