Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 87

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western History
Number of Pages: 992

USA > Washington > Chelan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 87
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 87
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 87
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 87

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The first flock of investors were doomed to failure, mainly through their own fault. They were without ex- perience in mining, for Washington had been mainly populated by farmers, merchants, manufacturers and professional men from the eastern and middle western states, while British Columbia had absorbed a similar population from the British Isles and Eastern Canada. The working people were generally drawn from the same sources. This was not a mining population, for it knew nothing of mining, having always turned its mind into other channels. There was a sprinkling of old miners and prospectors from California, Colorado and other mining states, but the formation was new to them. A few of them flung aside precedent and boldly pro- claimed the mineral wealth of the state and the adjoin- ing British Territory. But the experts, with their heads filled with California and Colorado precedents, scoffed at them, saying that the ore was too base and low grade to pay for treatment and that the formation was so broken that it would be impossible to follow any ore body from the croppings to any considerable depth. The moneyed men in the cities were absorbed in real estate speculation and readily voiced the unfavorable opinions of the experts, being anxious that outside in- vestments should go into their own schemes and not be diverted into any alluring mining ventures.

Thus the first men to make known the mineral wealth of the Pacific Northwest "caught on" in only a limited degree. They induced some investments among men of means and caused quite a flurry in the Salmon River, Palmer Mountain, Cascade and Silver Creek dis- tricts. But a combination of circumstances forbade suc- cess at that time. The surface free gold in the ledges on Palmer Mountain led to the belief that free gold would continue indefinitely, and stamp mills were built without concentrators and managed by unskilled mill- men. Wild speculation was practiced in some instances and there was not lacking evidences of fraud in others. The result was failure. As ore changed from free mill- ing to base, a larger percentage was lost in the tailings. Victims of fraud loudly denounced the mines as worth- less and others took up the cry and repeated it far and wide. The fall in the price of silver caused a sus- pension of work in the low-grade silver mines of Sal- mon river, which had already suffered in the eyes of investors from two abortive attempts at reduction of

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

the ore. Only a few persons heid their faith in the Pacific Northwest as a mining region and most of them were bankrupted by the panic or the collapse of their mining ventures. Only in a few places was develop- ment continued, notably among which is Monte Cristo, For a few years mining languished with every other in- dustry.

Although no thorough geological survey of the various mining districts in Okanogan county has ever been made, considerable has been learned from a number of individuals, each of whom has studied a particular section as opportunity offered. These sources of in- formation have established that the Cascade Range, and their eastern foothills, extending across Okanogan county, are mainly composed of granite, syenite, diorite, and kindred rocks. Among them occur broad belts of gneiss, schist, slate, shale, and sandstone and dikes of porphyry and limestone. In most instances mineral ledges occur in fissures in the granite, syenite, diorite and slate, often cutting through several of these rocks, but are also in contact between two of them, or between one of the granite rocks and a dike of porphyry or lime- stone. Throughout the Okanogan districts there are numerous areas in which eruptive rocks have burst through the older formation and in the latter have caused fissures, which have either been filled in with mineral bearing rock or have been impregnated with mineral along the walls of the cavities thus created. A heavy capping of oxidized iron, or magnetic iron, often of great width and thickness, gen- erally indicates the presence of one of these ledges. Throughout this section the ores are almost universally base and of low grade, al- though some of the ledges on Palmer Moun- tain carry high-grade silver ore. There are other isolated cases where ores are sufficiently rich to be classed as high grade.

Although found in almost every combina- tion the minerals most common are iron and copper pyrites, arseno pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, tetrahedrite, or gray cop- per and zinc blende. In some proportion in-

variably the pyritic ores carry gold, with a few ounces of silver. Quite often they carry so much copper that this element becomes the principal value. Where the ledges are small the galena is usually rich in silver. On the surface free gold is often found where the ore has been subject to the decomposing influence of the air, continuing in decreasing ratio as the ore belts are followed down. Still, with in- creasing depth gold is found more and more i:1 iron and copper sulphides.

There are at present fourteen mining dis- tricts within the limits of Okanogan county, viz. : Meyers Creek, Toroda or Ballarat, Mos- es, Chapacca, Similkameen, Gold Hill, Galena, Salmon River, Ruby, Methow, Wanicutt, Similkameen, Upper Methow, Twisp and Gret- chel. Some of these names are changed oc- casionally, as Palmer Mountain for Wanicutt; Chesaw for Meyers Creek and Squaw Creek for Methow, but the expert prospector, famil- iar with the territory, is seldom misled by such errors. Undoubtedly the Wanicutt district is, at present, the most prominent on account of recent developments. Yet all, in their day have enjoyed individual "booms." It is our purpose to present a non-technical description of the most noted of these properties, leaving the thousands of abandoned prospects upon which work has ceased for years to future de- velopment and future historians.

Palmer Mountain, in the Wanicutt District, is at present in the public eye. Quartz mining in the state of Washington dates back to 1885. At that period the storm center was in Stevens county whose territory then comprised some 1.500 square miles, extending from the Idaho line to the summit of the Cascade Range, with British Columbia its northern boundary. From the present Stevens county the excitement moved gradually westward, and in 1886 gold bearing ledges were struck on Palmer. Moun- tain the richness of which caused a stampede thither. At that period Loomis, at the base of Palmer Mountain, was 150 miles from a rail-

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

way by the nearest traveled route. In this lo- cality the Triune and Jessie were the original locations made. But these were quickly fol- lowed by the Expert, Jumbo, Helena Belle, Wisconsin Central, Dolly and a number; of others, now composing a part of the Palmer Mountain Gold Mining & Tunnel Company's holdings. Although there have been many fail- ures debited to the most enterprising miners, a most striking instance of unqualified success is that of this company in running a tunnel into Palmer Mountain. September 10, 1897, the Palmer Mountain Prospector said :

"Great was the excitement created on the streets yesterday when Manager John Boyd came down from the Palmer Mountain tunnel and displayed quartz containing free gold. It is a good lead, assaying $185.20 to the ton in gold, and $2.50 in silver. It was assayed by O. S. Stocker."

Gold, silver, copper and lead are the pre- dominating minerals in the Wanicutt District. They are distributed throughout the ranges and spurs that cut up the country in every direc- · tion. They are in ledges, many of which crop conspicuously and for many feet may be dis- tinctly traced. The formation varies with vary- ing localities. There are granite, diorite, por- phyry, slate, green stone, schist and other char- acters of rock. with a distinct line belt on the eastern side of Aeneas Mountain, and a wedge- shaped dike of the same formation on the east- ern side of Palmer Mountain. In this locality there are a number of properties that are im- proving under development ; others exhibit fav- orable surface showings. It has been claimed in the past that the ledges in this section did not "go down." But the exhibit made by the Palmer Mountain tunnel would seem to dis- prove this assertion and demonstrate that these ledges are fissure veins continuing to unknown depths.

The Palmer, Mountain Gold Mining & Tun- nel Company was organized and incorporated in 1895. The summit of the mountain has an

altitude of 5,500 feet and the base is 1,200 feet above sea level, embracing an area of about twelve miles square. The formation is a mass of mineralized diorite upheaved by volcanic ac- tion through granite formation. On all sides it is surrounded by granite except on the north where slate and limestone abound. There are fifty-eight claims in this group situated on the southern slope of the mountain. A double- compartment tunnel was started at the base that would connect with the gold-bearing ledges, and it has been driven over 4,000 feet into the heart of the mountain, intersecting twenty- eight veins, of which number sixteen out- cropped to the surface. At the present working a vertical depth of fourteen hundred feet has been attained, and it is the intention to drive the tunnel four thousand feet beyond the pres- ent breast, which will cross-cut the Grand Sum- mit ledge at a vertical depth of 4,200 feet. The aggregate width of the veins cut at present is 200 feet. In 1890 a nugget was found on Palmer Mountain that produced the owners $1,000. The company intends to install an electrical plant at an early day, and erect reduc- tion works. John Boyd, the president and gen- eral manager of the company has resided in Loomis, Washington, since 1892. .

In the vicinity of Loomis are the Hillsdale mine, with a tunnel, the Putnam group, the Se- curity, the Copper World and the Perennial group, all good properties. North of Loomis are the Nighthawk and Six Eagles where ex- tensive work is in progress and with profitable results.

The Pinnacle, but a short distance from Loomis, was first discovered in 1888 by two prospectors. Free gold was found on the sur- face, high up on the west slope of Palmer Mountain. The original discoverers took out a considerable quantity of gold. They went on the outside to dispose of it and, for reasons never explained they did not return. The property was left in charge of James O'Connell, better known as "Pinnacle Jim." In time he

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

relocated the claims. Several years ago he bonded the mine to a Canadian investor. That individual did considerable work, but not be- ing entirely satisfied asked for an extension of time. O'Connell refused, as it had come to his ears that a rich ore shoot had been struck on the Bunker Hill in that vicinity. A few weeks after the expiration of the bond O'Connell met with a tragic end, an account of which will be found in the chapter devoted to Loomis and other towns. Then relatives sprang up on every hand and the property was hardly free from litigation for several years. General J. B. Metcalfe purchased the property at adminis- trator's sale.

The mine is now in the hands of the Pin- nacle Gold Mining Company. The officers are Judge William Hickman Moore, president ; General J. B. Metcalfe, vice-president and man- ager ; John S. Jurey, secretary and treasurer. These gentlemen are all citizens of Seattle. Aside from the Pinnacle the company owns the Bunker Hill, Nevada, Bonanza King, Julia Fraction, Telephone and Bullion mines, one- half interest in the Von Moltke, one-third in the Nellie and one-third in the Onora, comprising the Pinnacle group. The Pinnacle is exceed- ingly rich, and is shipping amalgam in fair quantities. The company has leased the Black Bear five-stamp mill, at Loomis, and is now working a day and night shift.

Among the other mines and groups in this district are the Gladstone, Kit Carson, Ivanhoe, Why Not. Frisco. Surprise, Daisy, St. Patrick, Black Diamond, Daisy Ball, King Solomon, Roanoke, Whiskey Hill Tunnel group, Sunny- side, Yellow Dust, Phoenix, Combination, Ben- ton, Wabash, Gray Eagle, Defiance, Little De- fiance, Jordan No. 1, Jordan No. 2, Betty Pat- terson, Kalamazoo, Young America, Voltaire, Tenderfoot, Gold Thread, Little Dan, Her- cules, Atlas, Red Jacket, Miller, Redpath, Em- pire, Jack, Silent Friend, Rainbow, May Queen, Bessie, Butler, Leviathan, Cherokee, Emma, Wall Street, Strictly Business, Long

Tom, Little Mac, and many other properties and prospects.

The Meyers Creek Mining District is on the "North Half" of the Colville Indian Reser- vation, in Okanogan county, and east of the Okanogan river. With the opening of the reservation to mineral entry, February 21, 1896, there was a remarkable stampede to this section of the country. Meyers Creek heads among the foothills of Mount Bonaparte, to the south of Chesaw, several miles distant. It has a fall of ninety feet to the mile. Mary Ann Creek flows into Meyers Creek at Chesaw. The former, has its source in the mountains a few miles north of Chesaw and drops one thousand feet in the last ten miles of its course. These streams are never failing, affording great vol- umes of water which has been rushing down in cascades since the glaciers from the north carved out their channels aeons ago.

In 1898 placer gold was found along these streams and since that time the soil has been washed in a primitive manner. Gold is found from the grass roots down through the gravel as deep as workings have extended, yet in no instance has bed rock been reached. Mr. K. Grant, who has passed two years placering on Mary Ann Creek, estimates the depth of the gravel to be from eighty to one hundred feet. To the depth of six feet the auriferous gravel has been washed with a resulting average of $1.25 to the yard. Mr. Grant has prosecuted his work with pick, shovel and sluice box. And what has been said about his development may be claimed for all placer properties lying along these streams.

Previous to the opening of the reservation a number of miners had surreptitiously visited the present Meyers Creek Mining District and its fame had become known abroad. With the opening of the reservation prospectors and miners began to explore the hills and mountains seeking for veins and lodes of precious metals. Five hundred locations, or claims, were staked. Many of these claims have since passed from

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

the hands of the original owners. Corporations have been organized for the purpose of de- velopment. It is undeniably true that lack of transportation has greatly militated against the Meyers Creek District. The ores require treat- ment by smelters. Consequently the district has been greatly handicapped in demonstrating its values. .

The first property in the Meyers Creek Dis- trict to receive attention from capitalists was the Crystal Butte, owned by the Interstate Min- ing & Developing Company. Over fifteen hun- dred feet of work is completed and a concen- trating plant installed at a cost of $100,000. The Monterey Mining Company, on Copper Mountain, owning the Buckhorn group, was the next corporation to commence develop- ment. Over eight hundred feet of work lias been completed by this organization. A body of gold and copper ore has been struck. Next in point of sequence came the Review Gold Mining Company. It is the owner of the Re- view group of claims on which more than one thousand feet of work has been done. Hun- cireds of tons of high grade ore are now ready for shipment.

The Yakima Gold Mining Company, own- ing the Yakima group, adjoining Chesaw, was next in line with five hundred feet of develop- ment work. The Wyandotte Mining Company, owners of the Oregon group, a gold, silver and lead property, has disclosed a fine body of ore and further development is now under way. It is one of the best galena properties in the dis- trict, has all necessary buildings and equip- ments for extensive development, with one hun- dred and twenty feet of shafts and sixty feet of drifts and open cuts. The last property in the camp to receive attention from outside cap- ital is now owned by the Opal Mining Com- pany, consisting of the Opal group of eight claims, lying just west of Chesaw. There are in this property four hundred feet of tunnel and open cuts. Mr. J. P. Blaine was instrumental in interesting capital for its development. The

ore will average $30 to the ton, and a portion of the ore taken out ran as high as $500 per ton. The Opal claim runs east and west and the first tunnel was cut at right angles. The second will cut the vein at about 125 feet below the surface, and runs south. About 1,200 tons of ore are now on the dump. These claims are a composition of porphyry and trachite, and are identical with the famous Cripple Creek forma- tions in Colorado. On a five-acre tract, adjoin- ing their claims, the company will in the spring erect a smelter, and negotiations are now under way for the machinery.

Three miles northeast of Chesaw, on the east side of Copper Mountain, is the Grant group of claims. An enormous body of ore appears on the surface which outcrops at the grass roots. The assay average of value is $40 to the ton, in gold, iron and copper, the latter predominating. For fifty feet a shaft has been sunk and open cuts made at intervals to deter- mine the value. There are three claims in this group. Arrangements are pending to bond this group for $40,000.

Three miles west of Chesaw are seven claims comprising the Keno group. A ledge of gold and copper can be traced 4.000 feet. The iron cap is approximately 200 feet in width, averaging values in copper and gold of $10 to $15, the gold predominating. Results from 259 feet of shaft prove satisfactory.

The DeLate mine is one of the most valu- able properties in the district, and is owned by the Interstate Mining Company. A tunnel has been run 150 feet and a number of shafts cut- ting a ledge of gold and lead ore for a distance of four feet. Assays on the ore from this mine average about $45 per ton, carrying one ounce of gold and about 24 per cent. of lead. The main tunnel into the Interstate group is in over 800 feet, and the showings are goood. Ore is being shipped to the Everett smelter. The home office of the Interstate Company is at Colum- bus, Ohio. The property is in charge of Mr. Henry Thompson.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

Seven claims comprise the Keno group. They lie three miles west of Chesaw. The ore runs gold and copper, a ledge of which can be traced 4,000 feet. The iron cap is approx- imately 200 feet in width, averaging values in copper and gold of from $10 to $15, gold pre- dominating. There have been 250 feet of shaft sunk.

Meyers Creek Mining District embraces about one hundred square miles. The groups of claims are distributed pretty generally throughout this territory. Some of them have been exploited to an extent sufficient to make the public fully aware of the extent of the de- velopment, and the value of the ore. But there is still another phase of the subject. Owners of the majority of the prospects are the original discoverers. From year to year they have been quietly and steadily sinking shafts, run- ning tunnels and doing surface work. As bet- ter values have been shown the prospector has been strengthened in his resolution to cling to his property until the arrival of a railroad. Transportation of his ores means to him a for- tune. Thus situated in the Meyers Mining Dis- trict are scores of such determined prospectors.

Following are some of the properties in the Meyers Creek District, near Chesaw, not be- fore mentioned :

The Bi-Metallic .- This is a group of gold and copper claims with 135 feet of shaft and 125 feet of cross-cut.

The Old Germany .- A gold and galena bearing group with as fine showing as any property in the district. This property has 230 feet of tunnel and 50 feet of shaft.

The Independent .- A gold and silver prop- osition with a 50-foot shaft.

The Medallion .- A mammoth iron cap, carrying gold and copper. It has 25 feet of shaft.

The Yankee Doodle .- A promising group carrying gold and copper. Has a 25-foot shaft.

The Winchester .- A gold and copper prop- erty with 35 feet of shaft.

The Rose Bud .- A property giving good values in gold with 40 feet of shaft.

The Pingston .- An iron cap proposition carrying values in gold. Has 30 feet of shaft.

The Blue Diamond .- A gold and silver property giving very flattering assays, with 100 feet of shaft.

The Brozies .- Also a gold and galena prop- erty with excellent showings and 30 feet of shaft.

The Indiana .- Has a 30-foot shaft all in solid gold bearing ore. Assays give encour- aging values.

Spectator .- A goood gold and silver prop- erty favorably located. Has 50 feet of shaft.

War Eagle .- Two hundred feet of shaft; shows good values in gold and silver.

Lady of the Lake .- One of the most prom- ising claims in the district, with 50 feet of shaft.

Wild Strawberry .- A gold bearing prop- erty with 22 feet of shaft.

British Lion .- A group of claims showing good values in gold and silver. Has 40 feet of shaft.

Poland China .- One of the well established mines of Okanogan county with over 400 feet of shaft.

Mary Ann .- A fine tunneling proposition, carrying gold and silver. Has 50 feet of shaft.

Big Hole .- Carries gold and silver ; has 50 feet of shaft.

Mountain Chief .- A gold and silver property with 100 feet of shaft.

Montana .- Gold bearing property; 30-foot shaft.

Gettysburg .- Gold and silver; So-foot shaft.

Pekin China .- Gold and silver; 30-foot shaft.

Kerwin .- A gold property with 150 feet of tunnel.

Bob Hughes .- Gold and galena; 100 feet of shaft and go feet of tunnel.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

Melbourne .- Good gold prospect with 85 feet of shaft.

Lookout .- Gold bearing property with 230 feet of tunnel.

Ben Harrison .- A property with good showings and a 50-foot shaft.

Jim Hill .- Gold and silver ; 50-foot shaft.

Wisconsin .- A property of great promise with gold and silver showings and a 400-foot shaft.

Lone Pine .- Gold and silver; 500 feet of work.

Rainbow .- Has 100 feet of work and a large tunnel is now being run.

Among the best properties around Bolster, in the Meyers Creek Mining District, are: The Chicago group, consisting of the Chicago, Dewey and Philadelphia ; the Review group, comprising the Review and Bird claims, which are among the most important in the camp. They were located by Robert Allison and John Mulholland, and sold to the Review Gold Min- ing Company for $35,000. In the neighbor- hood of $40,000 has been expended in develop- ment ; the Buckhorn group, consisting of eleven claims and fractions, is situated on the sum- mit of Copper Mountain, at the head of Nickel- son Creek; the Copper Queen and Number Nine claims on Copper Mountain; the King Solomon group, one-half mile northeast of Bol- ster; the Ramshorn and Cariboo on Copper Mountain; the Smuggler and Joe Dandy, claims; the Aztec, Neutral, Homestake and Golden Curry, lying north of the Buckhorn; the East Side and Morning Star, lying north and east of the Buckhorn, and the Kitchner group, situated north of Gold Creek. Con- siderable development work has been done on all of these.

Of these properties the development work noted represents but a fractional part of the im- provements. There are substantial houses, cabins, stables, blacksmith shops clustered around many of them. Several are equipped with whims. For concentrating the ores the

Crystal Butte has expensive machinery, shel- tered by good buildings, representing an out- lay of many thousands of dollars.

Seattle capital has been largely employed in the development of the Methow Mining Dis- trict. And it was among the first to feel the effect of the revival of interest in mining in 1896. Having suffered from ill-advised ven- tures during the period immediately following the first discoveries, it appears now to have en- tered upon a period of prosperity. The mineral belt through which discoveries extend and through which flows the Methow river, is about twenty-five miles long and three miles wide, extending through the foothills on either side of the river. To Mining Engineer S. G. Dewsnap. we are indebted for the following description of its characteristics :

"The country rock of the belt is secondary granite, which is crossed and cut by dikes of bird's eye porphyry, feldsite porphyry and dior- ite, which mostly strike northwest and dip southwest. The vein formation strikes a few degrees from east and west and dips northerly, cross-cutting the dikes at an angle of about thirty degrees. In many cases the dikes are not broken by the veins at the surface, but are found to have been broken at some little depth below. The croppings of the quartz veins are mostly blind, that is, the surface of the rock formation is largely covered by soil underlaid by glacial cement, which makes prospecting rather difficult, and the bed rock is only seen at points where the dike contacts have left ridges of hogsbacks not covered by detritus. Standing on the foot-wall and looking down the dip of the veins, the ore is found in well-defined chutes dipping to the left hand at an angle of 60 to 66 degrees from the plane of the vein. South of the belt proper, in Black Canyon, which runs parrallel with Squaw Creek, are some veins in which the oxidized iron is magnetic, not hem- atite. On the north side of this belt is another of soft feldsite porphyry about half a mile wide, in which a number of locations have been made

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Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 87

Author: Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western History Number of Pages: 992

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western History
Number of Pages: 992