An Engineer Bets Newport Could Rival Spokane

Spokane, Wash., Oct. 10, 1908.

To the Editor of The Miner:

It is not customary for an engineer to air to the public his views of a mining district through the columns of a local journal, but as I have been requested to do so in this instance, and believe that the numerous owners of embryo mines and prospects in the Bead Lake or Conquest mining district have no serious objections, I herewith give you the result of my observations of the section named, as gleaned from a recent visit of examination.

Allow me to digress from the subject in issue for a time and make some necessary explanations, which will cause my visit to be much clearer to the reader. I have been informed that several persons, who are perhaps mining engineers, have visited the locality, and in a message have turned it down, or in other words have not given the district the credit as a future producer it really deserves. There is a reason for this: The parties have not had the varied experience so necessary in sizing up the potentialities of the claims now under various stages of development. The basis of all reasoning is by comparison, and any ordinary miner, engineer, investor or other person who has followed mining for a number of years, and has covered a number of the western mining states or territories, can always draw conclusions from that which he has seen elsewhere, while the novice, or person with less varied experience has comparatively nothing to guide him in arriving at a possible conclusion. For these reasons I am not surprised that the mining possibilities at the very gates of your city, as it were, have not received the attention that they deserve.

Many a less promising section in the older mining regions have lain dormant for years, simply because the time had not arrived for the proper persons to take hold of them as they should be. The prospector had performed his share and the promoter had done his best, and it then became necessary to await the advent of experience of its necessary ally, capital. I have seen in my experience many districts with nothing to compare with the value exposed in your vicinity that were overlooked or reported on adversely, that afterward were teeming with population and surprisingly prolific in the production of dividends. Such, in my estimation, will be the case in the section of which I am writing and the time may not be long.

It was my duty ten years ago this very month to pass down the beautiful Pend Oreille river in a row boat for the purpose of examining the Metaline mining camp. In that day no fine steamers were in evidence, and the journey either down or back was not one of pleasure. In fact, savagery was more prominent than civilization, and from the shores of Pend Oreille lake to Metaline the existence of mineral was, as far as I could learn, an unknown quantity. Hence it was a pleasant surprise to me recently to find that not only the ubiquitous prospector, but the mine maker as well, had been delving after the hidden riches for a number of years and that his efforts had not been fruitless. My only regret is that my observations did not extend over a greater area of the country, so that a more extended description could be given.

From the Conquest mine on the southwest to the extreme end of the Bead Lake property on the northeast, a distance of three or four miles, I covered the country thoroughly and was much impressed with the extensive amount of work that had been performed and the quantity of ore exposed in many of the openings. The general formation is diorite, a lasting mineral enclosing rock igneous in character, yet there is evidence of other varieties, but not of sufficient quantity to be of much importance; only in one instance, so far as my knowledge goes, is there any of the sedimentary rocks and that is massive quartzite. Of the igneous it should be stated that the porphyry can be found in many places. The country rocks are all that could be desired from a mining standpoint for mineral bearing, for permanency and for finding values at great depth. So firm is the formation that scarcely any timbering is necessary in the tunnels after the action of the elements are passed a few feet from the portal. In many instances the rock can be drilled by the single-hand method.

As to the character of the ores, copper in the form of the yellow sulphide or chalcopyrite predominates, but in many instances the sulphide of lead or galena exists in commercial quantity with concentration as a method of separating the valuable from the waste. Both the copper and lead ore carry gold and silver, so I am informed by those who have had numerous tests made.

In looking over the claims of the Bead Lake Gold-Copper Mining Milling Co., I found on the Mary Boone claim an immense iron capping, which has the appearance of being a huge blowout and gives every evidence of being the gossan that overlies an extensive ore body, the same as is usually found in Coeur d’Alene country. From a pit some 10 or 12 feet deep at this point I took a sample which gave encouraging returns, and if located anywhere in North Idaho would be considered of sufficient importance to be developed to any depth, as the pay ore would undoubtedly be found. This is not the only instance where splendid surface indications are to be seen that have not been prospected to any extent. Heretofore the energies of the workers have been expended more on the massive quartz, which appears to be the matrix of the ore; as far as can be seen it has not been determined which direction these shoots take in the veins, or the average angle that they incline; hence several of the tunnels on as many different properties have not penetrated the ore bodies, but doubtless they will be cut by drifting. A simple fact should be borne in mind regarding the running of crosscut tunnels where no great amount of development has been performed on the surface: A mineral location is 1500 feet in length, and the width of the tunnel usually does not often exceed six feet across the face; hence when the tunnel reaches the vein there is 1494 feet of the ledge unexplored. These chances are greatly multiplied when two or more claims are located on the same vein.

As a rule the prospector should follow his pay streak, no matter where it leads him. Place the ore in sight, and capital will take hold. Generally the prospector need not waste his energies on sinking a line workshaft or running a first-class tunnel. The monied man will do that to his own satisfaction after the prospector has shown the values. Were I called upon to criticise some of the work that I have seen in the district of which I am writing, I would say that the mining was done first, but the properties are in splendid condition now for thorough and inexpensive prospecting, as long and deep tunnels have been run, and all that is necessary is to follow the veins on the tunnel levels until the ore bodies are developed.

There are in the aggregate many thousands of feet of tunnels run in the district, and the work has been performed in a high class manner. As this has been done, it adds much to the value of the entire country. Fortunately nearly the entire district is a tunneling proposition for many hundreds of feet in depth. It has been demonstrated, however, that the large ore bodies and more nearly solid ore lay deep, and extend to unknown depths below the bench lands at the western base of the mountains, along which many of the veins trend.

There is still another surprise for the mining man visitor to the section, and that is the first-class machinery plants that are to be seen on the Bead Lake and the Conquest mines. Other properties are also well equipped, and the substantial mine buildings are also a pleasant reminder that those who performed the work had the utmost faith in their undertaking.

It would perhaps be proper to state that Chapter I had closed as far as this district from a mining standpoint is concerned. Now how about Chapter II? To the writer’s mind there are two answers to the query. One is concentration and the other transportation. One need not be an expert to know that the main bulk of the ores require separation from the gangue before being sent to smelter. Perhaps a custom concentrator would be erected if attention were called to people in that line of work.

Regarding transportation, that matter is easily settled. Railways do not construct transcontinental and shorter lines for amusement. They are after business, tonnage. To build a spur from the Great Northern or the Idaho Washington Northern to the dumps of the different mines, or to the concentrator site would be an easy matter, as the distance would probably not be over five miles. Then there is water transportation with a down hill pull from every part of the district.

There is another important fact that may escape the novice in taking note of a mining district which is very favorable to your section, that is your diversified resources. You have agriculture, lumbering, stock raising and doubtless others. The entire expense of roads, bridges and many other necessary expenses does not fall entirely on the one industry.

In conclusion allow me to add that from the mining resources close at hand I would not be surprised in a few years to see the city of Newport almost a rival to Spokane. Mines are wonderful factors in the upbuilding of cities, as witness San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Spokane and other cities of the west, to say nothing of the thriving communities supported by the industry of base metal mining in the east and south.

At no distant day I hope it will be my happy privilege to see more of the mining districts that are tributary to your beautiful and progressive city.

Very truly yours, Randall H. Kemp, M.E.