---- --
<H The Portland Canal Mining District
THE MOST EXTENSIVELY MINERALIZED AREA IN NORTH AMERICA
During the past decade the met
alliferous mines of the Portland Canal
district have proved to the world
their wealth and possibilities. During
the ten years of active production,
the great Premier has alone produced
over $39,000,000 and has paid divi
dends in excess of $15,600,000.
While the Premier has been the
main contributor to the district’s
mineral output, lesser properties have
shown highly important results dur
ing the shorter period of their pro
ductive existence. The Prosperity
mine, in the Canadian section of the
district, developed into a prolific
producer during the past year under
the management of the Premier Gold
Mining Company and was the third
largest producer of silver in British
Columbia, with an output of 1,400,000
ounces of silver. The Porter-Ulaho
property adjoining the Prosperty and
also under the control of the Premier
company, has also been a material
factor in the district’s output, altho
not so extensively exploited as the
Prosperity.
In the Alaska section of the district
the Riverside Mine was for several
years a substantial producer until
falling metal prices combined with in
adequate milling facilities forced sus
pension.
The B. C. Silver property in the
upper Salmon River section of Brit
ish Columbia and adjoining the Pre
mier mine, also demonstrated product
ive capacities by substantial ship
ments of raw ores extracted during
development work in earlier years
and is now a proven mine, with ore
resources estimated at more than $0.
OOft.OOO in sight.
Classed in local mining opinion
as the second property to the Premier
in productive possibilities, is the
noted Big Missouri property in the
same area. Development activities
conducted by the Buena Vista Min
ing Company. Ltd., during the past
three years have resulted in the open
ing of several gold bearing ore zones
of large extent and commercial value.
Although not in commercial product
ion. the results obtained have war
runted the construction of a 100-ton
test mill on the property, with
a view to obtaining a definite aver
age of the ores.
The Sebakwe Mines property in
the same area, although never pro
ductive has been proved to coutain
large ore bodies of commercial valut
under normal market conditions.
Results obtained on these and var
ious other properties leave no doubt
that the Portland Canal district is a
mining area with virtually unlimited
mineral production possibilities.
The Portland Canal Mining district
including both the Alaskan and Can
adian areas, embraces both sides oi
the Portland Canal from a short dist
ance above its mouth, the drainagt
areas of the Salmon, Bear and Marmot
Rivers, Texas Creek, and a portion o
the northerly drainage areas of the
Naas. Chickamin and Leduc Rivers
The area embraced is approximately
7,500 square miles in extent and, with
the exception of the Unuk River sec
tion, is accessible from both Hydct
and Stewart by means of automobile
roads, pack and foot trails.
The general geological character ol
the proven mineral areas of both the
Alaskan and British Columbian sec
tions are similar and include both
sedimentary and volcanic formations.
The beds are assigned geologically to
the Hazelton group because of theii
lithological similarity to the forma
tions of that group to the southeast
and north in British Columbia. The
Hazelton group has been described
by Hanson as consisting of a lower
formation comprising volcanic tuff,
breccia, and flows of green or gray
to purplish andesitic rock and an up
per formation comprising argellite
quartzite, and tut'facecus sandstone. A
tuffaceous graywacke formation up
pears to overlie the greenstone on
the American side, where the granites
of the Coast Range are also a prom
inent feature of the formation.
Prospecting on the rivers and creeks
that flow into the Portland Canal
began in 1898. The development ot
the district's mineral properties has
been slow owing to the discoveries
being made by prospectors who had
not the capital necessary for develop
ment. The district has two important
advantages fiom the development
standpoint: the mountains are very
steep, permitting easy access to the
lower extensions of ore deposits by
drift tunnels, and a majority of the
mines are within a short distance of
tide-water.
When it is remembered that virtual
ly no real development occurred until
the discovery ot' the Premier mine a
dozen years ago and that real work
with adequate means has been in
progress elsewhere in the district foi
a much shorter time, the extent ol
achievements so tar resulting is a?
wonderful as the remarkable char
acter of the ore bodies—which ari
admittedly more diversified than ii
any other known mineral area of th<
continent.
This diversity of ore, with val
ties in gold, silver, copper and lead
i3 a considerable advantage in man:
respects, but most important of al
is the fact that gold is generally ai
important element in all ores foum
in the district. Still another importan
feature is the large extent of the or
zones; a majority of those so fa
found ranging from a foot to a hut
dred feet or more in width.
Since the commencement of th
period of active development on a
adequate scale with modern equii
ment, results attained in practicality
every instance liave confirmed tlie
view of expert geologists and min
erologists that the district is destined
to become one of the great mineral
producing areas of the continent.
That development has been slow is
not indicative of a want of progress.
Impatient souls who expect immediate
returns in the form of profits and
dividends from developing mines are
usually foredoomed to disappointment.
A great lode mine is not developed
in a day nor in a year. Especially in
districts where means of transporta
tion is not well developed, as was the
case in the Portland (’anal district
up to three or four years ago, pro
gress in mine development is neces
sarily slow and is accomplished only
at the expense of much extra labor
and cost. However enough has been
accomplished in rhc Portland Canal ;
district to prove the existence of a
remarkable extent and diversity of
ores and that there is very reason
able ground for believing that the
district contains more than a score
>f very extensive and very valuable
mines. This is something that can
be said of hut very few mining dis
tricts, most of which can show no
more than three or four real mines
in the making.
The following list presents a brief
description of some of the more prom- i
:nent properties which are conceded I
by expert opinion to present outstaml- |
ng indications of developing into
productive mines. The district con
tains many other properties of high
merit but lack of space will prevent
detailed mention of only those of out
standing prominence.
The following properties are lo
cated in the Texas Creek area of the
Hyder district.
Metcalf and Fendley group: includes
21 claims on tlie northwest slope of
Banded mountain and contains a gold
bearing mineral zone of more than j
•100 feet known length" and rang
ing up to 97 feet in width. Minerali- !
zation is iron pyrite and gold. De
velopment includes 190 feet of tunnel
run during the past season, in addition
to large amount of surface work.
Marietta Gold Mines: L. C. Thorton,
manager: North side of Texas Creek,
20 miles northwest of Hyder. Auto-1
nohile road connects with Hyder; ti j
•laims. carrying values in gold, silver
uni lead. Developed sulphides assay, j
Gold, 0.5 ozs. per ion, silver 99 oz. per
ton, lead It per cent. Average value ;
>f highest grade gold ore found 250 j
oz.
Ibex Group: on ibex Mountain on !
Texas creek highway. Consists of 9
claims and 2 fractions; considerably
mineralized, shown by open cut work.
Horse trail from highway to work
ngs. Assay values; gold, S2 to SI5.
ilver, 21 to 10 oz., lead 4S per cent.
Silver Coin Group; Ibex Mountain, j
1 claims, tunnel and open cut work, i
issay values, gold. $2 to $21, silver
22 oz., lead, 65 per cent.
Homestake Group; Ibex Mountain
-! claims. Development. 100 feet tun
nel, extensive open cutting. A smelter
shipment gave average returns of
$0 per ton net.
Hyder Lead Mines, Inc; Hyder,
Uaska: Capital $2,500,000. Property
includes 29 claims. Most advanced
development in the Texas creek seo
t.ion. 20 miles from Hyder, with a
leveloped tonnage of 3.000 tons of ore,
average value- $11.00 per ton. Auto
road connects mine with Hyder.
Texas-Keno Mining Company, Inc:
capital 100,000 shares, 65,000 outstand
ing; 14 claims , Texas creek, adjoining
Hyder Lead. Development work, 130
•"t. tunnel on 6 ft. galena lead, with
numerous open cuts on other quartz
eads and mineral zones. Assays from
galena leads show gold, M to 1 oz.
per ton, silver, 6 to 10 oz. per ton,
'.ead. 35 to 50 per cent. Auto road con
nects property with Texas Creek
Highway."
Blasher Group: Prank Biasher, own
>r: 8 claims at head of Texas Creek,
several leads show values up to $15
in gold, silver, lead and copper. De
velopment work, 2 short tunnels and
7 open cuts; good camp buildings on
Texas highway .
Lower Salmon River Area.
I
Crest Group; Oren F. Hill, owner.
Fourteen claims located east slope
! Salmon River valley about 7000 feet
; south of Premier mine, at elevations
ranging from 1000 to 3500 feet. Lies
along contact of Bear River series
(greenstone and tuffs) on east and
granodiorite and altered phases on
i
t-mm
1 i
FREIGHTING ORE IN WINTER
West, crossed by intrusive porphyry
dikes. Assays high gold values, with
substantial silver-lead values.
Hyder Monarch Gold Mining Co., Inc:
i'apitalization ,100,000 sliares common,
par 10 cts. Six claims on east side
Salmon valley adjacent to Riverside
mine. Ides in granordiorite near con
laet with Bear River series. Ore de
posits in fissure veins traversing
granordiorite or following sheared
zones in that formation. Minerali/.a
lion mainly pyrite, galena, chalco
pyrite, sphalerite. Principal values in
gold, silver, lead. Contents vary from
low grade ores of $1.00 or less per
ton to high grade occurences of more
than $500 per ton. Development 50 ft.
tunnel, large amount open cutting,
stripping.
Hyder-Butte Group: Right claims
on Salmon River highway, 9 miles
north of Hytler. Fully equipped with
mine machinery. Value of develop
£&»ur-a«u of
♦fj
TRANSPORTING ORE BY AERIAL TRAMWAY
ment work done $100,000; average
value ore $12 per ton.
Riverside Mine: Seven miles north
of Hyder; 7 patented claims on Sal
mon River highway. Has 50-ton re
duction mill consisting of table con
centrator and flotation plant; power
plant of 300 h. p. capacity; fully
equipped with mine and mill build
ings. Values in gold, silver, lead. Val
lie of improvements $400,000.
Cantu Gold Mining Company, Inc.;
Located 1 mile nortli of Texas high
way on Cantu Mountain, 14 miles
north of Hyder; 21 claims; values in
gold, silver, lead. Development work
includes tunnel, open cuts and dia
mond drilling. Net smelter returns
from ores shipped $1,100. Value of
improvements $40,000.
Mountainview Gold Mining Co., Inc:
Cap. 10.000,000 shares, par 10 cents,
a little over 3,000.000 issued Dev. work
includes over 3,500 feet tunnel and
large amount surface work. Has 4,00*,
ft. tram connecting with Salmon high
way, hydro-power plant, machine
equipment, permanent camps.
Titan Gold Mining Co., Inc., Hyder.
Alaska: Capital $1,500,000; 14 claims
on Fish Creek, 8 miles north of Hy
der, average value high grade gold
ore $80 ton; average value othei
ores S7.00 ton; extensive barite de
posits; Value of improvements $43,
300.
Georgia River District
Georgia River Gold Mines, Ltd.:
Cap. $3,000,000 par $1.00. Dev. work
1930, included extension of No. 3
tunnel on Bullion vein about 200 ft
A raise along the vein to connect
with tlie Bullion tunnel is reported
to have encountered encouraging
mineralization. Gold values predomin
ate.
North Country Mining Co., Ltd:
Cap. $2,000,000, par $1. Twenty-four
claims on Bulldog Creek divide
reached hy good trail 8 miles long
Dev. work includes about 585 feet
tunneling on various showings, in ad
dition to several hundred feet oi
tunnel in adjacent quartz diorite
Mineralization chietly pyrite, zinc
blende and gatena.
Marmot River District
Porter-ldaho Mining Co., Ltd: Cap
4,000.000, shares, par 50 cts. Includes
7 claims on north fork of Marmot
River. Controlled by Premier Gold
Mining Co., who in 1928 agreed tc
expend $500,000 on property. Exten
sive construction and installation oi
machinery was completed, including
an extensive aerial tram system from
the mine at 5085-feet elevation tr
large bunkers at tide level on Portland
Canal, 4 miles below. The Porter
Idaho is noted for the high silver con
tent of its ores, which run close tc
$3C0 per ton in that metal alone, in
addition to important gold and lead
values.
Prosperity Mine: Principal produc
er of Marmot section and second tc
Premier in value of production. I
third largest silver producer in Brit
ish Columbia. Production in 1930
1,400,000 ounces sijver.
Bimetallic Syndicate: Five claim.'
in Marmot valley, 3 miles from tide
water, reached hy horse trail. Ores
show high gold valuos, in addition tc
silver.
Bear River District
Silverado Consolidated Mines, Ltd:
Controlled by Premier company. Main
ore occurrences consist of series ol
four shear-zones containing lenses ol
high-grade silver-lead-zinc ore.
United Empire Gold and Silver
Mining Co., Ltd: Capital 4,000,000
shares, par 50 ets. 12 crown granted
I claims and 2 fractious. West side of
; Bear Valley 4 miles from Stewart.
.
Argentine Syndicate: 9 claims on
i Glacier creek, reached by good trail
Values silver, gold, lead, zinc. Smelter
j assays showed gold, 0.11 oz. per ton,
j silver, 323.80 oz. zinc, 10.8 per cent.
Ben Bolt Mining Co: Crown-grant
] ed property near south fork Glaciet
Creek. Ores zinc-blende, galena and
pyrite mineralization.
Mayflower Mining Co., Ltd: Eigh
claims 6 miles north of Stewart, hal
mile from highway, good trail t(
property. Mineralization pyrite, ehal
copyrite. Values gold, silver.
A. and T. Group: Nineteen claims
and fractions on Bear ltiver 11 miles
north of Stewart, reached by good
horse trail. 4 miles in length. Miner
alization mainly chalcopyrite. Values
gold, silver, copper.
Independence Gold Mining Co., Ltd:
Capital 3,500,000 shares , par $1.00.
Property 12 miles north of Stewart
on the railroad and 1 mile from the
highway. Values in gold, silver, lead,
zinc. Value of improvements $200,
000.
American Creek Mining Co., Ltd:
Capital $1,000,000, par value 25 cents.
Property located on American Creek,
values, gold, silver.
Upper Salmon River District
Premier Gold Mining Co., Ltd:
Capital $5,000,000, par value $1.00.
Largest producer of gold and second
largest producer of silver in Brit
sh Columbia.. Brought into product
ion in 1918. since, which time it
lias produced over 1,991,000 tons of
ire, yielding over $1,171,500 ounces
if gold, 30,440,000 ounces of silver.
The gross production in dollars has
been $39,750,000. The payroll of the
Premier and subsidiaries averages
5700,000 per annum. The average
number of employees in 1930 was
.70. Underground workings include
14 miles of drifts, crosscuts and rais
>s and the aggregate of diamond
trill holes is 18 miles. The average
yearly purchases of the company
amount to $550,000. The tram em
ployed to convey ore to tidewater is
he longest single drive tram in the
world, with 23 miles of continuous
raction cable employed over a dist
inee of 11 miles. The speed of the
ram is 6 miles per hour.
Premier has maintained full-time
iperation in spite of low-silver prices
luring the past year and has made
io wage reductions. This is a record
.chieved by but few companies to
vhom silver is a principal source of
•evenue during the continued lower
ag of tlie price of silver.
B. C. Silver Mines, Ltd: Property
djoins Premier on North and is con
1 rolled by Selukwe Gold Mining and
finance Co., Ltd., of London, Eng.
Mine developed down to the seventh
| evel and an approximate depth of
14(K) feet helow surface. Several miles
it' underground work has exposed
mmerous valuable ore deposits, of an
stiniated value in excess of $6,000,
000.
Big Missouri Group: Controlled by
Buena Vista Mining Co., subsidiary of
'onsolidated Mining & Smelting Co.;
13 claims and fractions, located 5
,piles north of Premier. The main
lilicified zone, which is being ex
plored, has an indicated length of
i00 feet, and varies from about 175
o 300 feet in width. In this area sev
ral bands of silicified porphyry 10
.o 50 feet wide occur and carry er
.atic gold values, which in spots give
issays ranging into thousands of dol
; ars. The general average, however is
,ow. A 100-ton pilot mill installed last
..ear is employed in the development
• perations. Development includes a
urge amount of drifting aud diamond
trilling.
Unicorn Mining Co., Ltd: Nine
claims and fractions adjoining Big
Missouri and presenting similar
geological characteristics. Mineral
zation is extensive. Values in gold
jiui silver over a wide surface area
and native gold is found frequently
u the main tunnel, now in about
t00 feet. As in the case of the Big
' Missouri the average is low. Develop
] .nent results are uniformly encourag
ng.
Salmon-Gold Group: Twenty-six
claims on Summit Lake, north of
Big Missouri, owned by Ted Morris,
of Stewart, and associates.. Scene of
the district’s latest important gold
! discovery mineralization pyrrohotite
pyrite, clialcopyrite, zinc-blende, gal
! ena. Samples from the several
1 ore zones taken by mining engineers
I show a consistent gold content rang
ing from 0.28 oz. per ton to 2.68 oz.
in 18 assays. Silver content of the
same samples ranged from a trace
to 11.42 oz. per ton. Samples were
obtained over widths of from one to
10 feet. Development by open cuts.
Attracted by the highly promising
surface aspects of this property, the
Premier Gold Mining Company ob
tained an option while publication of
this edition was in progress and plans
lo do extensive diamond drilling
thereon.
I About 35,000 persons travel to Alas
ka annually on the twenty-five steani
I ers operated by five companies.
One hundred and thirty-two can
neries are operating in Alaska.
-o
Department of Commerce figures
show that Alaskans spend about three
dollars to every dollar per capita
spent in the States.