Hide Article Text (OCR)
I AlJODT CANADA'S MIKES:- REPORTS OP EXPLORERS ON THE GOLD FIELDS.OpInUn* «r Vr«lu;Mlt;t-Ko(ablr Pr*greaII In fbr Drvrlopmrul of Mluiug-Output lo bf InrrrtiM'il.f The annual report of Mr. Dawson, the ■ director of the Geological Survey .which is just issued from the press, is par-£ ticularly interesting this year, as giving the opinion of the department and . its geologists upon the mining activity* of the past season in Ontario and• British Columbia. Mr. Dawson has i# , summarized the reports of his staff.and presents them to the public in con-„ d eased shape. Speaking generally on y the mining boom, the chief of the survey makes the following observa-I tions:—'* During the past year very . notable progress has been made in the f development of the mineral resources of Canada, both in the way of actual “ work and in attracting the attention ,4 and interest of capital. British Columbia has begun to evidence its value - as a permanent producer of the pre-J oious metals in a manner long foreseen by those who have paid attention to its geological structure and . position. In Ontario, wherever the 1 Huronian system is developed and has 1 been examined, valuable mines, more I particularly those of gold, are being . discovered and opened up. In Nova t. Scotia renewed interest has been shown ® in gold mining, and. with improved machinery and methods, the output is likely soon to be greatly increased. Other mineral industries throughout the country, whether already established or in course of development, share in a general appreciation.”THE KOOTENAY DISTRICT.The details of the investigations of the department during the past year i are given in the reports of the explorers. Mr. R. G. McConnell, w ho had charge of the work in Kootenay district, says:—Mining has made satisfactory advances on all sides in West Kootenay during the past season. Prospectors, the pioneers of the industry. swarmed over the country, making numberless locations everywhere. A fair percentage of the prospects of previous years, on which development work has been done, promise to become mines, and the older mines show' no signs of deterioration as developed. Several new camps, notably Waterloo. Champion Creek, the North Fork of the Salmon, and the Springer Creek , district, have come into prominence, while the older ones have developed into recognized mining oentres. The output of ore has largely increased. Mid the capacity of the smelters has been more than doubled in order to meet the demand. Favourable reports from competent men have been received in regard to a number of outlying districts which have not yet been examined, and it is altogether probable that with the advent of easy communication the successes of Trail creek and the Slocan will be repeated in East Kootenay, Boundary Creek, the Lar-do, the Big Bend, and other places. Capital has flowed freely into the district during tne season but it is to be feared that an undue proportion of it has found its way into the pockets of speculators rather than into legitimate mining, in Russiaud and vicinity, although there has leen a good deal of scarcely warranted speculation, much conscientious development and prospecting work is lie Lug carried on, the result of which in large part will not lie known for some time yet, os the hard eruptive rocks of the district necessarily make mining a slow- and expensive operation.COM PRESSOR PLANTS have, however, been erected at a dozen or more of the principal mines, and machine drills with their quicker results are rapidly supplanting hand lalour. The Le itoi and War Eagle are still the principal producing mines in the camp, but considerable shipments at irregular intervals have also l**en made from the Josie, Iron Mask. Cliff. Evening Star. Crown Point, and others, and it is highly pxobabla that with the extensive development work now in progress the output from these will le largely increased in the near future. The Kossland ores as a rule are. not of high grade* and a large proportion of those in sight cannot l*e profitably worked under present conditions. The •xxst. of freight and treatment is given at fit) lo $11 per ton. If the cost of mining, a variable factor, is added to tins, it win be evident that onecarry-ing less value than $15 per tun can only lie worked at present at. a slender profit.* if at all. In order to utilize this material, reduct ions in both freight and smelting charges are imperative .and will doubtless be made as the treatment of the ore Incomes better understood and competing lines of communication are opened up. Should the railway now projected through the Crows Nest pass lie built and the mines connected with the extensive coal fields known to exist in the Rocky mountain range, fuel, the principle item in the expense of smelt inc. could be obtained at a much lower figure than at present. and the smelting charges reduced in proportion. A large percentage of the ores are too low grade to lie worked under any circumstances, but it is lielieved that with smelters built, on the spot, cheap fuel, and improved processes. those with a valuation of $8 and upwards will eventually be profitably treated.”ONTARIO'S GOLD FIELDS.Regarding the gold fields of Ontario some interesting information is given by Mr. W. Mclnnis. He says: While in thn T If»•-lt;f-t osiHm I ho Ilocrin.-Lgneiss area and an area of 'Keewatin rocks. The Scramble mine, which lies to the north of the railway, within six or crushed diorites, and close to the miles of Rat Portage, occurs in a band of Keewatin hornblende schists, edge of the Roasland granite area. Some surface stripping has teen done here, and a shallow shaft has been sunk on a band 25 to 85 feet in width, made up largely of quartz and heavily charged with iron pyrites, occurring both in thin sheets along the planes of cleavage and irregularly distributed through its mass. Parts of the band were found to pan well, and an average value of more than twenty dollars to the ton is claimed for the whole band. Considerable activity has been shown in developing and exploiting gold properties about Lake of the Woods generally, and attention is being again devoted to various properties which have lain undeveloped for years.NEW DISCOVERIES of gold-bearing veins have been made In various places in the district, notably about Shoal lake, where the Mikado and other properties have been attracting attention. Here, as in the Seine river country, the gold has been found in every case of which we have any record at no great distance from the contact between the Keewatin and intrusive granitoid rocks, which occur mad frequently as narrow rims along# i .et*P® °* more extensive areas ^otite gneiss, but which also invadethe Keewatin rocks, as isolated instru-sive masses. I know of no case where gold-bearing veins have been found to occur in the main body of the biotite gneiss areas, which we have classed as Laurentian. On a preliminary edition °*Seine river sheet, the rocks, in which the Saw Bill vein occurs, were so classed, but this was owing to a misinterpretation of the notes of the late Mr. W. H. Smith, and it has been corrected on the regular edition of the map.” Mr. Mclnnis also reports that promising veins of gold have been reported north of the C. P. R.. along if Jl'.oaitake lake. Keewatin belt.# “ a o^tfwmation north-easterly of the Wabigoon lake area. Specimens assayed gave small quantities of gold, enough at least to confirm the occurrence of gold in the region. A number of claims have been located along the shores of Manitou lake, as well as about little Manitou lake.
Newspaper Details
Durham Grey Review
Durham, Ontario, CA
Thu, Mar 18, 1897
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 22 May 2024
Other Publications Near Durham, Ontario
Durham Review
Durham Grey Review
Durham Chronical and Grey County Advertiser
