The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-09-20

n 70 STRIKE in recent times has
created so much interest ano
even excitement in Wallace as
that made this week on the
McPhillips property, on Nine Mile. The
extent of the discovery still remains
to be determined. but the present
showing indicates that it will prove to
be large body of silver ore. 1t
is in fact a remarkable discovery, made
on group of claims which have been
held for years and within a few hun
bred feet of the railroad and wagon
road. A representative of the Miner
visited the discovery last Tuesday
morning. accompanied by Peter Nc
Phillips, owner of the property; w. J.
Stratton, of Suatton & Stratton who
have the property under bond; f. G.
Gnaedinger, mining engineer. and A.
c. Bixby, manager of the Ajax Mining
company. It is no reflection upon the
veracity of any one to say that reports
of strikes and ore showings are in
variaby discounted in the public mind.
not because the honesty of the owner
is doubted or questioned, but because
the sight of ore in ones own ground,
and especially the sudden discovery of
ore, invariably tends to upset the
sense of proportion and quicken the
Imagination to a remarkable extent.
From this it will be understood that
when the McPhillips property was
visited, it was the expectation of find
ing the showing of ore considerably
less than had been described. But
such was not the case. On the con-
trary, it was bigger and better than
described
Over Two Feet of Ore Exposed.
The portal of the McPhillips tunnel
is IS or 100 feet above Nine Mile
creek The tunnel has been extended
in a northerly direction probably over
200 feet, and there it turns westerly
and the strike was made after running
in that direction probably IS feet The
first substantial encouragement came
a few days before the strike in the
form of stringers of white quartz
carrying a little galena in what APP
pears to be a soft decompOsed quart
ute formation. Then came a little ore
on the left side of the face, and the
next round broke into what appears to
be a great body of real ore. AS seen
last Tuesday morning, the ore is over
two feet wide, extending from the roof
to the floor of the tunnel, and so hard
and solid that it was almost impos-
sible to break a sample with pick.
From the appearance of the face of
the tunnel, il may reasonably be eX-
pected that the next round will show
the entire face of the tunnel in ore.
The ore is a dull lead color and much |
of it is fine grained steel galena. AS
saws of average samples taken last
Monday returned S5.9 per cent lead /
and 29.5 ounces in silver, and it is
believed that the present showing will |
give an even higher return. Only one |
shift has been employed on the prop !
erty and the work is being done by |
hand. but it is expected that arrange
ments will be made to speed up the |
work. As soon as the ore has been
crosscut it will be further explored by
drifting and results will be followed
with the closest interest, for the dis
covery is one of the highest importance
to this city, independent of those who
are directly interested.
Ideal Location.
If it had been possible to pick
place to find a mine, no location could
have been found that would have been
more nearly ideal than that occupied
by the McPhillips It is about two
and half miles from Wallace and
hardly a quarter of a mile above
Black Cloud, and on the west side Of
the canyon. The property consists OF
three claims lying between and joining
the California Black Cloud on the west
and the Panhandle on the east, both of
which have produced considerable ore
from the same vein, fact that gave
prospective value to the McPhillips
the presumption naturally being that
il had the same vein. And probably
IL has. but the discovery just made is
certainly another vein in the opinion
of those familiar with the other two
properties. The McPhillips ground ex-
tends to the railroad track in the
broad canyon. and a side track and
loading platform are in readiness for
use The portal of the tunnel as stated
is at an elevation of rs or 100 feet
ample dumpage, and making
easy access for a mill for which there
is annie room on the level ground be-
fContFnoad on Page 81