84 REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF MINES, 1929.

zinc-lead ore, near the confluence of the Tulsequah and Taku rivers, and staked the Big Bull
and other claims, now known as the Manville group. Almost immediately, competition arose
between outstanding mining corporations for the acquisition of this property. This culminated
in July in the extraordinary situation of three companies submitting an unlimited number of
sealed bids, which were opened on a stipulated date. These negotiations resulted in the Alaska
Juneau Gold Mining Company acquiring a working option on a 55-per-cent. interest in the
property for $75,000, which involved a cash-down payment of $25,000.

The Manville discovery and subsequent deal, coupled with the promising development of the
Tulsequah Chief under the direction of J. B. Stapler, of the United Eastern Mining Company,
finally attracted the attention of prospectors and brought the mineral potentialities of the Taku
River area into the limelight. Towards the latter part of the 1929 season, prospectors began to
arrive in the country. It should be clearly understood, however, that there was no rush or
stampede such as was pictured by the daily press. In September, when the area was examined,
not more than forty prospectors were in the territory. Most of these were congregated around
. the mouth of the Tulsequah river. Only very desultory prospecting had been carried out by
these men, mainly in the lower altitudes. Several interesting further discoveries had been
made, however.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.

The achievement by active exploration and development, and the comparative ease and
rapidity of results attending more or less cursory prospecting effort, portends a promising future
for the region. A very small section of the area has as yet been only skimmed. A large extent of
geologically favourable virgin territory, equally as promising as that in which ore-bodies of
economic importance have already been discovered, awaits the prospector’s pick. During one
brief season the Taku River section has produced one semi-developed mine, one exceptionally
promising new find, and several other interesting discoveries.

An important and favourable feature of the area is that the geology and the already dis-
covered ore-bodies show promise of mineral occurrences of size. Although high-grade ores of
the precious metals are not to be expected, the discoveries and geology indicate that the area
harbours low-grade base-metal ore-bodies carrying appreciable supporting values in gold and
silver. Such a combination does not unduly excite the imagination into hazardous calculations
of unwarranted millions. The problem of developing the Taku ore-bodies into profitable produc-
tion will call for skilled, careful, and conservative handling. The character of the main dis-
coveries is, however, of the type that indicates appreciable tonnage mines necessitating metal-
lurgical expansion and the employment of much labour. These are factors that tend towards
stability and expansion of operations, with a widespread influence on the future prosperity of
British Columbia’s north-west and the industrial development of the coastal area in general.
It is in this light that the successful development of the complex sulphide deposits of the Taku
River area is of the utmost importance.

The chief ore occurrences so far discovered are a low-grade complex of copper, zinc, lead,
and iron sulphide mineralization. The factor of values in these deposits, particularly that of
the Tulsequah Chief, is somewhat intricate. If carelessly scrutinized, misleading impressions
can occur. Widths and mineral distribution that may have an important bearing on mining
methods and the value of ore mined are involved questions in the matter. ‘These associated
conditions will be extended under a later heading. For the purpose of this summary it can be
taken that the values contained in the ore-shoots as they were developed at the time of examina-
tion are as follows:—Tulsequah Chief: Gold, 0.1 oz. to the ton; silver, 3.5 oz. to the ton;
copper, 1.75 per cent.; lead, 0.6 per cent.; zinc, 6 per cent. Manville group: Gold, 0.12 oz.
to the ton; silver, 6 oz. to the ton; copper, 2 per cent.; lead 1 per cent.; zine, 15 per cent.

It is unfortunate that, with the present status of the zine market, little profit, if any, can
be expected from the content of this metal in the ore. Whether this condition will improve or
not, it is evident that should appreciable production of this’ metal materialize from the Taku
deposits, the problem of its profitable marketing must inevitably be met by the establishment
of zinc-lead smelting and refining facilities on seaboard and close at hand. With the zinc-lead
content of so many smaller deposits of the North-west awaiting the deciding factor of stable
tonnage that will materialize such a metallurgical facility, the possible influence of the Taku
deposits on the expansion of the coastal mining industry is profound.

Considered from a concentration and separation aspect, it would seem that, although the
problem is intricate, the ores should offer no refractory difficulty. A clean separation of metallic