2
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.

There are several properties in the silver-lead-zine group, and in the
copper-gold group, which are not being worked, and which have showings
indicative of a considerable amount of milling-ore and more or less high
grade ore. These properties have been partly developed, but work on them
has been shut down from lack of capital, the cost of mining and shipping
the high grade material being prohibitive without returns from the milling-
ore which must be opened up or extracted in mining the high grade ore.

For example, the claims on the north face of Ninemile mountain form
a blanket which covers the whole upper slope and extends for 2 miles
horizontally. These claims are divided into small groups under separate
ownership, and at present none of them is being worked. The same veins
extend across several claims or groups, and milling-ore is common to all
the groups, but only a few have outcrops of high grade or shipping-ore
sufficiently large to tempt prospectors to exploit the property for that
alone. The conditions in the area are such that the whole western half
at least could be worked—from one camp—as one mine with a common
tram system. An aerial tram, less than 2 miles in length, would connect
the workings with a mill-site on the Shegunia river where the power
necessary for operating the mines could be developed.

On Rocher Déboulé mountain, especially in the Juniper Creek basin,
the Rocher De Boule mine is the only property which is in a position to
carry on mining to the best advantage. The various properties, though
not favourably situated for complete co-operation, would be immensely
benefited by co-operating in securing a central power-station, a custom
mill located on Juniper creek, and a common tram system for carrying
their concentrates and shipping ore to the railway. A good system of
accounting would readily determine the proportion of cost of operation
to be borne by each property.

In conclusion, it may be said that the district about Hazelton offers
an excellent example of mining conditions over which a certain amount
of government supervision would be of great advantage to the properties
concerned, and to the country as a whole. If general co-operation were
made compulsory in cases like this, it would tend to more efficient develop~
ment of the district as a whole, and ensure a thorough test of all likely
properties at a minimum of expense. It would also conserve a large amount
of valuable mineral in lower grade properties, which under present

_ conditions will be wasted, or rendered unavailable for extraction at a

profit by the exhaustion of the more valuable properties.

All properties in the district are within reasonable distance of railway
transportation; there is an abundance of water-power and of timber for
mining; the veins are strong and contain deep vein minerals, and, there-
fore, may be expected to hold their values to considerable depth; the
climate is good, and the labour market fair. With all these advantages
it seems unwarrantable that properties should remain unproved.

GENERAL CHARACTER OF DISTRICT.

LOCATION AND AREA.

The district under investigation is known as the Hazelton sub-district
of the Omineca mining division; it has an area of approximately 225