The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-10-18
SHERIDAN LEASE HAS
MUCH ORE IN SIGHT
HAS so MEN ON PAYROLL
Ships 100 Tons of Ore Daily
Rich Gray Copper Find
May Prove Important
"HE SHERIDAN LEASE. WHICH

~HE SHERIDAN LEASE. which
covers the old upper workings
of the Morning mine, has grown
TO be the most extensive opera
lions of that character in the dist
riot. Most of the ground was mined
many years ago, long before the
present ownership of the Morning,
and the amount of ore that was left
by the early operators to be found
years after by energetic leasers brings
out strikingly the progress that has
been made in mining methods and in
deciphering geological conditions sur
rounding ore deposits. Considering
the large tonnage that is being pro-
duced by the Sheridan lease and the
amount of ore in sight, it might be
suggested that the Federal company
would find it more advantageous to
mine the ore rather than turn it over
to leasers. However, if one under
stands the great expense that has
been incurred by the Sheridan lease
in making this ore accessible and in
transporting 1t down to the main
Morning level to be conveyed to the
mill, it is easy to understand why the
Federal is willing to let the leasers
do it and is content with a substantial
royalty as we'll as a profit derived
through buying most of the ore.
Much Ore in Sight.
Although the Sheridan lease has
developed much ore in the old upper
workings, to do so has required much
time and the expenditure of much
money. The ore was reached by rails
ing in the Midnight claim from the
Fannie Gremm tunnel level and then
prosecuting north to the Morning
vein in the Evening claim. Much
ore was found left in the old work
ings by the early operators. and the
leasers also crosscut another vein of
ore. probably a branch of the main
assure about 20 feet south of the
Morning vein. 1t was in connection
with this vein that the recent dis
covery of wonderfully rich gray cop
per ore was made. This gray copper
was found while raising on the ore
and is scattered through the lead
silver ore for width of about two
feet, while there is also streak from
an inch to three or four inches along
one wall Samples from this streak
run as high as 700 ounces in silver.
This class of ore is said to be some
thing new in connection with the
Morning vein, although it has long
been known as the outstanding feat
ure of the You Like. If it proves to
be continuous in the Morning or
rather in this branch of the Morning
vein, it means a substantial addition
to the value of the output of the
lease. This ore was found at a depth
of about 14OO feet from the surface.
The Sheridan lease is following the
ore Westward and will soon be in the
Grouse claim, where there is under
stood to be a large amount of ore.
However, the old workings in the
Grouse are badly caved, a situation
that will involve quite a heavy ex-
pense in extracting the ore.
Producing 100 Tons Day
Some idea of the extent of the
Sheridan lease may be gained from
the statement that it is now produc-
ing 100 tons of ore per day and has
so men on the payroll. To deliver the
ore from the slopes to the mill re-
quires much handling and necessarily
adds materially to the expense, but
in spite of unusual operating costs,
it is understood that the lease, which
is under the direct management of
n. c. Sheridan, mining engineer, is
proving a decidedly profitable enter
prise. From the stope chutes the ore
is drawn into cars and then dumped
through a chute to the Fannie Gremm
level, some 200 feet below. From
there it is again trammed and dropped
into another chute that lands it on
No. Morning level, 800 feet below.
Again drawn into cars the ore is
trammed to another chute down which
it goes 500 feet to an intermediate
level There it is again loaded and
trammed to the final drop of 200 feet
to No. 6 tunnel level, where it is again
drawn into cars and conveyed by cleo
trio haulage through the two-mile
tunnel to the ore bins at the mill. 1t
then passes over a sorting belt to
permit the recovery of the high grade
ore, which is shipped to the East
Helena smelter direct by the leasing
company, while the lower grade or
milling ore is purchased by the Fed
eral company.