An English Syndicate Bets $100,000 on Stevens County Lead and Silver

The Mining World, of Chicago, recently had a representative in the field, and in its last issue gave the following write-up of mines:

The Metaline Mining Co., Ltd., owns the Davis group of eight claims on Slate Creek in Stevens County, six miles from Metaline. The development consists of numerous shallow shafts and two tunnels just started. The ore lies in parallel ledges running northeast and southwest. The ores are mainly galena and carbonates of lead, and assay about 80 to 84 per cent lead and 12 ounces silver to the ton. Five miles of wagon road have been completed. Buildings consisting of a bunk house, blacksmith shop and an office building are nearly completed. The property is under option to an English company, which gave $100,000 for 51 per cent of the stock. This option expires Oct. 1, 1908. This company owns a water power right on Slate Creek which has a fall of 200 feet.

On the property of the Oriole Mining Co., consisting of three claims one mile west of Metaline, a depth of 150 feet has been gained, at which point the first ledge has been cut. Development consists of one 40-foot shaft, three tunnels and drifts. No. 1 tunnel is in 200 feet, No. 2, 300 feet, and No. 3, 50 feet. Drifts run from No. 1 tunnel developed five feet of high grade shipping ore. A contract has been let to J. H. Piddle to drive No. 1 tunnel 100 feet farther. The ore is said to give assays of from 50 to 400 ounces of silver, $22 in gold and 20 per cent lead.

The Mammoth and Morning group of two claims, two miles from Metaline, is developed by two tunnels. No. 1 tunnel is on the line between the Mammoth and Morning claims. It is in 300 feet and cuts 35 feet of shipping ore at 140 feet in from the portal. Fifty feet of drifting has been done on the vein, which averages four feet in width. No. 2 tunnel, 100 feet lower than No. 1, is in 250 feet and cut 45 feet of milling ore. The formation is soft. The work so far done was for exploration. A concentrator of 50 tons daily capacity is to be built, after which the property will be developed by open surface work, the entire property being heavily mineralized with galena. The Hallidie Machinery Co. has the contract for the installation of an aerial tramway 2400 feet in length from the mine to the steamboat landing on Pend Oreille River.

The Parker Mountain Mining Co. has three patented claims on Parker Mountain, 30 miles from Newport on the Pend Oreille River. One shaft is down 120 feet. There is a 100-foot crosscut tunnel from which a winze was sunk 65 feet. Seventy-five tons of ore from this tunnel is now on the dump. No. 1 tunnel is to be driven at a depth of 100 feet. No. 2 tunnel is in 300 feet in ore and has a depth of 500 feet. The width of the ore body averages 5 feet and the values $17 to the ton, mainly in lead and silver. No. 3 tunnel is in 230 feet and has a depth of 700 feet. It will be driven to 300 feet to the ledge under the shaft, with which it will be connected by means of an upraise. The ore value in No. 3 tunnel averages $20 to the ton and is increasing with depth. The property is equipped with two bunk houses, blacksmith shop and cook house. There are excellent steamboat transportation facilities. The proposed railroad to Metaline will be but one-half mile from the mine, with which it will be connected by an aerial tramway. The company is capitalized for $200,000. Charles A. Feidler, of Newport, is manager.