IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 11.25 no ""^" 2.5 12.2 1.8 M. 11116 V] 71 /: "^h 7 >^ Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ^ ^ ■^ 'c^^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Tttchnical and Bibliographic Notac/Notas tachniquas at bibliograpliiquaa Tha Instituta has attamptad to obtain tha bast original copy availabia for filming. Faaturas of this copy which may ba bibiiographically uniqua. which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction. or which may significantly changa tha usual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. L'Institut a microfilm^ la maillaur axamplaire qu'il lui a itt possibia da sa procurar. Las details da cat axamplaira qui sont paut-Atra uniquas du point da vua bibliographiqua, qui pauvant modifier una imaga raproduita, ou qui pauvant axiga*^ una modification dans la mtthoda normala da f Imaga sont indiqute ci-dassous. □ Colourad covars/ Couvartura da coulatir r~n Covars damagad/ I — I Colourad pagas/ D Couvartura andommagia Covars rastorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura r«=taurte at/ou ^IliculAa □ Covar titia missing/ La titra da couvartura manqua □ Colourad maps/ Cartas gtegraphiquas an coulaur D D D D D Colourad ink (i.a othar than blua or black)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua biaua ou noira) Colourad platas and/or illustrations/ Planchas at/ou illustrations an coulaur Bound with other matarial/ Ralit avac d'autras dr>sumants Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion along intarior margin/ La rs liura sarrie paut causar Ua I'ombra ou da la distorsion la long do la marge int6ri«ure Blank iaavas addad during rastoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar possibia. thasa hava baan omittad from filming/ II sa paut qua cartainas pagaa blanchas ajoutias lors d'una rastauration apparaissant dans la taxta. mais. lorsqua cala 6tait possibia. cas pagas n'ont pas 4ti filmtes. D D D D D D Pagas da coulaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagas andommagias Pagas rastorad and/or laminatad/ Pagas rastaurias at/ou palliculias Pagas discolourad, stainad or foxad/ Pagas dicoiortes. tachatAas ou piquies Pagas datachad/ Pagas ditachias Showthrough/ Transparanca Quality of print varias/ Qualiti inigaia da I'imprassion Includas supplementary matarial/ Comprand du material suppi^mantaira Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partieliement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure, etc., ont ixi filmAes A nouveau da fapon d obtanir la meilleure iniaga possible. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmantairas; Pagination at follows : [9] -32 p. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmA au taux da rMuction indiquA ci-dassous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X J 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Th« copy fllmad h«r« has b—n raproduead thanks to tha ganarosity of: Ltgittlatura du QuMmc QuMmc L'axamplaira filmi fut reproduit grica i ta g*n4rosit4 da: Legislature du QuAbee Qu«boc Tha imagaa appaaring hara mn tha bast quality possibia considaring tha condition and iagibiiity of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract spacificatlona. Laa imagaa suivantoa ont 4ti raproduitaa avac la plus grand soin, eompta tanu da la condition at da la nattat* da l'axamplaira filmA, at 99* conformity avac las conditions du contrat da filmaga. Original copiaa In printad papar eovars ara filmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- sion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraasion. Laa axamplairaa originaux dont la couvartura an papiar aat imprim^a sont filmis wy commandant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant soit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'iiiuatration, soit par la sacond plat, salon la caa. Toua laa autraa axamplairas originaux sont filmis an commandant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'illustration at an tarminant par la darniAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha last racorded frama on oach microficha shall contain tha symbol —^(moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ^ (moaning "END"), whichavar appliaa. Un daa symbdaa suivants apparaftra sur la damlAra imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la caa: la symbols — ► signifia "A SUIVRE", la aymbola ▼ signifis "FIN". Mapa, plataa, charts, ate., may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly Includad in ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand comar, laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framas aa raquirad. Tha following diagrams illuatrata tha mathod: l-as cartas, planchas. tablaaux. ate. pauvant Atra filmia i das taux da rMuction diffirants. Lorsqua la document aat trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un saui clichi. 11 aat film* i partir da I'angia supiriaur gaucha, da gaucha i droita, at da haut an baa, an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nicaaaaira. Las diagrammas suivants illustrant la mithoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 EEPOET ON THB TRAIL CREEK MINING DISTRICT HY WILLIAM A. CARLYLE, PROVINCIAL MINERALOGIST. BULLETIN No. 2. The Provinctal Bureau of Mines, Victoria; B. C, August, 1896. By Authority. JAMES BAKER, Minister of Mines. REPORT To the Hon. Col. James Baker, Minisli'.r of Mines, Jiritixh Columbia. Sir, — 111 presenting my report on tlie Trail Creek Mininfj District, West Kootenay, I first wish to acknowledfje my keen iippreciation of the invariable courtesy and assistance tendered me by the mine owners, mine managers, and the other gentlemen connected with this industiy, who spared no pains in giving me all access to their properties, and all infor- mation relating to the history and conditions of the mines, and the exact amount of the output of ore to date. In this report it will be necessai-y to go over much ground quite familiar to those conversant with the district, but many of these details may be of service and interest to those outside whose attention has been directed to the fust developing mineral resources of this Province, while it is desirable that as much information as possible be placed on record in the reports of the JJuieau of Mines, that may be supplemented from time to time as work steadily progiesses, >vithout undue repetition. The work it is proposed to lie undertaken by this Bureau is rendered much more difficult by the great area of this Province, and also by the fact that it will be in great part the pioneer endeavour to investigate and record officially the greatly diflfering conditions that obtain in the many new mining camps that are now being founded. Excellent work has been, and is being, done in the West by the Geo- logical Survey of Canada, but this work is only fairly begun, and it is to be hoped that Dr. Dawson, whose labours have been of such signal value in the West, will be able to extend at once the operations of his Department in British Columbia, especially in this district, as the inestimable value of a thorough geological survey of a country in which ore deposits are to be found ha:, been well established by the results obtained in the Western States of America, where these surveys have provcid most useful and beneficial in a strictly practical sense, not only to scientific men, but to the prospectors and explorers who have thus been guided. Perhaps the greatest factor that will det(,'rmine the progress of mining and the realization of the wealth that undoubtedly is now locked up in these mou'itains, is the means of communi- cation and transport. The ores must be carried to the metallurgical centres for treatment, and if the ore deposits now known to exist, and those that may yet be discovered, are to be made available and to become a niost valuable part of our resources, trails, roads and railroads must be constructed to make possible the concentration of ores, fuels and supplies at the most favourable points ; and if this part of the industry is to be retained ii Canada, Canada must assist in bc^ldly advancing these means of communication to make easily accessible the coal- fields and the mines from which the different classes of ore can be obtained, that separately aro difficult to treat, but brought together and intermixed, can be reduced at minimum smelter charges. Favoured by the trend of the mountains and valleys, American railroads are rapidly entering from the south to transport Kootenay ores to the American smelters ; but, notwithstanding much greater difficulties of construction, Canadian roadsmust be energeticolly built, and, not only will more mines be opened up, but the large reduction works with the large employment of capital and labour will be mostly retained within this Province. The opening up of Kootenay during the last six or seven years has been rapid, but the most marked advance has followed the building of the various lines of connection already completed, as is seen, for one instar, e, in the ri.se of the new camp of Rossland, but more rapid advance is awaiting these better facilities, which it is safe to predict will be called on to carry a heavy tonnage. Several important lines are seeking aid to be built ; lines that will open country that already is proving most promising as it is further prospected, and it is hoped that this aid will be granted, so as to permit the immediate conmiencement of these important under- takings. Not only is the bulk of this ore being shipped to the south, but the large proportion of the fast increasing demand for mine and mercantile supplies is being satisfied by the cities on the other side of the border, with the result that a great revival in their business aH'airs has followed the opening up of these good markets in British Columbia, greatly due to 12 the fact that orders can be now more promptly filled and forwarded from this source, this advantage more than counterbalancing the customs duti(!s that are imposed upon imports. Not only this, but nmch of the mining mavihinery manufactured in Eastern Canada, and now being extensively ordered, is being brought most of the way over American railroads to the point of entry, Northport. If our own centres of trade are to benefit by this growing busi- ness, strong efforts must V)e made to get these facilities for rapid and prompt delivery wliich, with customs dues, will more than give Canadian business concerns the advantage, as the fact should be realized that new and large nnirkets are opening up in British Cohnnbia. American business men are making strong efforts to secure this trade, and the current once set in, it will be dilHcult to deflect it into that channel most beneficial to the connnercial interests of this country. Bulletin No. 2 has been written during a few weeks examination of all the mines and many of the claims yet ranked as prospects, in the immediate vicinity of liossland. This district has been constantly growing from a small number of claims located on the hill on which the now famous mines are working, until, as work has uncovered a system of parallel veins or leads, in many of which the indications of finding ore are excel'ent, this area now extends three or four miles east and west of this centre, and one to two miles north and .south. To the WDst, and also to the east across the Columbia River, most favourable I'eports concerning the discoveries of ore similar to that of Rossland are being made by prospectors and others who have examined these new localities, and, if time will permit, some of these will be visited and de.scribed in the Annual Report of the Minister of Mines. The discovery, during the last two or three years, of large bodies of high grade gold ores, in which dividend-paying mines are now being operated, is attracting the earnest attention of many mining men and capitalists of both America and Europe. The opening up of the large mines at Rossland that, notwithstanding many heavy disadvantages — rapidly being overcome, such as means and cost of transportation — have proved vfiry remunerative, and, as more extensive exploratoi'y work and greater depth are attained, promise permanency of large and profitable ore bodies, is stimulating more thorough prospecting not only around Rossland, but in many other localities in this district, with the result that other camps are quickly coming to the front as good prospects on being worked disclose ore of increasing value. Many claims at many points in Trail Creek Disti-ict are now V)eing carefully examined and bonded or bought, which better means of access and egress, now projected or being com- pleted, will render possible their being worked, and the principals or agents representing capital are investigating these new resources. The fact that men interested in the treatment of ores, or their transportation, on studying the conditions and possibilities now shown, have begun large underttikings, or are now planning them, is indicative that the future develop- ment of this part of the Province will be soon on an extensive scale, and of their confidence, based on experience, in the extent and value of its mineral wealth. The concensus of opinion of many mining men who have studied the conditions and surface showings in this new camp at Rossland, is to the effect that few camps have ever shown so many favourable indications that warrant the belief that on further extensive, systematic exploration other shutes of gold ore will be uncovered. Prospecting ha, disclosed these many parallel veins, varying in widt'i, when exposed, from an inch to .several I'ect, and it is believed that many more ore shutes will be found when these most promisiiig surface indications are thoroughly exploited, for it is quite improbable that the large shutes of rich ore that have been shown on the surface by denudation will be found to be the only ones. This district has now reached that stage when persistent, plucky development work, sustained by ample capital, must be done to prove up these many veins and surface showings, but a sufficient amount of working capital is demanded, (a.) because much of the rock is very hard to mine, necessitating good machinery to make proper progress, (b.) considerable or even extensive development work must be done in the search for more pay shutes, (c.) while the more or less faulted nature of the ground, though not serious, will complicate this work. "While the present mines were opened up with comparatively small capital by reason of the mines producing pay ore shortly after work was begun, or ore that was very profitable as soon as roads were built over which it could be sent to the smelters, still any enterprise that is now undertaken will require strong financial support, and already several powerful companies are at work. The output from Rossland this year will not siiow the predicted increase over that of last year for several satisfactory reasons, although there is now, without doubt, much high grade ore in sight. In the first place better and cheaper means of transport for ore are being awaited, as the shipping mines are now in such a position that they can afford to hold back . 18 their shipments for better ratoR. Again, the smelter at Trail has not until recently been in such working order as to ho ahle to liandio anywhere near the amount of ore it is proposed to treat, nor has the tramway y(^t the projJiM' Facilities for carrying away much ore, but both of these, in a short time, should be able to work up to a much greater capacity. In sorue cises shipments have been suspended on account of the properties being bonded, or until the completion of underground workings that will make mining more advantageous. The camp is the scene of constantly growing activity. Much good exploring work has been begun, much nioi'e is being projected. Already five air compressor plants an; installed, and six more are being put in, whilt! larger hoisting engines and pumps have also been Ixmght, most of this machinei'y being of Canadian make, (".«., the Ingersoll-8argeant Drill Co., Mon- treal, the Rand Drill Co., Sherhrooke, Quebec, and the Jenckes Machine Co., of the same place. Altogether, !|1 75,000 worth of machinery and supplies have been ordered for this camp. Production. Total No. of tons smelted to July 1st. 1896 27,085 do. II ounces of gold 45,234 do. II II silver 67,793 do. M lt)s. of copper 1,265,362 do. gross value recovered by smelters .$1,007,007 Averat ,i diHcovered, resulting in llie rush there of miners, and the constant demand for supplies, as tliere was vn means of communication between the coast and this district, except through the United States, with vexatious delays at the Customs, Mr. E. Dewdney, now the Hon. the Lieutenant-(jovernor of British Columbia, was instructetl to survey and construct a trail entirely within British territory, through the southern part of the Province, as a passage to the north had been proved to be not feasible. In 1865 this trail, since known as the Dewdney Trail, was finished, and in its course it passed about one mile south of the present town of Hossland on its way down Trail Creek to the Columbia River. Hence a means of ingress was given to this region, and indications show that early prospectors were attracted to the iron-stained cappings that have now attained such importance and value, as a 5-foot hole on the Le Roi, and other openings testify, but the low grade surface rock discouraged them, while the means of getting such ore to smelting centres seemed quite out of reach. However, in 1889, Joseph Bourjouis located the first claim, the Lily May, near the Dewdney Trail, which in 1890 was recorded by J. Bordau. In this year J. Bourjouis located the Centre Star and the War Eagle, while the Virginia and Idaho were staked by J. Morris, his partner. They also discovered the Le Roi but forbidden by law to stake more than one claim on the same vein, this piece of ground became the property of Mr. E. S. Topping by his simply paying the expense of recording. In November, 1890, Mr. Topping met at Colville two Spokane attorneys, Mr. George Foster and Col. Wni. Redpath, showed them samples of Le Roi ore, and offered to sell one-half interest in the claitn for $30,000. These gentlemen became interested in this property, went to Mr. Oliver Durant, a gentleman of long mining experience in the west, in whose judgment they had full confidence, and he, also impressed with the ore, finally secured a working bond on J^J} of the property for 6 months, with the proviso that during that time he should spend .f 3,00O on the claim. Although he knew good mining men had condemned the ore deposits of this region as of altogether too low a grade, Mr. Durant came up at once, examined the claim, taking from a shallow cut 16 feet long across sol'd sulphides careful samples that returned as high as .$60 in gold, at the same time visiting the Enterprise, Centre Star, Idaho, Virginia, War Eagle, and Josie. Satisfied with the showings, E. J. Kelly was left in charge of the sinking of a shaft, from which during the winter weekly samples were forwarded, with great difficulty, to Marcus, Wash , by trail down Trail Creek and the Columbia, samples that assayed from traces of gold up to $472. In the spring of 1891, after many vicissitudes, 10 tons of picked, pure sulphide ore from the bottom of the 3r)-foot shaft, where the vein was fully 9 feet wide, were packed out to the Columbia and shipped to the Colorado smelting works at Butte, when the excellent retui-n of $84.40 per ton was given as the value of the ore, or 3 ounces of silver per ton, 5.21 per cent, copper, and about 4 ounces of gold. The bond was then taken up, and in the course of time the remaining j\^ were sold by Mr. Topping to some of the prese . owners. The Le Roi Gold Mining Company was then formed, and about 70,000 shareii of the treasury stock sold at a small figure. For over a year Mr. Durant had charge of the work, contending with many obstacles, insisting oii the continuance of development as he pertinaciously believed in the ultimate conversion of this prospect into a valuable mine, but finally he decided to sell out his interest to the others, and with Mr. A. Tarbet bought the Centre Star and Idaho, upon which nearly 900 feet of work were done at a cost of $25,000, work that was the main support of this little camp. But the need of roads was pressing, no advance could possibly be made, and again through the efforts of Mr. Duiant, a trail and then a road were built up the East Fork of Sheep Creek from Northport by the business people of that place, and Captain Fitzstubbs, Gold Commissioner for West Kootenay, ordering the construction of a roaid up Trail Creek fron) the Columbia, the conditions of the camp were at once made much more favourable. With the coming of the financial crisis of 1893, Mr. Durant, whose unceasing and determined efforts had overcome many difRcilties and disappointments, and demonstrated that the properties he had so faithfully workv^d at, were good, was forced to suspend operations until 1895, when he resumed work on the Centre Star, now organized into a stock company. In the winter of 1893-94, the Le Roi that had shut down upon the expenditure of the proceeds from the sale of the treasuiy stock, was able to ship by sleighs over the Trail Creek road, the ore thai had accumulated upon the dump, and this netting a good profit, active mining operations were begun, and the fast increasing ore shipments, as dotailed elsewhere, bringing handsome returns to those who had pluckily stuck to this claim, the Le Roi was 16 frtirly launched upon its Nuccessful civreor as a ricli dividend paying mine. In the meanwhile, Mr. J. A. Finch and Mi\ P. Clark had been attracted to the camp, Mr. Finch getting a hond on the War Eagle, which he rolin(|ui8hed after expending several thousands of dollars proHpect- ing ; after which, Mr. Clark, who had thrown up his bond on the Josie, obtained one on the War Eagle. In the work hitherto dono on this property, a largo shute of low grade pyrrhotite, averaging $\4 to$lG in gold to the ton, had been more or less explored, but on going farther west a few hundred feet, by trenching, the top of a splendid body of good ore, avc^raging 2\ ounces in gold, nearly 100 feet long and 8 to 12 feet wide, was uncovered, and this mine tottk its place among the best in the cam[), paying shortly afterwards its first dividend, February 1st, 1895, of ^32,r)00. Another strong factor in the rapid progress of the camp is the connection with it of Mr. Heinze and Mr. D. C. Corbin, President of the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad. Mr. Heinze, the head of a smelting works in Butte, Montana, sent in two men to go over the ground, with the result, after much negotiating, that he made a contract with the management jf the Le Roi mi.ie that they should supply him with 37,500 tons of ore on the dump, which he would pay for after the shipment and sampling of each lot, deducting $1 1 per ton for freight and treatment charges ; and also 37,500 tons on which the charges should be at the lowest rates obtainable in the open market. With this amiiunt of ore contracted for, a land grant from the Provincial Government and a bonus of f 1 per ton stnelted from the Dominion Government, Mr. Heinze erected the Trail Smelter and built the tramway from the smelter to the mine. Mr. Corbin who has extended his road from Northport to Nelson, supplied also with a Provincial charter and land grant, is pushing his road up Sh'>ep Creek from the south to Rossland. Thus constantly as the conditions improve whereby the cost of mining, shipping and treating the ore are materially lessoned, does the limit decrease at which the ore ceases to be profitable and much more of the lower grade ore now in sight is made available. The Ore Deposits. Mr. R. G. McConnell, of the Geological Survey of Canada, after a short visit in 1894, reported* the country about Rossland to be "an area of eruptive rock, mostly diorite and uralite porphyrita cut by many dykes," but as no complete geological survey has yet been made, nor any reported lithological study, only a very general description can now be attempted. The main mass of all the country rock is evidently diorite, although it presents many different grada- tions in composition and structure, varying from a fine grained aphanitic rock with very little horneblende at one extreme to nearly massive horneblende at the other, often showing mica and pyroxene. Much of it looks like a basic syenite and samples have been taken for microscopical examination and later report, but the main point of interest is the fact that these ore bodies or veins traverse the diorite, although cores from the hanging and foot walls of the Le Roi shute will be examined as well as samples from either side of the Centre Star ore shute so well defined in the cliff running up Centre Star Gulch, to ascertain whether these samples are all one class of rock or two. In going over this region the variations are seen to be very marked, in some places the rock being stratified as if of sedimentary origin, but in all probsv bility a more or less altered eruptive. Porphyry dykes from one foot up to 60 and 80 feet wide traverse the country, many with a north and south strike, but with no apparent disloca- tion of the veins which they cut through ; indeed, at six such points of intersection the ore seemed to be concentrated, and even to follow along the dyke for some distance, but this must be made clear by further under-ground work. A careful geological survey will reveal very interesting facts relative to the formation of these ore deposits. In this Rossland ore, much prospect work has shown clearly that there is a large system of lines of fracture with an east by west and north-east by south-west trend, and a persistent northerly dip, along which more or less ore has concentrated, either as bodies of solid sulphides or sulphides scattered through the country rock. Some of these fissures can apparently be traced through several 1,500-foot claims, and along them are the large ore shutes now being mined or developed, the maximum width of pay ore so far being about 35 feet, and maximum length 310 feet. Many of these fissures have been or are now being prospected, and in many instances with surface indications of the must unfavourable character, the improvement has been very marked in the increase of the am it of ore and its value, and the great probability that more rich ore shutes will be found by t.j. owing these fissures has made all such property valuable, and is deciding the commencement of extensive exploratory work. Again, large shutes of low grade ore, mostly the coarse grained magnetic iron pyrites or pyrrhotite, assay- ing from traces to $6 to $8 in gold, have been found and are being explored for better grade 'Summary reports of tlie Geological Survey of Canada for 1894, 1895. 17 am and so far with smno succohs, l)Ut th^vtdojiiiKMit, excopt on ii few clninis, lias hardly yet b('miii and so far oidy tin? sliuttis that havo Ixicii expost'd at tlic surface are being woriied, and it is yot iinpossibhi to foretell how niiieh extensive underground mining will be rewarded. Further details as to the ore iiodies will be j,'iven in the description below of some of the mines. The surface of these ore shutes is eoveicd with th(^ typical iron capping, or reddish brown sintery mass, and expiM-itMice enables the prospectoi' to distinguish between di.sintegrating sulphides, and barren diorite heavily iron stained by the oxidizing of the hisilicates or the iron pyrites nearly always present i>i this rock. Altlmugh it is diiKcult to prospect such rock which iiwiy be much iron stained but with no vein whatever in the viciinty, nearly all work is done along one wall and the ore appears to follow along oni' wall, where the rock is not too full of fissures that disguise true conditions, but it is doubtful if more than one wall ever really exists, although a parallelism of lines of fracture may for a shoi-t distance seem to pr'ove the contrary. Wherever the ore is found to consist almo.-tt of pure sulphides, it will be ft)und lying along and par-alhil to such a wall, after which oi-e is disseminated more or less thr'ough the inclosing rock, often following along small fissures that in some cases form small vc^ins of good or'e that run for a considerable distance away fi-om the main deposit. In all the mines tire gr'ound is faulted, thus dislocating theorem deposits and stringers and com|)licatiiig the scar-ch ; but these slips will l)e better understood as work pr-ogr'&sses, nlthough much doveloj)ment work will have to be doire by driving st(Midily ahead along the gener-al course of the veins and cross- cutting, for- the good rule of following the or'e is seldom possible for any distance by reason of these dislocations. The Ores. The ores at Rosshind, witli the exceptional free-milling gold quartz of the O. K. mine, may bo divided into three classes : — (n.) Thr)se lai'ge deposits of coarsc'-gr'ained massive pyrrhotite, locally known as the "ir-on ore," in which very little or no value in gold is carried. (1).) The or-e found in nrany claims on thi! south belt, as the Lily May, Homestak(!, May- flower, Cur'lew, (to 'her', 11. E. Lee, etc., in which the sulphides are not [lyri'hotite but iron pyr'ites and nrarcasiiu (white iron), with in some of these mines much ar'senopyrite, and also zirrc blende and wen gidena, in which case the silver value exceeds the gold, and the percentage of copper is ver'y snrrdl or nothing. (c.) The typical or'e of the camp as sold by the Le Roi, War Eagle, Iron Mask, or Josie, is divided into fir'st-class and second-class. The first-class consists of nearly massi\c fne gr'ained pyr'r'hotite and copper pyrites, sometimes with a little magnetite, or nrispickel, with rrror'e or less quartz and calcite In this class of oi'e, as got fr'orn the lowest wor'kings of the Le Roi, the amount of quartz is much higher, the smelter returns giving 11 to ii'l.S % silica, and 20.G to 26.8 % FeO., but this is pr'oving the best or-e in the mine, the aver'age smt^lter returns wer'e on 1,200 torrs, 2.G oz. of gold, 1.8 oz of silver and 2.5 % of copper, or $53.0")* net, per ton, while some shipments went as high as 4.00 oz. in gold. The second-class or'e, and the liulk of the oi'e of the camp shipped, will be most pr-obably of this char-acter and value,- is a diorite with a compar'atively small pei'centage of those sulph- ides, but the value is still very good; 1,800 tons of the Le Roi, second class, yielded by smelter returns, an average of 1.34 oz. of gold, 1.4 oz. of silver", and l.G % copper*, or .'^27. 97* net, per ton. Mr. Bellinger', of the Tr-ail Smelter, kindly gave the average analysis of this ore ^o be FeO. 22 %, SiO., 42.5 %, CaO. 7. %, MgO. 3. %, Al.O^ 18. % ; copper, 1.5 %, S. 6 %. Treatment. The destiny of the mining operations of this part of the Province will depend, to a very gr-eat exttjnt, upon the means of transportation, and ihen upon the cost i>* nretallurgical tr'eatmetit, for a lar'gc arrrount of low gr'ade ore is promised, and the? [)ossil)ility of trcsatirrg such ores at a low figure to leave a fair margin of profit must attract the best endeavour's of the metallur'gist. The ores containing a high percentage of sulphides will be ver'y desir'able, and should cimimand the lowest smelting charges, but in all pr'obability the great bulk of tlu; Trail Cr-eek ores will be of the mixed class, or dior'ite with a compar'atively small propor-tion of sulphides, and hence a low per'centago of copper, while again the amount of arsenic, abundant in soirre of the oi'e, will be an important element. This ore has now been shipped to many of the American smelters, such as at Tacoma and Everett, Washington, and Gr'eat Falls, West Hehma, and Butte, Montana, and now much will be smelted at the now works * Not deJuctiug freight and treatment charges. 18 at Trail, to be described. The erection of smelters at Rossland in the immediate vicinity of the miiK'S, is being seriously contemjjlated, but it is yet too early to make any d'jfinite state- ment. The cost of freight and treatment is now about ^10 to |14 per ton, when 95 per cent, of the assay value of the gold and silver is paid for, and 1.3 is deducted from the percentage of copper present. Of course the possibility of other processes being suitable to such ores is being tested, such as the cyanide and chlorination processes, and the results will be awaited with much interest as some such piocest may prove very successful, and all judgments should be deferred until the co!iclusive experiments have been completed. The British Columbia Smelting and Refining Company. The officers of this smelter, which is located at Trail Creek, B.C., are : — President, F. A. Heinze ; Connnercial Manager, J.F.Lansing; Superintendent, E. H. Wedekind ; General Huperintendent of Mr. Heinze's Smelters at Butte and Trail, H. C. Bellinger. On securing the large contracts for ore from the Le Roi mines, Mr. Heinze secured the present excellent smelter site, on the blufi" overlooking the Columbia, at the mouth of Trail Creek where has sprung up the town of Trail. This smelter has been erected with great lapidity in spite of inclement winter weather and great difficulty in securing supplies of building material and importing the plant and machinery ; but although work was begun October 10th, 1895, the Krst furnace was tired up in February, 1896, and nOw tive furnaces are in full operation, with further extensive and important additions being rapidly pushed to completion, additions that should greatly improve present conditions and treble the capacity of the works. Beside that with the Le Roi, contracts have been made with the War Eagle, Iron Mask and Crown Point. Mr. Heinze and his associates are proving their ability for prompt decisive action, not only in the construction of their smelting works and the tramway, but in the inception and inaugur'ation of other extensive enterprises that mean much for the improvement and advance of the mining operations of this district. \s was to be expected the ores from this new camp have offered at first some consider- able difficulty in treatment, especially as the class of ore now mined is nmch more siliceous, and contain.s less copper than the earlier tests indicated, but now eveiy furnace is working with much less trouble and up to their capacity, especially since the floods have sub;iided permitting the more regular supply of coal, and the smelter is now the scene of activity where, ten months ago, were only the sand bluff's of the Columbia. The smelter now comprises : — 77(6 Samplinij Mill, daily capacity, 150 to 200 tons; bin capacity in the mill, 750 tons. The ore passing through a 1*2x22 inch Blake crusher, is run thi'ough a trommel, whence the fines go to a Constant cylindrical sampler, and the over-size to a 9x15 crusher and rolls, and then to the sampler and into the bins, until the lot of ore is settled, from whence it goes to the calciners or the bins from which it can be drawn in cais to the blast furnace. This sampler is inadequate for the amount of ore offered, and is now being enlarged so as to handle 350 to 400 tons per 24 hours. In the Boast House is one O'Hara automatic calcining furnace, with foundations laid for a second. This furnace is 120 feet long over all, and has two 90-foot hearths, one above the other, 9 feet wide. One travelling chain passes along the centre of the hearths, cai'rying G plows and 6 trolleys or chain carriages, at the rate of about 25 to 35 feet per minute, and as yet very little rejiairs have been required, the chain, plows, and trolleys showing but little sign of corrosion in the furnace. Fifty tons of ore ci'ushed to pass a half-inch ring are roasted per day, with a loss of 70 per cent, of sulphur contents, the ore taking 12 to 14 houi's to pass throuph the furnaces in which ten fire places fired with wood supply the heat. Besides this furnace, there are in the furnace-rooin six circulav calciners, such las u.sed in Butte, placed above the reverberatories, the ore aut(.::!atically frd, passing over 6 horizontal revolving hearths that discharge alternately fiom the rim aiiJ centre upon th(! lower one, thence into the hop- pers below that are innnediately over the hearth of the reveriierator'y. It is designed in this furnace that when once ignited no further fuel will be needed than the sulphur, but they must run continuously, and on account of irregularity, until recently, in the operation of the reverberatories, these calciners have not been used. The dust chamber is 180 feet long, 10x12 feet inside, with wing walls from the sides every 10 feet, not over-iapping, but ha\ing a clear space through the chambers to the chinmey, which is 140 feet high and 8^ feet square inside. Furnace Room, 00x310 feet, G8 feet to peak of roof. 'I'he ore is being smelted after two methods: — («.) In four reverberatories, hearths 14x22 feet, 40 tons each per 24 hours, in 18 charges of roasted and unroasted ore, slag and limestone, are now being treated. The fuel is wood, but as this is m)b yet dry eiiough to give the required heat, coal also is l)eing used, over 70 tons a day, from the Anthracite Coiil Co.'s mines, on the eastern limits of the llocky Mountains, whence it is brought over tlie Canadian Pacific Railroad to llevelstoke, or Arrow- head, and thence in scows down tiie Arrow Lakes and the Columbia to the smelter, whence it is raised up an incline 160 feet by a .small steam hoist with cable and car, to a trestle along which the car can be run to tiie shutes wherever needed in the works. (b.) In a 40-i"ich circular furnace, 12 feet high to feed floor, water-jacketed, with six 3-inch tuyeres, also with fore-hearth, 45 to 55 tons of ra\Y ore are now smelted in 24 hours. As the amount of sulphur in these ores is low, and that in the pyrrhotite not available for fuel, as triready it is a natural matte, a typical form of pyritic smelting cannot be used, but more or less fuel is necessary, and a vtsry satisfactory grade of coke is got from Fairhaven, Washingtoii, although it carries from 20 to 24 per cent. ash. A small amount of limestone is added to the charge, but at present a very acidic slag, rather thick, but giving a good separa- tion, is flowing, but very careful handling of the furnace is imperative. The analysis of this slag gives, SiO., 42 to 46 % ; FeO., 12 to lt» % ; Al.jO.,, 14 to 19 % ; and MgO. 4 to 6 %. A new 200-ton rectangular blast furnace, made by E. P. AUis & Co., Milwaukee, VVi.s., after a composite design by Mr. Hellinger and Mr. Wedekind, is bijing (juickly erected. In this furnace, 120x38 inches at the tuyeres, th and supplied with Pelton wheels and water under a 250-foot head. On a tributory of the Columbia, not far from Trail, a very large water power ha^; been secured by Mr. Heinze, who proposes the in- stallation of an electric plant for the distant tiaiisinission of electrical energy which may be brought to the mines, as electricity has now become so successful and economical a factor in mining elsewhere At jiresent 100 to 120 tons of oie per day are being brought down from Rossland by the Tramway, but this amount will be greatly increased. At the smelter 140 to 16U tons, it is stated by the management (July 29), are being smelted daily, with a concentra- tion of about 20 tons into 1 ton of matte, which matte goes to Butte to be refined ; but already the fouiulations for a I'cfinery at the smelter are nearly completed, in which the matte, after being crushed, will be further calcined in a reverberatory to be constructed, and then re-smelted in two of the present reverberatories, after which the product will be treated so as to yield a high grade copper matte for export, from which 80 to 90 percent, of the gold and silver value has been separated for special refining and parting at these works. From 175 to 200 men are now employed, and when all these iiaprovemcnts are completed, this smelting i>iant will be well e(iuii)ped and capable of handling 350 to 400 tons of ore daily ; and if the demand increases, a .still larger plant can easily Ui'. added. Again, with th(! increased means of transjjort, and the building of roads into othiu- mineral producing districts, access to other classes of ore may greatly better and cheapen the process of smelting. Description of Mining Claims. A description of all the chief mines and many of the most promising jirospects is now appended. In respect to titles, a Crown grant is the final deed from the Crown, granted on the conipleticm of !?500 worth of work, while a claim held as a location reiieires that its owners each have a free miner's licence and do #100 worth of work per year, or pay $100 into the 20 Provincial treasury. Many other properties than these it has been possible to examine in a liniitotl time, are being actively pi'ospectciri and will be inspected and reported upon anothei- time. The properties first described will be those lying on the slopes of Red Mountain, Monte Cristo Mountain and Colund)ia-Kootenay Mountain. Le Roi. Area about 21 acres. Title, Crown grant location, on a hill rising on the south-east slope of Red Mountain and \ niib; N. W. from Rossland. The Le Roi Gold Mining Co., of Spokane, President, W. W. Turner; Gen. Manager, Geo. Turner; Assist. Manager, VV. J. Harris ; Sec, E. Williams, is capitalized for $2,500,000 in 500,000 shares at ^5 each, and owns the Le Roi, the Black Hear and the small fractional claim, the Ivanhoe, or about 72. acres in all. On this claim the large surface exposure, 6 to 14 feet wide, of the rusty-red iron-stained rock, oi- the typical iron cap, that on fracture proved to be the covering of a large body of sulphides, mostly pyrrhotite, with some chalcopyrite, could be easily seen for 200 to 300 feet in a N. E. by S. W. direction, when at the west end of this ore shute the vein seems to branch into two or even three smaller veins that diverge, the courses and continuance of which it is believed can be traced for some distance westward. At a point about 300 feet west of its east end line, the shaft was bi'gun and sunk along the upper part of this body of sulphides on a slope of about 45° to the north, which slope or dip after 60 feet began to pitch steeper until from the 350 foot level to the bottom, now about 500 feet deep, it has become nearly vertical. More or less ore was found all the way down, but below the 150 foot work this big ore shute began to widen out. When the under-ground workings were examined (July) the shaft, 8x12 feet and 50 feet below the 450 foot level, was all in first-class ore, or the best ore yet found on this property. On the 450 toot level a vei-y wide stope with all ore underneath, was being worked up towards the 350 foot level, the width of the ore body being the greatest at the west end, or nearly 35 feet, when it is cut off abruptly by a fault that extends up through the workings to the surface and dips easterly towards the shaft at an angle of 65° to 80°. Going east from the shaft this stope averages nearly 25 feet in width, when at a distance of 172 feet from the above-mentioned fault in the west end, the ore shute, now 20 feet wide, is cut ofV by another fault that crosses diagonally and nearly vertically, a fault that has also been encountered in all the workings above. This 450 foot level has not yet been extended beyond the west fault, but it has been through the east fault, showing a breast of nearly 12 feet of shipping ore, although this may not be the continuation of the large shute, further work being necessary to determine this. In the Hoor of this level, right in the ore shute, a 300 foot hole is being sunk along the pitch of the vein, with the Sullivan electric diamond drill, which is doing very satisfactory work and has becwi of great service in prospecting other pai-ts of tiie mine in the search for and discovery of the faulted parts of the ore shute, and also of large bodies of low grade but shipping ore, back both in the hanging and also the foot wall sides of the main ore shut(>. Above this level the ore has been stoped for two floors, or 16 to 20 feet, and in the roof is seen 25 to 30 feet of ore, of which 13 to 14 feet is stated to be of tlu; first- class grade, much of it being ma.ssive pyrrhotite and copper pyrites. Coming up to the 350 foot level, the stope is found to be on an average 25 feet wide for nearly 170 feet, or between the two faults, while a drill hole in the hanging has shown that there is still 20 feet more of mixed but good grade ore. The influence of, or rather the displacement by the two faults is again evident, but on the east side after drifting 30 feet beyond the line of work, three drill holes, horizontal, were put in, one into the foot wall, showing, after passing through 20 feet of barren rock, 20 feet of low grade but probably pay ore, while another straight ahead, 40 feet, beyond what has been shown to be another fault plane, ran into a splendid body of or(> in which a chandler over 20 feet wide has been made, in which further work was suspended until the ground was caught up with sijuare sets. In the west end of this level near the fault, the stopti is 12 feet wide of good ore with 10 feet of mixed ore in ilie hanging, and five feet in the foot Beyond the fault consideralilc drifting and prospecting with tlie diamond drill has been done, with as yet faii'ly good results. On the 300 foot level, although a wide stope was made in good ore, a large amount of second-class ore is now being mined, as the system of timbering is advanced, and nmch ore of this character yet remains up through the upper woiks, all of which will be mined. All ore now brought to the surface, or 80 to 100 tons daily, is .sorted into two classes, i. .,' , the 1st class or nearly pure sulphides, and the 2nd class, or the mixed diorite and sulphides that com- prises 10 to 15 per (MMit. of the whole mass. Much of the first-class ore is being shipped in waggons to Northport, crossing the Columbia River by ferry, and thence to the smelters, '' whilo tlip tramway is taking an increased amount daily to the Trail smelter, although all ore bins are blocked up and two large piles of n(?ai'ly 10,000 tons, averaging, it is claimed by the company, $25 to $35 in value, are awaiting shipment. When the mine is fully equipped and prepared for exploitation in the most systematic manner, it will thon be in a position to rapidly extend sinking operations, development levels and the breaking and hoisting of much more ore per day, and tiesides the high grade ore, the large reserves known to exist, of ore averaging $15 to $20 in gold, will be available. Exten- sive improvements are now in progress. («) A new shaft of two compartments, each 4x5 feet in the clear, following down on the 'ain trend of the or(! body, will soon be completed from a point on the surface about G5 feet east of the jjrcsent working shaft down to the 450 foot level, the sinking of which has been much retarded l)y the delay in getting the necessary squared timber, 8x8 imhes for the upper pa.'t and 10x10 inches for the lower. A new hoisting plant is ordered that will consist of a 1G4-H. P. direct connected bolster, with two independent 5-foot drums, raising two skips of two tons each capacity. This machinery will come from the Jenckes Machine Co., Slierbrooke, Que. The boilers now in use, one 110-H. P., the other 90-H. P., will be utilized, (b) At the mouth of the Black Bear tunnel, running in from near the S.W. corner of the claim, on a vein thought to be one of the branches of the main viiin, to connect in 700 feet with the present workings at a point above the 350 foot level, there is being installed a large 40-drill air coinpressor, made by the Rand Drill Co., Sherbrooke, Que., with three 125-H. P. steel boilers, by which very ample power will be got for mining and pumping purposes. The cost of this new plant will be from $40,000 to $50,0f'0. The present j)lant consists of a seven-drill Inger.soll-Sargeant compressor, a Ledgerwood hoist, an Edison dynamo for lighting the mine and operating the diamond drill, G Ingersoll-Sarg((ant rock drills and '^ Little Giant Hand drills, a Cameron stnt'on pump, duty G40 gallons per minute against a 4r)0-foot head, and a Knowles sinking pump, although but comparatively little water conies in this mine. On the surface, kept in good order, are the hotel and boarding houses, offices and laboratories, shaft house and ore bins. Mr. John Moynahan, superintendent, who has had long experience in the Comstock mines, Nevada, and elsewhere, as soon as the above improvements are completed, will have the mine in good cctudition and the work laid out to give iiest results. Although the ground is strong, still all the slopes are being heavily timbered with square sets that will be kept close up to the face of work, and extended right up through all the old workings for greater safety and for greater convenience in working out the ore remaining. The new shaft will give good ventilation, though now the 450-foot level is kept very hot by the steam pipes to the pumps. Over 100 men are now employed. On examining the mine, smooth walls may be seen following approximately the trend of the ore shute, giving the impression that a well-deiined foot or hanging wall was there, but on breaking into these walls the ore may be still found. However, in several plact,-s it was noticed that the best grade ore terminated along such a wall, or in reality a tir^ht crevice, usually with calcite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite arranged with more or less of a banded structure parallel to it, while the ore became of a more mixed character away from it. Again this line of fracture, with a wide band of calcite, may pass through the centre of the high grade ore which gradually becomes of a lower grade on either side. The amount of displacement along the two main faults has not yet been deternnned, but work done indicates that it is not at all great. Lesser planes of fracture with varying strikes and dips occur all through the nunc as is seen eisewliei'e, and often, as along the main fault planes, there is gouge or crushed rock matter which was not seen along those planes parallel with the ore bodies against which the ore was found concentrated and closely attached. In the mixed ore, the sulphi'er 70 feet in a shute of low grade ore that assayed from $12 to $10 in gold, but about ;. feet west was found, while the claim was under bond to Mr. P. Clark, a splendid ore shute oi iiigh grade ore that averaged over '2\ ounces in gold from the surface, and in which the stope at the surface, extending down to tunnel No. 1, is 120 feet long and 8 to 12 feet wide, where the ore before being mined was clean sulphides, or pyrrliotite and chalcopyrite. At the west-end of this shute the ore becomes scattered through tlie diorite, and a fault, strike N. and S. and dip about 00° W., has appai'cntly dislocated the vein about 45 to 50 feet to the .south, beyond which the ore was of a lower grade and the stope at the surface was .35 feet long and about 5 feet wide. Tunnel No. 2, 900 feet long, passed through these shutes, No. 1 being the ore followed down by No. 1 shaft, and extending with an average width of 3^, feet for 80 feet. Shute No. 2 wa.s a 100 feet long and was mined out to the surface in the large stope discribed above, but in the floor the ore 2 to 4i feet wide remains untouched. Shute No. 3 was 40 feet long and worked out to the surface, leaving 3 to 4 feet of ore still beneath. Tunnel No. 2 is 126 feet, vertically, below tunnel No. 1, 1,100 feet long, and near its mouth is a shaft sunk 35 feet in an ore shute of low but good grade, which follows the tunnel for 160 feet along the floor as if it were the apex of another ore shute, for shute No. 1, in tunnel No. 1, does not appear in tunnel No. 2, but shutes Nos. 2 and 3 appear to come together between the two tunnels, for in the lower tunnel is found, corresponding to the posi- tion of the two above, one shute of high grade ore, much of which, taken out in running the tunnel, had an average gross value of .$57.60 per ton, 310 feet long and from 2 and 3 feet up to 12 and 14 feet wide of solid on>, which, as yet, has been untouched except (a) where a station is being cut for a hoisting plant for a shaft to be sunk from the tunnel level at a point where this shute is widest ; (h) and in an upraise to tunnel No. 1 which upraise was in ore for 80 or 90 feet when it passed through the barren diorite that on that level separates Nos. 2 and 3 shutes. Faults have been found all through these workings that have given considerable trouble in tracing out the ore shutes and evidently the same fault that appears at the surface, cut off" the big ore shute in the lower tunnel where the ore is 4 to 5 feet wide. But nmch more development work will be needed to clearly define the courses of these ore shutes and t~> explain the nature and extent of the slips. On the Iron Afask, shaft No. 1 was started on a nai'row crevice, apparently the continua- tion of the Josie vein, that went down vertically for 20 feet when it began to widen out until the shaft was nearly all in a fine high grade ore that averaged 2.3 ounce.s, gold, down for 100 feet, when 50 feet of drifting was done. Further work was suspended until the main working tunnel that is being IG feet wide, while anothe: is nearly 70 feet wide. From this tunnel cross-cuts are being run to the side lines, and in one to the north, the " north vein" was cut at 280 feet where it is 4 to 6 feet wide of good ore, with a larger percentage of copper than is found elsewhere in the mine. At 180 feet in the crosscut to the south, the "south vein" was cut but there it is small. Mr. Durant states that besides the large amount of low grade ore now in sight, there is much good shipping ore, but none will be shipped until the mine has been thoroughly explored and opened up for work and the conditions for shipping and smelting are the best. Already nearly 2,000 feet of work have been done, and the ore taken out is being stored in a large dump for future use. There is at the tunnel- mouth a good blacksmith shop and engine room, in which is a 7-drill Ingersoll-Sargeant air compressor and an 80-H. P. boiler, now running three drills in the mine with which 1,600 feet of work have been done since December 5th, 1895. Ventilation is secured by running pipes fitted with compressed air exhausts from the face of work to a shaft sunk on the lead and tapping the tunnel 410 feet from the mouth. After furthei- work has been done a large shaft will be sunk, and a heavy hoisting plant put in, probably near the western! of the claim, and both railways will be easily available. Work will also be done soon to exploit the Idaho ground into which the large exposure mentioned leads, anil has been traced throu^^h into the Enterprise claim on the east. Number of men at work, 23. JosiE, MoNTK Cristo, St. Elmo, Mayflower. These four properties have been incorporated under four distinct companies, for all of which Mr. F. E. Snodgrass, Spokane, is secretary, and Mr. Frank C. Loring, mining engineer. The capital stock of the Josio is 700,000 $1.00 shares; of the St. Elmo, 1,000,000 shares at $1.00 each ; Monte Cristo, 1,000,000, at $1.00, and the Mayflower, 1,000,000. at $1.00 each share. Under the careful supervision of Mr. Loring all these properties are being economi- cally and systematically developed. The claims all have Cr-own grant titles. The Josie is situated along the north side of the Le Roi, and south of the War Eagle, and through its length can be traced on the surface two veins, the "main" and the "north" that have been opened up by several workings. The main tunnel was begun in ore, that was soon cut off, and run in along a smooth wall, strike, N.E. by S.W., dip northerly, until a fault was encountered with a throw to the south, beyond which extends a stope for 90 feet that runs up 30 to 40 feet, with ore 1 to 4 feet thick, and connects with the surface by a shaft. At a point about 250 feet from the tunnel mouth, in a short crosscut, a diamond drill hole to the north fit 107 feet located ore supposed to be the nortli vein. Beyond this point the tunnel runs for about 100 feet between two walls, nearly vertical and parallel, 5 to 6 feet apart, with ore in the roof, sometimes 3 feet of solid pyrrhotite, but nmch sulphide is also scattered through the diorite, and calc spar. Another faulting to the south is now met, and at this point a crosscut is driving north to connect with No. 4 shaft that is being sunk in ore in the north vein, the top of which shaft is 160 feet above the tunnel. A crosscut, south, shows some ore for 12 or 15 feet, while the face of the tunnel, in 480 feet, .showed a little mineral. On the surface is a stope about 120 feet long, 3 to 4 feet wide, from which considerable ore w s taken, and at the mouth of the tunnel in the ore there found, is being sunk a two compartment shaft, now 80 feet deep, and in ore which is being sorted and shipped with other ore in the mine to Tacoma. In the engine-house, 30 by 60 feet, is a 7-drill Ingersoll-Sargeant compressor, and an 80-H. P. boiler, a good gallows frame, connections with the Cameron sinking pump, and a 30-H.P. boiler. Value, $12,000. A crosscut tunnel is now being run from the Le Roi boundary, 250 feet, to tap the shaft. Number of men, 30; Superintendent, Mr. Long. u The St. Elmo is a full cl/iim, 600 hy l,/)00 feet, on the south slope of Red Mountain, having near the west end a lacge exposure of very quartzose rock containing also calcitfc, zinc blende, and iron and copper pyrites. Just east of this is a 100-foot tunnel to the N.VV., in a fine grained diorite(?) with much iron and copper pyrites disseminated through the mass. Nearer (he east enil is the main tunnel, 225 feet lo. g, With crosscut, the tunnel running along a wall E. and W. along which some ore has beon taken out. The position of this claim is clearly indicated by a prominent blufl' of rock deeply stained with red iron oxides, and the vein traversing the Monte Cristo, the Cliff and St. Elmo Con.solidated, is believed to run through this ground. Number of men at work, 5. The Monte Crista is another full claim 000x1,500 feet, located on the west slope of Monte Cristo Mountain, one mile west of Rossland, and has running through nearly its entire length, one of the most strongly detined ledges in the camp. The very fine grained country rock is little iron-stained itself, but on the ledge there is a heavy iron capping which, on being opened up, discloses 8 to 12 feet of solid pyrrhotite. Six or seven openings have been made, and work is now being done in a prospecting shaft to be 00 fet^t deep, tunnel No. 2, about 8.5 feet, with face all in a coarsely crystalline pyrrhotite, but having in the bottom a better grade of ore containing copper pyrites and calcite, and in tunnel No. 1. This tunnel is to be the main point of entry, and is being driven of a good size, well timbered at the mouth, with sets 5x6x7 feet, having at the time of visit a full face of ore. So far, this large shute of sulphides has proved valueless, assaying from traces to •S2 or $3 in gold, but with the advent of a new character of ore in tunnel No. 2 much better assays are being procured, and the development of this claim is beinj,' watched with great interest. To expedite work, a 7-drill Tngersoll-Sargeant compressor and an 80-horse power boiler are being put in near the small creek 200 feet below, and then the main tunnel will be rapidly advanced along the vein into the mountain. Course of vein, east and west dip, 70° to 75° north. Number of men, 20. Superintendent, Mr. F. H, Oliver. A spur one-half mile long can easily be run from the tramway to a point below Tunnel No. 1. The Mai/Jlower is in the " South Belt," or one mile south of Rossland, and the present work is being done in a tunnel, now 100 feet long, run in at track level, upon a vein that was exposed by a rock-cutting on the tramway. This vein, running about east and west, dip north 70° to 80°, showed 'for 30 feet along the tunnel, carbonates, until the solid ore came in, or solid iron pyrites, with a large ^ roportion of galena, also some zinc blende and calcite carrying the chief value in silver, or a a shipment netting .$50, $40 was silver, flO gold, and $6 lead. The vein varies in widti" from a few inches to 3 feet, and can be traced by openings through the claim, while a parallel vein to the north has been more or less developed. The carbonates are .sacked and some have run as high as $250, and the ore taken out is being piled by the track, and sent down in lots to the smelter at Trail. Number of men employed, 10. Superintendent, F. H. Oliver. North of the Le Roi and War Eagle lie a number of claims on which ore h.as been found, and on which work is being done, as at A'o. J, Surprise, Gertrude, Monita, and Filyrim, and on the Mug Wump, that lies just north of the Iron Mask; a plant is now being put, under the management of Mr. J. Young, to exploit this property with the diamond drill. Califounia. Area, 52 acres ; title, ('rown grant. Location, 1,500 feet west of the Le Roi and Josie mines, on south slope of Red Mountain, owned by the California Gold Mining Company, Spokane. President, Hon. R. F. Pope, Cookshire, Quebec; Secretary and Treasurer, J. P. Graves, Spokane. Capital stock, 2,500,000 shares at $1 each. Near the southern end of this claim is a 50-foot tunnel running north into barren country rock, and higher up are several shallow cuts and trenches. On all this claim the rock on the surface is very much iron- stained and decomposed, but no work has been done M*Owii»ii,9*i -^y^ao^'.w. ct^'t.m;^'- ,■ ■ n I (lone on this proportj', a shaft ir)0 feet having been sunk along a smooth wall with some ore present. At the lOO-foot level a drift has been drivtii over 100 feet east and 110 feet west (July), showing more or less ore, di|) ()0° north. From the shaft a crosscut has been driven 285 feet north throu;,'li the diorite, ititcrsecting at 110 feet a shute of ore, which, in a stope 25 feet high, is 2 to 3 f',;(!t wide, of solid sulphides, consisting of pyrrhotite and copper pyrites, stated to be of high grade. This ore is also found scattered through this rock or ;^angue, and over a hundred tons are on the dumj< awaiting better shipping facilities, as the line of Rail- road is surveyed to cross the claim near the shaft that will give easy access to the smelters. The crosscut will connect with the air-sliaft, which is m)w being sunk near where on the surtace some ore is showing, and, after further development work provei up the value of the claim, a hirge and complete h. isting plant will be installed, the present plant — a 12-hor8e power boiler, blower, and a Knowie's sinking {)ump — being sufliciont for the present explora- tory work. Nuud)or of men employed, 22. In Centre 8tar (iulch a shaft is being sunk on a vein that oui-crops there, and ore is being taken out. City of Spokane. Altitude 3,900; area, 20| acres; title. Crown Grant. Location, on the west slope of Monte Cristo Mountain, and cast slope of Red Mountain, nortli of the " Iron Mask," and half mile north of Kossland Owner, the Lillooet, Fraser River and Cariboo Gold Fields Company, Limited. Managing director, F. S. IJarnanl, Vancouver, B. 0. ; Secretary, E. A. Bennett, London, England ; Superintendent, D. MoGuire, Rossiand. On this claim a prospect shaft having disclosed the presence of ore, a tunnel Gx5 by 6J feet in the clear is now being run easterly from a point near the centre of the claim, just above the road, and on a level with the tramway, 500 to 600 feet distant, and in the face of the tunnel, 85 feet, in is a width of neai'ly 3 feet of solid pyrrhotite and iron pyrites, carrying some copper pyrites and gold, while on the north side more or less ore is seen for 15 feet back, the average value of which has not yet been determined (July 13). An air compressor plant, a S-drill, 12x16 "Rand," bought of Fraser and Chalmers, Chicago, and one 45-horae power boiler, will soon be installed at the mouth of the tunnel, which will then be rushed ahead vigorously to exploit this property, to detci'mine the extent and grade of the gold ore now showing ; and if favourable results are obtained, a proper working shaft will be sunk, while transportation facilities, as shown above, will be excellent. A small stream of water close by will supply the compres.sor and boiler, while there is considerable wood suitable for fuel, but limited in amount for mine purposes on the property. So far, three houses for the men and superintendent have been erected. Number of men employed, 18. Red Mountain. Title, Crown grant, applied for. Location, south of Cliff Mine, and west of the City of Spokane. Owned by the lied Mountain Mining Company. Secretary, F. Lewis Clark, Spo- kane. Capital stock, 1,000,000 shares of $1 each. Superintendent, B. Young, Rossiand. Work is being now ui,iiC riii a. . West of this claim is the St. Elmo already described, while north of these claims is t V^imv, near the sunnnit of Red Mountain, owiK'd by the Red.JMountain View Co. Presiucut, W. S. Johnson, Sec. A. F. Curbin, Rossland. Capital stock, 1,000,000 shares at %\. Title, Crown grant. A tunnel \T) feet long begins on a vein aliout 15 inches wide and th' .» luns S. W. along a narrow widtli of ore that in tiie face of the tunnel widened to nearly 3 feet of mixed ore, or diorite, pyrrhotite and a good percentage of copper pyrites. This tunnel will be now advanced under the charge of Mr. \V. S. Haskins, of the Jumbo mine West of the St, Elmo is the Mountain Vieir, in a tunnel on svhich considerable mixed ore is in sight, and below wliich the main tunnel was being started. North of the St. Elmo and on the sunnnit of Red Mountain are two fractional claims of about 18 acres in idl, (he Peak and the Sam llaye.x. All the sui'face rock is heavily iron stained, but very little work has yet been done to show the condition of affairs, liowever in several small openings there is exposed more or less rock mutter impregnated with iron and copper pyrites. These properties hare lately been bonded to Mr. Pritchard, London, Eng., who purposes doing extensive exploratory work with the diamond drill. JUiMBO. Area, 21.6 acres. Title, Crown grant. Location, 2 J miles west of Rosshuid on west bank of east fork of Sheep Creek. Owners, the Jumbo (Jold Mining Co. General Manager, M. R. Ualusha, Spokane ; Superintendent, VV. S. Haskins, Rossland; 1,000,000 $1 shares On this claim is a very prominent exposure of iron-stained, fine-grained eruptive rock with more or less decomposed sulphides, in which a shaft was sunk showing some low grade ore, and afterwards a tunnel was run in about 2G0 feet with about 125 feet of crosscuts. For 150 feet there was no ore, then th(! tunnel entered and continuinl for nearly 90 feet in a body of very low grade, coarse-grained pyrrhotite in which however there is ore containing some copper pyrites, mispickel and caleite that carries enough value in gold to make it shipping ore. No ore has yet been sold. A good waggon road, l.| miles long, has been built from where the Red Mountain Railroad will intersect the Northport road up to the mine, and a new tunnel is now begun about 200 feet north and 175 feet belov/ the upper tunnel described, and as this advances, crosscuts will be run. The trend or conditions of this large body of sulphides are not known, but immediately to the west is what appears to be a large dyke of very coarse- grained syenitic rock from 200 to 300 feet wide, strike N. and S. An air compressor and a diamond drill may be bought to expedite exploratory work. No. of men at work, 7. Near the claim, the High Ore is being prospected by a tunnel at the north end line of the Jumbo, for the continuation of the Jumbo ore shute, while across the creek the Nevada is also running a tunnel in search of the same. The Good Hope has piled up at the top of a small shaft some low grade ore, but no work was being done at time of visit. North from the Jumbo, the tioid Hill has run a tunnel 350 feet west to strike an ore shute high up on the line but without success, and the Comet is being prospected with open cuts and a shaft. The O. K. Title, Ccown grant. Location on the south slope of Spokane Mountain, off the North- port road, 2i miles west of Rossland. Owned by the O. K. Gold Mining Co. Capital stock 1,000,000 shares at $1 each. Gen. Manager, J. L. Warner, Rossland. On this claim are found conditions quite different from any other in the camp, there being a regular fissure vein with a quartz gangue, containing free gold, and also a good percentage of sulphurets, such as iron and coppor sulphides and galena, the country rock being a fine grained eruptive rock. Three tunnels have been run in, one for about 70 feet, the second for 400 feet, and the upper nearly 300 feet. Tiie vein presents the usual characteristics, varying much in width ^•..■,-.»l.Ja'J>Wje ' -'. ' .l.^JL-Jt!J^^.'^ L < 27 from H fe'v inchoH to five antl six feet nf ore, in wliicli conHirleraV)Ie stoping lias been done, tho ore f{oiiin tr» a small r).stuiii|) mill, Ity wliich tho fi'p<^ i,'ol(l was amalj^amatcd, and thence to concentrators, the Perfection l)um))iniL; taljlo ami ii Woodliury machine, by which the sulphides were saved. At pir>s int ii iirw 'lill is bciiifj erected, to contain at first two 5-8tamp batteries, two Blake crushers, automatic fectU'rs and concentrators. In the engine room will be two 40-H.P. boilers and a ."i-driil l{aml air ciimpn'ssor. for operating rock drills, and a diamond core drill. The ore will be brought from tlu; mine in a gravity car-tram, GOO feet long and drop- ping about 200 fet't, while the water for the mill will be jiumped up with a steam pump from Sheep Creek. Jt is stati'd that about $20,000 have h^^^•,\\ taken from this mine, but an exact authorative account could not bo obtn'ned in time for this IjuUetin, but will be included in the next annual report. UhEAT WEHTBIiN AND GoLDEN ClIARlOT. Area, 6G acres. Title, Crown grants. Location, foot of Monte Cristo Mountain, and north of Hossland townsite. Owners, the Great Western Gold Mining Co. Secy. H. M. Stevens, Spokane ; (Jen. Manager, C. E. Barr, Rosaland. Capital stock, 1,000,000 shares of $1 each. This claim is traversed in a N. E. and S. W. direction by a wide iron-stained mineral zone in which three prospect shafts have shown low grtade gold ore assaying $^ to $4, this ore being in places massive pyrrhotite but mostly diorite impregnated with this sulphide and some iron and copper pyrites, also calcite. No definitely defined ore body has yet been found, though prospecting is being done by sinking vertical and inclined diaimmd drill holes from the bottom of a uO-foot shaft near the centre of th(^ claim, but near the east end a shaft will soon be started, and with an air compr sor, about to be ordered, systematic prospecting will be prosecuted with all speed by Mr. Barr, who has done much mining in Colorado. Near the west end is exposed a narrow vein, 2\ feet wide, of solid suli)hides, as yet of small value in gold, in which is a 22-foot shaft. This property has large surface showings, and, being owned by a titrong company, will be carefully explored. The Entfhprise. Area, 20.65 acres. Title, Crown grant. Location, at foot of Monte Cristo, east of Idaho, and west of Great Western. Owned by the Enterprise Gold Mining Co., of Ohio. Capital stock, 1,000,000 shares at ."^l each. Gen. Manager, W. A. Bitchie, Spokane. This property is in the hands of a strong eastern comj)any who intend extensive developTiont work, and are . at present prospecting the surface by trenching and sinking test shafts. Near the N. W. corner twt) shafts are sunk in the vein from the Idaho, in which there are from 2 to 4 feet of ore, low grade, of massive pyrrhotite with some iron and copper pyrites. Number of men, 7. Evening Star. Area, about 20 Jicrcs. Title, Crown grant. Location on the east slope of Monte Cristr Mountain, between the Monte Cristo and Georgia claims, and