Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-05-08

mast production Is not exactly known but runs
into millions OF dollars
! After Ieaying the Maginnis mine and Ecsns
over the ridge and down llas Ss 49, Aerse
! another old producer Of hisn sI&oe hna solo
bullion In 1885, P. W. MEADOW wno had
control Of this property pat w = mla much
! ike the one at the Maginnis mine' and OPENED
no the main ore body In about AeoS OK 1905
4 cyanide unit was added. ana g the ore
! turned out TO be too refractory Tor tne
! cvanide process 3 roasting plant was erected
end the ore was roasted previous 70 cyan
/ iding The results were only tan and when
deeper ore presented more complsxity the
mine was shut down. The telnrloo ore with
/ ne arseno-antimony ore found IN this mine
ran as high as 81 COS per ton, Dur tue mill
could not save the values because Of the lack
OF efficient metallurElcai pIoceas q naaole
the ore This Is quite different to-day
Here IL the data from actual operations Of
those days at the Spotted Horse mine. The
/ ore was extracted from three levels. The
millheads contained % percens lsee m ,lll
/ as percent telluride sulphide ana pyrite, 70
percent Of these sulphides were LOST N the
tailings going in Maiden creek Only 10 per
cent Of the sulphides we're saved by the
vanners making concentrate Later when the
cyanide equipment was Installed less lree
gold was then present, but more solpLnQess
and the recovery was not any DETER IN taet
foward the end the recovery was below so
uerceut Of the total values. The cause OF the
loss was lack OF modern equipment, TOO coarse
crushing ana no means "a AAAlS 4A9N-
ever production ran extremely high, but no
official figures are available
Following the road from Maiden up stream
in Maiden canon. we reach the Florence
mine on the east slope OF Crystai peak TINS
old rich producer was located by John Kem-
per IN 1881 and was developed By tunnel
in the Crystal Peak limestone. Some ~ tons
of ore gave a return Of $1,000. AS were the
other mines IN the district, this mine was re-
opened in 1905. q large mill erected and much
ore milled. with fair success as a gold pro
Queer. because Of the rich ore. but the eff
cheney Of the min was POOR. AS the ore was
developed in depth, trouble developed in the
mill and the mine shut down.
The ore Of the Florence and Spotted Horse
mines were in the upper levels close to the
surface rich Ia silver beside the gold the
siiver was mostly a sulphide either argentite
or silver telluride (Silvenite) These ores
we're very rich and we're found with the oxi-
died ore, and were milled or shipped d.
rectly and produced very good returns.
The ore Of both mines is found in the
lime colored by copper stains cooper car
bonate) and also in the altered limestone,
which methamorphosed due TO the proximity
Of the eruptive rocks, the porphyry forma-
ton The ore Of the Florence shipped aver
aged about 90 per ton and over. The
milling ore run those days was about $1,000
and up. The Florence mine production It Is
unofficially stated, is around sl0,0Oo.00; no
official figures are available. There is much
ore left in the mine and the dumps, IS wen
as in what is left OF the taiings The old
mine was intensely developed, by tunnels and
shaft.
Near the Florence is located the Pilgrim
mine. narrow high-grade silver vein Of rich
later on more development was carried on but
no information is available as to production,
or the amount OF underground work done.
Coming back to Maiden and going down
streams along Warm Spring creek. to where
Alpine creek comes into Warm Spring creek.
we are in the west portion Of the Maiden
district. where are located several very large
ore deposits as well as some OF the large
old and new mines Of the district.
On Alpine creek and a mile or so up the
creek is located the Butcher Knife mine. This
mine was intensely developed. by several
tunnels and a shaft and much ore was
the ore being a free gold ore. Later ore de-
veloped a base sulphide mineral and some
was milled at the Masinnis mill but was not
very successful because Of the refractory
character Of the ore and inefficient milling
equipment Of those days.
The ore was found in contact with por-
phyry dyke and lime altered shale The upper
oxidized ore carried much iron oxide and in
the nonaltered portion, silver sulphide and
gold were found
At the mouth OF the creek there can be
seen the old pit or glory hole Of an old mine
Silver ore with gold value was mined and
shipped in the early days. The ore was very
rich in silver content. No figures are avail
able now Of the past production, nor any data
on the Butcher Knife.
Going further west and down stream along
Warm Spring creek we reach the New Year
Going south up this creek we reach the
point where roads branch off to several |
mines. Going north we go into Devil canon /
going south, we 60 past New Year mill, |
and up the New Year mine and up the Prince l
Mine group.
We win go up north first to investigate the /
new mines which have been opened lately. |
First we reach the Silver Queen which has 1
aerta mHnWa nrNA
since 1885 with excellent results. Cars Of ore 4
shipped have averaged around 5000 per /
car. Much milling ore has been developed |
and operations are very satisfactory. Probably /
later a milling plant win be erected. The mine /
Is open by a large quarry-like glory hole.
Half mile from the Silver Queen mine Is |
located the Florence and Silver Bell mining |
claims Of the Western Mines corporation. This |
has already produced q small ton |
mage of htgh-grade shipping ore, and now |
operations will soon be started by the cor /
poration on a large scale, for shipping and !
milling the ore from these two claims, a /
large vein Of ore Of milling grade, beside the |
htgh-grade shoots, has been developed. and |
also parallel veins Of smaller size have been |
The large vein is located on the Silver Bell |
claim. It has been traced and opened at sew |
eral places. Beside the huge ore exposures on |
surface the vein stands some 20 feet high |
above the surface in the large Carbonifous |
limestone outcrop. The vein in this outcrop is /
between IL and is feet wide, giving an aver
are several high-grade shoots which give /
values Of around $50 ounces in silver and |
OS0 to 0.70 ounces in gold and some very |
rich ore gives $50 ounces silver and ITO 1
ounces in gold The rich ore was not included |
in the average assays OF the fun width of 4
the vein mentioned above.
on the Silver Bell mine there is another 1
parallel vein which averages two to three /
feet IN width and carries some very good ore |
Of shipping grade. The ail-width OF the vein /
averages $500 per ton in gold and silver 4
There is large tonnage Of ore already avail !
able for milling. This ore is a sulphide con-
tanning argentite and some silvenite min /
erals, and could be either noated or cyanided /
The ore Is found in the limestone and like Il
the Spotted Horse and the Florence mines gold /
telluride ore is expected deeper down as the /
are developed in depth.
The Western Mines corporation plans to 1
mine the high-grade for sorting and shipping |
and min In its plant the lower grade, by /
Of modern method Of cyanide and 4
process. The mine being only one /
and one-han miles from the site OF the I
new mill, where a large body Of 4
low-grade gold ore win be mined and milled /
In the new company milling plant, this mill |
will be located at the Prince Mine group south i