REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF MINES, 1929.

A grab sample from a heavily pyritized dyke, showing some arsenopyrite, outcropping 60 feet
east of the upper tunnel assayed: Gold, 0.44 oz. to the ton; silver, 1.5 oz. to the ton; copper,
trace; lead, trace; zinc, 0.8 per cent. This zone has not been opened up on the surface; it
appears to be of appreciable width and the assay is a decidedly encouraging indication. The
zone should be cut in the lower tunnel and the pyritized area of that working should be syste-
matically sampled. ;

Several pyritized felsite, quartz-porphyry, and syenite dykes eutting the greenstones should
be carefully prospected for gold values. Much constructive prospecting can still be carried out
on the property and should lead to further discoveries of interest.

The 1929 season’s work embraced the continuation of the fault-vein tunnel to about 100 feet.
This yein showed no improvement in solidification. The upper tunnel at 3,500 feet elevation on
the replacement shear-zone was then continued ahead a few feet, with reported interesting
results.

This property is worthy of more intensive exploration than it has received. Constructive
work with a view to developing a mill-grade ore could be well concentrated on the replacement
shear-zone. This could be initially carried out by drifting in both directions on this zone from
the lower tunnel, with lateral crosseuts through the zone at intervals, and a systematic sampling
at 5-foot intervals as the work proceeds.

This group of eighteen claims is situated at about 2,500 feet altitude on the

A. and T. west side of the Bear River yalley, about 11 miles from Stewart. The

property is owned by Armstrong, Tooth, and Howse, of Stewart. The show-

ings are described in the 1928 Annual Report. 'The property was bonded by the Consolidated

Mining and Smelting Company of Canada early in the 1929 season. This company had these

claims surveyed and carried out 1,543 feet of diamond-drilling up to the close of the summer

season. The results of this work were discouraging and at the conclusion of operations the

Consolidated relinquished the option. .

This company was incorporated in 1924 with 2 capitalization of $1,500,000,

Independence which was increased to $3,500,000 in 1926, composed of 3,250,000 common

Gold Mining Co., and 250,000 8-per-cent. preferred shares, par value $1. It is understood

Ltd.* that control is held by the Revenue Mining Company, Limited, which company

is affiliated with the Revenue Consolidated Mines Company, Limited. Active

exploration of the property was continued by the Revenue Mining Company up to late in the

season, when operations closed for the winter. It is understood that results from about 3,000

feet of diamond-drilling of the main zone carried out during 1928 warranted the undertaking
of appreciable underground exploration. °

The company’s holdings consist of a large block of claims on the north side of Goose creek,
about 12 miles from Stewart.. The property is reached by following the railway-line from a
road-house near Bear lake and then taking the A. and T. trail for some distance, when the
Independence trail branches off to the right, crosses a bridge over Goose creek, and then switch-
backs up the hill to the camp. ‘The trail is in fairly good condition.

The showing consists of a series of mineralized zones in greenstone-bands of variable widths,
lying between a number Of large granitie dykes which cross the country in a north-westerly

direction. Mineralization consists mostly of zinc-blende with some galena and pyrite in a quartz-
barite-jasper-calcite gangue. During the season work has been concentrated on the two tunnels
on the No. 1 vein.

No. 1 tunnel, at an elevation of 2,950 feet, has been advanced to a length of 700 feet and a
crosscut to the north-east cuts through about 18 feet of mineralized matter. A chip sample over
15 feet assayed: Gold, trace; silver, 1.8 oz. to the ton; lead, trace; zine, 3.8 per cent. No, 2
tunnel, at an elevation of 2,760 feet, is also in about 700 feet, and the mineralized zone, which
parallels the tunnel to the south-west, has been cut by several crosscuts and averages at least
12 feet in width. A chip sample over 5 feet of mineralized matter in the last crosseut from
No. 2 tunnel assayed: Gold, 0.04 oz. to the ton; silver, 1.6 oz. to the ton; lead, trace; zine,
4 per cent. The zone was drifted on from a point in the last crosscut, but appears to be cut
off by a dyke. It is extremely difficult to form an opinion as to what has actually happened
without making a survey, and no plan of the workings was forthcoming.

The equipment consists of an Ingersoll portable compressor, rock-drills

» and a blower driven
by a small gasoline-motor.