The Ketchikan Mining News
VOL. I. KETCHIKAN, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1907. NO. 1
Many Lives Saved
By buying Drugs
at the Neatest Drug Store in Alaska
The Revilla Drug Co.
1J. R. HECKMAN & CO. 1
>! Have just q£
I Received the Agency I
j? j to Hanan & Sons fine dress &
I Burr & Packard Patent J0j
5 k mj \ Leather Shoes for men
v) warrented not to crack ®
/ k ^We have the only &
(|) for men sheds water, y
II it* appearance from any ^
j|! They Are Absolutely Waterproof g
b The Department Store g
> Ketchikan - - Alaska |
Rate*; $1.00 to $3.00 Electric Lighted
Room with Bath Steam heated
*
Hotel Stedman
European
Ketchikan
JOHN W. STEDMAN
Proprietor AlaSKA
HMMMtNMIMtMHtMMW
J. P. Smith & Son
Ketchikan • • Alaska
We are
Headquarters for
Fresh Fruits, Candies,
Cigars and Tobaccos
We also carry a
complete line of
Stationery, Pens, Ink
Pencils and Tablets
agents for
SEATTLE DAILY
STAR
Call and see us
MINING NOTES
————
A Record of What Is Being: Done
In the Mining: Circles of
This District
—Upward and onward, steadily and
surely, the Ketchikan Mining District
takes its way to a glorious future.
—Another rich strike is reported to
have been made at the Niblack, but
nothing definite is yet known as to the
probable extent of the new ore body.
—Rumors of the consolidation of the
Copper Mountain and Alaska Indust
rial Company are probably without
much foundation, if indeed any at all.
—D. W. Sanford and "Billy” Pow
ers are in town, having completed the
annual expenditure for lOOfi on their
locations in the vicinity of Dali Head.
—The Brown Alaska company has a
force of men doing annual assessment
work on its group of eight mineral
locations on the southeast end of Gra
vina island, near Dali Head.
—Miles Fleming came over last week
from Kitkoon bay, Prince of Wales,
where he had been doing contract
work on the McMillin and Scholtz
properties. These are the properties
that have heretofore l>een worked by
A. Eugene Knapp for the same
owners.
—Wm. Reed and “Jim” York who
have been doing assessment work for
Guzman and Lathrop, on their loca
tions at the upper lake, Karta bay,
report a very encouraging show of
mineral on the property. They traced
the ledge, carrying apparently good
values in copper, gold and silver, over
a length of 1800 feet—a good strong
ledge too.
—Sumner Cobb, Jimmy Nesbitt,
Fred Koenig, and Wm. Reed are the
locators of three locations along the
side lines of the Guzman and Lathrop
claims, on which there is a good show
of mineral, and "Jimmy” Nesbitt has
five others near the Rush and Brown
mine on which he has found bornite.
Adjoining the Goodro property is that
of J. L. Parker, Hans Andersen, Fred
Koenig nnd Sumner Cobb, on which
they have mnde a good showing of
ore in nil respects similar to that of
the Goodro, and which promises to
prove equally as large and rich.
With all these properties in course of
development the Karta bay section is
likely to be the scene of much mining
activity the coming season.
—A force of men was sent over last
week to begin work on a trail from the
water side to the Moonshine property,
Cholmondeley Sound, Prince of Wales
Island, to be supplemented with an
other crew and all necessary material
for the erection of a building for the
accommodation of the men who will
be employed in the construction of a
wharf, preparatory to the beginning
of active mining operations early in
the spring. This is the galena prop
erty which was taken over under bond
a few months ago by W. W. C'atlin,
who, it is understood, has since con
cluded its purchase. The work done
on the property by Mr. C’atlin shows a
very strong and apparently durable
ledge with average values of over $50
to the ton in lead and silver. The
property was located by W. A. Pat
terson, John McCallion and Christ.
Hoover being associated with him in
the original ownership.
Col. Shoenbnr, who arrived here
from Boston aliout the middle of De
cemlier, after an absence of nearly a
year, has commenced on a systematic
plan of development work on the prop
erty near town formerly known as the
Laskawonda. He is working three
shifts of eight hours each in a shaft
located on the Tonowonda claim, aliout
<150 feet west of the old one, and which
was commenced last year, while at the
same time others are employed doing
assessment work on all the other
claims constituting the group. He has
had the shaft house and bunk and
boarding houses put in good condition
for the accommodation and comfort of
the men employed, and informs The
Mining News that it is his intention
to sink the shaft as far as it may lie
fairly practicable to go by hand or
with the aid of a temporary hoisting
plant, pending the installment of a
permanent plant, consisting of two
(toilers, 35-lip. engine, hoist and a
Norwalk compressor with a capacity
for driving 8 jiower drills, the older
for which has been placed. Mr. Hone
the mechanical engineer and expert,
who came here with Col. Shoenbar in
Decemlier, is now in the east looking
after that part of the business, and it
was on his advice the plant was de
cided upon and ordered. The plan of
operations as laid out contemplates
the sinking of the Tonowonda shaft to
a depth of 300 feet before doing any
drifting, cross-cutting or sloping.
The shaft is now down about 40 feet,
and presents an encouraging show of
mineral all the way down; in fact,
some of the rock taken out would
seem to indicate something better
than an ordinarily low grade proposi
tion, which last is all that has ever
been claimed for this property. The
name of the corporation or syndicate
which Col. Shoenbar represents, is the
Ketchikan Consolidated Mining Com
pany, largely made up of Boston and
New York capitalists. The successful
development of this nearby mining
property is, perhaps, of more immed
iate importance to the continued
growth Rnd prosperity of Ketchikan,
than that of any other in the district,
and in his persistent efforts to attain
a consummation so devoutly to be
wished, he should have the good
wishes and united support of all our
people.
There is another coal famine, and
one which seriously threatens to be
come more distressing than that of a
few months ago. The dealers' stocks
are completely exhausted and not only
is the question of supply for domestic
use a grave one, but one which seri
ously affects the business and indus
trial interests of the town and dis
trict. The tug G'layburn, which plies
between Hadley and Maple Bay in the
ore-carrying trade, is wholly crip
pled for'the want of fuel, and' a sus
pension of operations at the Had ley
smelter, and at some of the mines oh
Prince of Wales is imminent. Fortu
nately the abundance of wood to be
had from nearby forests, which can lie
had for the cost of cutting and haul
ing, will serve to avert the suffering
winch might otherwise ensue. H
there l>e no serious interruption to
navigation on the Seattle-Skagway
route, and consequent delay in th'e
transportation of the mails, to say
nothing of the freight and passenger
traffic we may consider ourselves
fortunate indeed.
ASK SQUARE DEAL '-’OR ALASKA.
In the presence of the actual and
recognized needs of Alaska, Gov.
Hoggatt traveled somewhat out of his
way, in his annual rep irt to President
Roosevelt, when he rt commended the
appointment of a commission for the
purjiose of ascertaining precisely the
nature and extent of Alaska's needs.
In ordinary circumsi tnces it seems
to be the business of tT-e governor to
know the needs of the territory over
which he presides, and if he doesn’t
know, he ought to be able to find out
these things without putting the gov
ernment to extra expense. It is not
only his business to know, but it is
also his duty to know tlie legislative
needs of the territory over which he
is given authority.
Alaska’s needs are —lemental, Mr.
Waskey, one of the delegates from
Alaska has pressed the real, actual
and urgent needs of Alaska upon the
attention of the national government.
Alaska not only needs, but Alaska
also deserves a territorial form of
government, a form of government, in
fact and in spirit, in harmony with
American institutions and the tradi
tional policy and hitherto unbroken
practice of the republic. No commis
sion is needed to give emphasis to the
fact.
Nothing less than a territorial form
of government will meet the actual
needs of Alaska, and certainly noth
ing less will satisfy the American cit
izens who have built homes and
founded industries there. These citi
zens have some sort of claim on the
national government, and the govern
ment will do less than its duty by
them if it shall fail to honor their de
mand for juster treatment at tlie
hands of congress.
Alaska is developing rapidly. It is
steadily increasing 'n population.
New industries are constantly spring
ing up. Mines are be:ng opened and
worked. Railroad construction is
making rapid progress. The people
there are industrious, intelligent and
law-abiding. They should be given a
form of government which will per
mit them to to work out such local
problems as may concern them. Not
in all the torritni-jvil^ /istiSi-y of the
American nation has the national gov
ernment withheld, as it is now with
holding from Alaska, the boon and
blessing of organized local intsitu
tions.
Alaska should be given, not a junk
eting commission to inquire into facts
already known, but a territorial form
of government, such as has been given
to other territories from the begin
ning of the American nation. That
would be the square and just thing to
do.—Seattle P.-I.
ALASKA RANKS SECOND
The director of the mint has given
out a preliminary estimate of the gold
production of the United States, dur
ing the calendar year 1906, in which
he gives the following figures:
State or Gold
Territory. Value
Alaska ..$21,251,100
Arizona.....3,223,800
California.18,633,900
Colorado.22,711,200
Idaho.1,903,300
Montana.4,555,800
Nevada.9,115,800
New Mexico.255,900
Oregon.1,369,1*00
South Dakota.6,822,700
Texas.280,100
Utah. 5,172,500
Washington.352,600
Wyoming.269,400
Other states.429,800
Totals $96,101,400
From the above it will he seen
that Alaska stands second in the
amount of production in the whole list
of gold producing states and territor
ies, but stands first in the way of in
crease as compared with 1905—the
gain being stated by the director at
$6,136,000. Nevada made a gain of
$4,599,000, Arizona $532,000, while
Colorado lost $2,900,000., and Califor
nia, $564,000. A corresponding in
crease this year, which is not at all
unlikely, will place Alaska at the top
of the column for a better reason than
that she will belong there alphabetic
ally.
If this cold wenther continues much
longer, the existing coal famine will
force this new print shop to the coun
try newspaper alternative of advertis
ing “wood taken in payment of sub
scriptions. ’ ’
Bert Faulkner. Ketchikan’s chief of
police, lias resigned to accept the
position of deputy U. S. Marshal at
Juneau, the duties of which office he
will assume the first of the coming
month. Thus are the faithful reward
ed.
D. E. Erickson, assistant treasurer
of the Brown-Alaska Company, re
turned Wednesday morning from a
business trip to Seattle, and left al
most immeidately on the Clayburn,
for the company’s mines at 'Maple
Bay.
C. M. McGrath, representing the
West Const Grocery Co., and L. E.
Buell, of Armour & Co., have both
been in town the past few days look
ing after the interests of their re
speotlve bouses,
HADLEY
The Brown-Alaska’s Smelter and
Mines Are Assured Money
Makers
For the past two years, or more,
public interest and speculation as to
the probable successful outcome of
copper mining endeavor in the Ketch
ikan district has been centered mainly
on the operations of the Brown-Alaska
Company at Hadley, Prince of Wales
Island, and the properties in course of
development in that immediate vicin
ity. This, because of the compara
tively much larger amount of capital
which was l>eing, and has been, ex
pended in the development of its
Mamie Mine, and the erection and
equipment of a new and thoroughly
up-to-date smelter of 500 tons daily
capacity. The Mining News is pleased
in being able to truthfully announce
that the public interest centered in
that enterprise is now abundantly sat
isfied by an issue so complete as to
forever set at rest any doubts which
may have been entertained as to the
very great value of the mineral de
posits of this district.
The Brown Alaska company’s Mamie
mine is situate a little over a mile
from the beach at Hadley, where the
smelter is located, and with which it
is connected by a surface tram road
and a Case aerial tram. Its mining
property at this point embraces six
locations—Mamie Nos. 1 and 2, Doo
little Nos. 1 and 2, Kensington and
Middlesex—all patented. The ore is
a chalcopyrite, in one case contained
in a mixed gangue of magnetite,
chlorite, hornblende, etc., and in the
other case in a silicious gangue.
These ores occur in lenticular depos
its, the trend of the formation being
about N. W. 28 deg. E. These lenses
vary in size, so far as shown by the
development, from 50 to 175 feet in
length, 15 to 35 feet in width, and
from 12 to 40 feet in vertical depth.
Where the ore is silicious the deposits
are largest. The formation at one
time was evidently a limestone, which
was later shattered by intrusive dikes
of diorite, porphyry and felcites, which
also had the effect to alter the char
acter of the rock near their contact.
These dikes have an important bear
ing on the ore deposits, as the latter
follow along their strike and occur in
close proximity to them.
At the Mamie mine fully one mile
of development work has been accom-1
plished from the main tunnels and
shafts, besides three-quarters of a
mile of diamond drill work. No. 1,
the upper tunnel, is 265 feet in length,
(a part of the way in ore), an average
of 60 feet below the surface, with 177
feet of crosscuts and 160 feet of raises.
No. 2 tunnel is across the strike of the
lenses, and 425 feet in length, with a
number of cross-cuts, drifts and raises.
Preston tunnel is at right angle to the
strike, 360 feet southeast of No. 2,
and is 105 feet long, with 100 feet of
lateral development. The main shaft
is down 300 feet from the surface, and
12 feet below the level of No. 2 tun
nel, with cross-cuts, drifts and raises,
one of the latter connecting with No.
2 tunnel workings. About 45,000 tons
of ore have been mined from these
workings and sent to the smelter dur
ing the past two years.
The mine equipment consists of one
straight line air compressor with
capacity for driving seven power
drills, and one of 5-drill capacity; one
double-drum, double-cylinder hoist
12x16, one single-drum hoist 7x10, and
one 5x5, two boilers 80 and 100 horse
power, respectively, and one No. 5
Cameron sinking pump. The diamond
drill is of 500 feet capacity, and the
machine drills are sufficient for a
daily output of 200 tons.
The Case aerial tramway has a pres
ent capacity for carrying 200 tons
daily, but can be increased to 500 tons
by simply adding to the number of
buckets as they may be required. The
ore bins at the mine and smelter are
of the capacity of 1,000 tons each.
The mine buildings consist of the
compressor house—the upper story
being utilized as a change room for
the miners—boarding house, bunk
house—the two supplying accommoda
tions for 60 men—offices with sleeping
rooms, and an assay office.
The assay values of the ores average
from 2.5 to 3.5 per cent copper, .03
oz. gold and .3 oz. silver.
A change in the general manage
ment of the company’s mines was
made the first of the year, Mr. J. L.
Parker having resigned and Mr. N.
O. Lawton being appointed his suc
cessor. Mr. Lawton is a graduate of
the Michigan Mining School, from
which has been graduated many of the
ablest mine managers of the West,
and that he will fill the billet with
credit to himself and to the advantage
of the company is reasonably well
assured.
The smelter, which, as has been
stated, is of 500-ton capacity, is
equipped with the most modern and
best approved machinery and appli
ances throughout, and so constructed
that its daily capacity can be in
creased to 1,200 tons by adding the
necessary number of furnaces at a
comparatively light amount of addi
tional expense It was erected and
equipped under the supervision and
management of Mr. Paul Johnson,
than whom there is probable no more
capable smelter manager in this or
any other country. Mr. Johnson ac
quired his experience in the smelting
business with the Kansas City Smelt
ing and Refining Works, with which
he held a responsible position for sev
eral years when it was the largest
concern of the kind in the United
States, and afterwards with the Gu
genheims, whose employment he left
to come to Alaska. His ability as a
smelter manager and operator is not
only evidenced by the results attained
under the most unfavorable circum
stances at Hadley, but the fact that
much of the machinery, particularly
the sampling mill in operation at that
plant, is of his own invention.
The' smelter was first blown in
December 5, 1905, and since that date
has made a product of 4,800 tons
matte, containing 3,700,000 pounds
refined copper, 2,600 ounces gold and
1!*, 000 ounces silver, of the aggregate
value of $915,000. The number of tons
ore smelted was 75', 000, of which
something more than 40,000 tons came
from the Mamie mine. As is well
known to those acquainted with the
history of operations at the Hadley
smelter during the past year, the run
of the smelter has been subject to fre
quent interruptions because, during
the first few months after starting, of
inability to secure a steady supply of
fluxing ores, and later for lack of coal
and coke. It is, therefore only fair
to state that the product alxwe stated
as having been achieved was the re
sult of only 244 days actual operations.
Now that the smelter is assured of a
steady supply of fluxing ore from its
own mines, it needs but to be relieved
from the existing coal and coke fam
ine to insure it an uninterrupted and
consequently much more lucrative
run.
The recent change in the manage
ment has turned the eyes of the min
ing men of this section upon that
property. The operations of this
company at Hadley and elsewhere lias
long been regarded as an important
matter to this part of Alaska since
there almost alone in the district min
ing, and its attendant industry—smelt
ing a fair chance is being given to see
what could actually lie done under the
prevailing conditions here, having
reference to formations, distance from
fuel supply, markets, etc. Copper
mining in Alaska is in its infancy and
Hadley appears to be the place where
first shall be demonstrated the fact
that it is destined to pass that stage
and enter into a vigorous maturity.
inseparably linked v.itli tl.v work of
development <JfN the mines of the
Brown Alaska Co., until quite rec
ently, is the nnme of the recent general
manager, Mr. J. L. Parker.
Mr. Parker had been in charge of
the mining properties of the company
since May, 1!K)4, when he assumed
charge of the Mamie mine, at Hadley,
then little more than a mere pros
pect. At the time of his resignation,
he had developed it so thoroughly and
systematically that during the last
half year of his incumbency the prop
erty had cleared upwards of $10,000
per month—a remarkable showing
when the geological conditions are
taken into consideration. Until his
arrival the work had been conducted
on the hit or miss principle, with evi
dently more of the latter than the
former. Mr. Parker upon taking
charge began a diamond drill explor
ation on a large scale and followed it
with the results stated.
A little over a year ago, while on
the lookout for silicious ore he secured
for his company the mining property
at Maple Bay, Portland Canal, British
Columbia, known as the Outsiders
group, comprising six full claims,
each 1300 feet square, together with
several fractions. Systematic explor
ation of these properties showed that
they carried an immense vein of sili
cious ore of good values—just the thing
needed as a flux for the magnetite
ores of this locality—and from that
time he bent every effort toward plac
ing them in the list of shipping
mines. The first vein attacked proved
to be a true fissure varying from 5 feet
to 17 feet in width, the ore being a
clialcopryite in quartz gangue, carry
ing values as demonstrated by actual
results at the smelter of from 3 to 3.3
per cent copper, .01 oz. gold and .17
oz. silver.
The main drift on this property has
been driven in 320 feet, with backs of
76 feet to the intermediate drift over
head. Above this, in turn, ore backs
reach an elevation of from 40 to 50
feet. This drift is about 100 feet
lower than a cross-cut tunnel, driven
across to the vein at a point 550 feet
beyond the entrance of the main drift,
with 300 feet of lateral development,
and 120 feet of backs where driven
under the outcrop. The vein has been
exposed by open cuts for 4500 feet
along the strike, with fully 1000 feet
of vertical height, above the main
tunnel, on a length of about 2500 feet.
The method of working this prop
erty varies considerably from that
practised elsewhere in the district,
owing to the fact that the veins are
wholly regular. A pillar, or * ‘stump’ ’
is left above the main working drift
with “chutes” 24 feet apart. The
stopes are then broken away and
enough ore left piled loosely to fill the
(Continued on page 4.)
A SHIPPER
The Mt Andrew Mine Is Coming
To the Front in this Class—Its
Early History
Among the mines of this district of
which an altogether interesting* his
tory might be related, and which is
now steadily forging to the front as a
steady and profitable producer of the
red metal, is the Mt. Andrew, Knsaan
pensinsula, Prince of Wale s island.
The property, consisting of ten or
more locations, was located some ten
or twelve years ago ^by parties grul>
staked and sent out by Samuel Lichten
stadter, and who were to have an int
erest with him. After the locations
had been made and recorded, Mr. L.
purchased the other interests, and
succeeded in enlisting an English cap
italist named Andrew, for whom the
mine is named, to the extent of an
agreement to furnish the capital
necessary for the development of the
property on a scale commensurate
with its then apparent promise of
ultimate large returns. Under this
arrangement large sums of money
were expended in the work of devel
opment, surveys, etc., but when it
came to filing application for patent
Mr. Lichtenstadter found himself beset
with adverse claims filed by, or in
the interest of, those whose interests
he had bought and paid for, in some
instances twice over, and he was sub
jected to long and expensive litiga
tion, during which time Mr. Andrew
died, thus putting an end to the sup
ply of funds from that source when
finally the litigation should be ended.
This litigation resulted in tying up
the property, so far as development
was concerned, for several years, for
though he finally obtained patent, Mr.
L. found himself without means with
which to resume work, and conse
quently the mine remained idle until
he effected the arrangement under
which it is now being operated.
An interesting part of the history
of the Mt. Andrew is the source of
the knowledge which led to its discov
ery and location. While in the Yukon
country, just prior to coming here,
-Mr. Lichtenstadter met an old pros
pector who informed him that he had
found copper ore on Prince of Wales
Island a year or two before, and who
showed him a small sample of the
rock. Mr. L. at once entered into an
agreement to pay the^prospector one
thousand dollars, on condition that he
should be given iiwuimalion that t
would enable him to find the place,
and that he should find the conditions
as stated on going upon the ground.
He was furnished by the prospector
with a crude pencil sketch of the
Kasaan peninsula, with the point of
discovery indicated thereon, and com
ing here experienced little difficulty
in finding and securing the locations
as stated.
The Mt. Andrew is now being oper
ated by the Brittania Smelting Com
pany, under lease and bond from Mr.
Lichtenstadter. The mine equipment
is ample for all present requirements,
a force of 30 men and four drills being
employed in development work, and
in mining and shipping ore at the
rate of 100 tons daily. A Riblet
aerial tramway, 3,000 feet in length,
carries the product from the mine to
the bins at the water side, whence it
is shipped direct to the company’s
smelter at Crofton, B. C.
Mr. W. C. Freeburn is general
manager, on the ground, and the fact
that, assuming charge only a little, if
any, more than a year ago, he has not
only installed all necessary improve
ments, but at the same time put the
mine in a condition for a compara
tively large and steadily increasing
production proves conclusively that he
is the right man in the right place—
9,000 tons having been mined and
shipped during the three months im
mediately preceding January 1.
The Fidalgo Island company’s can
nery at this place, which made a pack
of 29,000 cases last year, will lie oper
ated again the coming season, at least
so says superintendent Rounsfell.
The Seattle Times is authority for
the statement that the canneries at
Boca de Quadra and Hunter’s bay,
owned by the Northwestern Fisheries
Company, will be operated next sea
! son and that crews will be sent up to
put them in order.
The genial countenance of Fred
1 Patching, superintendent of the
i Alaska Packers Association’s salmon
hatchery at Loring, has lightened the
i gloom which has been lowering over
the 'streets of Ketchikan the past few
days, or would have so lowered but
i for his presence. Fred can hatch out
i more salmon in any given period of
- time than a hard-working hen can
- hatch chickens in a thousand years,
i and not half try.
It is definitely stated, and authori
tatively so, that the Ketchikan Steam
' ship Company has signed a ocntract
with the Morans for the building of
‘ an 800-ton steamer for the Seattle
Ketcliikan run, and which it is hoped
' to have ready to go into commission
! not later than June 1st. The contract
I for a new boat was nec ssitated by the
. inability of the company to find one
■ suitable for its use that could be
bought at a reasonable price.