Five Feet of Lead and a Mining Camp's Big Break

B. F. Bourn, of Rathdrum, secretary of the Silver Lead Mining Co., in which Newport people are largely interested, returned Wednesday noon from a trip to the claims of the company in the Metaline district. Mr. Bourn was accompanied by Mr. Saunders, of Waverly, one of the stockholders of the company.

Considerable work is being done on the Silver Lead claims this summer in the way of building bunk houses, blacksmith shops, etc., and in driving a tunnel and shaft on the iron dike on the property. A big strike was made last week. While driving the tunnel on the iron dike a five-foot vein of oxidized lead was encountered. The lead is well defined and gives every evidence of being permanent in character. Ore taken from it has been assayed and shows up 35.2 per cent lead, which at present values is worth $31.68 per ton. Mr. Bourn had with him a bar of lead which had been reduced from this ore by primitive methods, showing the ease with which it can be extracted.

Mr. W. A. Logue, an experienced miner, at present in charge of the work, will, during the next week, make a two-ton test of this ore, and if it proves as satisfactory as the company has reason to expect, two furnaces will at once be put in with a capacity of treating 20 tons of ore a day, and the property will be shipping ore within 40 days.

The officers of the company are very enthusiastic over the strike, and are confident that they have one of the most valuable properties in the camp. It is situated between some of the best prospects of the camp, and has the added advantage of being close to the foot of navigation, so that it has all the most favorable conditions. If the ore can be treated as they expect, the Silver Lead will be a boomer and the first regular shipper in the camp.