Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-09-07
MONTANA PAPER
WRITES OF YAAK

The Flathead Monitor of Kalispell
Mont, contains an interesting article
concerning the Yaak Mining & Power
company and j. E. Bucher its presi-
dent- A full account of the organiza-
tion or this company was recently
printed in The Herald and believing
the operations in the Yak district
TO be of interest to people of Bonners
ferry we reproduce part of the arti-
Gle printed in the Kalispell paper:
DR.. j. K. Bucher has been in Kalis-
pell fer several days looking after the
interests of the Yaak Mining and
POWER company of which he is presi-
dent and general manager
Dr. Bucher is a graduate of the Le-
high University and John Hopkins
University and was for many years
professor of chemistry in Brown Uni
versity.
his inventions on nitrogen fixation
in the form of cyanides attracted in
ternational attention and the u. S.
government erected a plant at Salt
Vllle, Va, at an expense of several
million dollars to operate his patents
During the past five years DR..
Bucher has had a wide experience in
both the United States and Canada in
industrial works, and a year ago came
to Montana as chemist for the Inter
national Chemical Products companv
at Eureka
DR.. Bucher's extensive studies in
chemistry, geology, mineralogy and
metallurgy directed attention to the
mineral resources of Montana-partic-
ularly to the recovery of black sands
and fine" gold which had been con-
sldered commercially impossible by
the old placer miners.
A visit to the Yaak with its immense
placer bars, abundant water and tim
ber and an inspection of the Idaho
1oid and Ruby company's plant which
was then still in process of construc-
tion, led him to investigate the Yak
placer bars to see whether the appar-
enliy extravagant claims regarding
thelr value had any foundation.
Severai months were spent in max
ing a very careful examination of the
vaiues In the sands and methods for
.neir recovery and treatment and the
results not only substantiated the
representations made to him but far
exceeded them
Then careful assays OF the black
sand after all free gold had been care
fully removed showed very large |
nercentage of residual gold included |
IN the sand grains themselves. Also
large values of platinum was found |
included in the sand. This was en-
Ilrely unexpected as sand from the
Ilstrlct mad repeatedly been assayed |
Ior platinum with negative results.
rms discovery OF platinum in the
AJAX sands was peculiarly gratifying |
not only because of its very high
value, but because just as the world |
was racing a famine in this most use
lnl metal, an abundant supply for
centuries to come has been disclosed I
n the black sands extending from
ne Leonia district up into British
Columbia, and also to the southeast
rms discovery is so important that tha
Marsh Metals Extracting and Mann
acturing company five million
1pilar corporation has already ar
'anged to put up one of its plants AT
1eonia. TO refine the black sands of |.
he faak Mining and Power comnanv
md that from the Idaho Gold and
tuby company as well as similar
ands from the neighboring districts
# Montana and Idaho.
ne results were so important that
Dr.. Bucher decided to drop all other
YORK and devote his whole time and
nergies to developing these placer
ields.
He has organized the Yaak Mining
nd Power company, Inc. under the
avs of the state of Washington with
ffices in Spokane and Leonia. and
apital of S1O,0O0,000 to acquire placer
oidiDgs and to extract the gold and
'iatlnum from the black sands as well
S the gold which occurs free. His
ompany has already purchased the
ntire water rights of the Yak river
rom the Cynide Gold Mining com