Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-06-18

yround in 1905 Mines on Shaughnessy
Hill, some of which are included IN
the Glacier Silver Lead group, wnicn
was producing ore in the summer OF
1890. were located about 1889 by Tom
and W. A. Hills.
Gold quartz veins were discovered
on the West Fisher River and its trlb.-
utaries in the nineties The Brick &
mine, one Of the earliest, ran a
10-stamp mill for several years. The
American Kootenai and Blacktail mines
also erected small stamp mills, both
of which were subsequently destroyed
by snowslides.
The Midas. formerly the Rose Con,
solidated. was first located in 1908 and
has reported production OF gold and I
tungsten concentrates between 1916 i
and 1918. Ore has recently been ae-
veloped and sampled at the Midas' {
and changes have been made al the I
mill in anticipation oil reopenine me /
mine.
II Is reported that these mines IN !
The Fisher River drainage basin won
their production from the oxidzed pof-
tions Of quartz veins parallel with the
strstification. which failed TO yield
profits below the zone OF oxidaaoh-
Thus far in this investigation only one
mine Of this type the Little ANNE, has
been examined. 1t is noteworthy .hat
n This mine good ore is in sight below
the zone of oxidation.
The deposit at the .SnoWshoe lilil.e
was first opened III 1892, but eNteiisis Y,
development work was not begun ui''ii
1900 The total production TO date Is
about 10000 tons, which yielded 81
| O86 600 in net smelter returns LOT ieau'
silver. and gold. 1t is common tax
among the old miners that this prop
ertv was not we'll managed, and the
rresent owners believe that as re-
sult nc inefficient milling at times III
The mast as much as 40 per cent OF the
concentrates were lost. The vein ma
terial occupies the assured and sheareei
zone If the Snowshoe fault. when IS
one Of the dominant transverse laul.s
of the area. The mine has been idie
for MANY years. and most OF the work
mos are inaccessible, but the presen'
owners are authority for the statement
that there is still thousands OF tons
of ore proved or partly blocked out II
the mine Il, ~
| The Snowstorm mine formerly the
3. and By, on Callahan Greek miieS
southwest OF Troy, is reported 70 naVs
made considerable shipments before
ions Production has been reporte,e
every wear from 1917 to 1928. Accord
mo 70 officials Of the Troy Mines 20
which now controls the property, IN
total production to date in lead, zlnt
silver. and gold is not less than S4ooo,
0o0 and the present ore reserves ar
r. 10000 tons. The 500ton Snowstorf
mill 1t TROY. which treated the ore
G and also custom ore from other prop
r. critics in the Troy district was &c
stroyed BY fire in May, 1927, and @
nine has been shut down most Of tn
t;ma since The ore occurs in weir
IN connection with an altered DARK
colored dixie which is not tar west
strong transverse fault, faVorap
factor in the localizing of ores III III
region.
Other lode mines that have reporfe
production are the Big 5, CABIN 0uee
Tin TOP. Liberty, Pathfinder. SHY
King. and Silver Strike.
Except at the Snowstorm and onop,
shoe and possibly some other OF U
larger deposits, mining operations
far have been rather spasmodlc al
without much profit Among the re-
sons for this result are lack OF capi'
and remoteness Of location. Several
tbe smaller lodes have given prom
of profitable production, but their @
erators have lacked sufficient funds
explore them and block our o.e
serves. Many Of these mines oepe
upon mountain streams lot poWe'
an run mills, hoists, compressors' .
other machinery, but the owners ma
lacked the money to build power plai
with adequate storage to carry ~ ~
ms, ,ar;ods of low water. As IN most or
mining districts. there has been m'
~ less waste of funds IN premat'
IN britding of mills and other iil-ce
sidered operations,
The burning Of the Snowstorm n
-. at Troy has markedly retarded nun
," onerations and diminished produc.
- the area. The completion IN J,
&c The Glacier Silver Lead Co.'S moo
No 9no-ton mill on Granite Creek mi
~ have stimulated production IN
~. Mines southwest Of Libby had II
EOc been for the extremely low price
metals in that year
Geography and Geology.
The metalliferous deposits discus
barein are for the most part N
north half Of the Libby quadran
which IS in the northwest corner
Montana. Libby and Troy, the larl
tawns are on the main line OF
Great Northern Railway The -aHe'
almost wholly within the northern
"a the Cabinet Mountains ana
maximum relief is about 1000 J
$780, -I,,bhv S on the south bank OF the :
tenai River, the principal stream OF
area which flows northwestward &C
The nothern part Of the quadrsai
The old placer mines along =
Creek much smaller stream er
mo the Kootenai River from the $
Il libby. have made it well KIN
MANY Of the lode mines and prosi
lie along tributaries to Libby u
which rise in the high rugged M
tains southwest Of Libby and
swiftly in general northeastern
eastward direction through nal
i .ot1axe | 600 to B. 500