The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-08-03
MONITOR CROSSCUT.
SEVEN FEET OF ORE
OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
Removes All Doubt of Com
mercial Ore at Great Depth
in Copper Belt
OF GREAT IMPORTANCE

HHE STRIKE by the Montana
Idaho Copper company. more
Familiarity known as the Mont
tor, is one of unusual interest
and qualification. In the first place
men who have the nerve and staying
qualities to inaugurate and put
through an enterprise of that kind are
deserving of the highest reward for
their undertaking. Briefly stated, the
proposition was to drive a tunnel APP
preaching two miles in length to prove
the continuity of ore developed in the
Monitor shaft sunk to a depth of 700
feet on the divide between Idaho and
Montana The tunnel was started
near Adair in Idaho. on the Milwau
kee railroad. The original Monitor
group lies south of and joins the Rich
mond and ST. Lawrence. most of the
ground being on the Idaho side of the
divide. Started primarily to develop
the Monitor, it was evident that this
great enterprise would be of tremend
GUS advantage to the Richmond. st.
Lawrence and other copper properties
in that vicinity. since it would not on
~ test the Ndiuc vi tie Vic uCPOoiN at
great depth, but it would also provide
an outlet on the railroad for other
properties For that reason the pro-
gress of the enterprise has been
watched with great interest. and the
striking of commercial ore now an
nounced insures the great value of
mines in the copper belt.
Ca1ar Eaa4 IS Hor,paarciaI Ore
From reliable sources it is learned
that the face of the Monitor tunnel
shows Z feet of ore that will average
between and per cent copper. 1t
is probable that the ore also carries
considerable gold. as that was an i'm
portant feature of the ore in the shaft,
as it is also characteristic of all the
ore in that section. The face of the
drift is west of a point under the
Monitor shaft, but how far could not
be learned. The ore now exposed is
much lower grade than that taken
from the shaft, but it is expected to
show higher values as the tunnel ad-
vances eastward But the important
feature of the strike is that it proves
the continuity of the ore at great
depth, fact that means everything
to that section. A large amount of
ore was shipped years ago from the
Monitor, taken from the shaft and
hauled to the railroad at Saltese. and /
this is true also of the st. Lawrence |
and Richmond. A few years ago the |
Richmond company constructed a |
cable tramway to the Milwaukee. near |
Adair which eliminated the long haul /
to Saltese. In all three of these prop |
critics there are wonderful showings /
of copper ore in the upper workings,
but uncertainty regarding its continu-
ity at depth has been the great OBJ
stacle in the way of more extensive
operations. It is stated that the Ana
conda and other large copper compan-
les have made Investigations of these
properties and turned them down on
account of this uncertainty. This
barrier has now been removed by the
Montana Idaho company and its sue
cessful work will doubtless result in
giving a big impetus to mining in the
copper belt of this county and make
it easier to secure capital for develop
ment purposes.
Richmond and ST.. Lawrence.
The Richmond company long ago
secured an easement from the Mon
tana Idaho company for use of the
Monitor tunnel for deep development
of its property. and since the strike
was made the company has announc-
ed that it would proceed to run a
crosscut to the Richmond vein. The
same opportunity is presented for the
of the st. Lawrence, and
it is regarded probable that this COM
pany will also soon be active in ex-
tending a crosscut from the Monitor h
tunnel.