8

another twenty years that claims were staked on the many mineral deposits
farther east and south. Almost twenty-five years elapsed before the dis-
covery of mineral deposits on Maroon mountain 15 miles northwest of
Usk. There was considerable mining activity throughout the area between
1920 and 1930, but failure to find large ore-bodies discouraged the pro-
motors. An attempt was made by Columario Consolidated Gold Mines,
Limited, between 1933 and 1935, to develop their mining property near
Usk into a paying mine. A strong vein system was explored, but ore shoots
were not as numerous as anticipated. Acquisition and development of the
Dardanelle property 12 miles up Zymoetz river by Omineca Gold Quartz
Mines, Limited, during 1935-36, has stimulated new interest in the area
and much of the old territory is now being re-prospected. Much of the
more inaccessible parts of the area are still unexplored and unfortunately
a heavy drift cover on many of the mountain slopes hides other excellent
prospecting ground.

Small-scale placer operations have been carried on for almost fifty
years in this area, and many of the old timers are still working their leases.
Some coarse gold is recovered from time to time, but the yearly production
is now very small. The placer gold occurs in Douglas, Lorne, Fiddler,
Chimdemash, Kleanza, and Phillips creeks.

There is a great variety of mineral deposits in the area and over one
hundred groups of mining claims have been staked. The minerals found
in order of importance are: gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, arsenic, tungsten,
and molybdenite. These minerals are all contained in quartz veins which
occur along faults, or in shear zones in the volcanic and sedimentary rocks
of the Hazelton group, or in the batholithic intrusives near these rocks.
Some quartz veins occur along the contacts of intrusive quartz-albite
dykes. A few additional deposits occur in the Triassic and Skeena sedi-
ments.

From the standpoint of mineral associations the deposits may be
subdivided into the following types.

Gold-bearing quartz veins carrying chiefly pyrite. The following
properties have ores of this type: Omineca Gold Quartz Mines, Limited;
Columario Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited; St. Paul and X; Globe.

Gold-bearing quartz veins carrying bornite and chalcocite. The Cor-
dillera, Lucky Luke, Nugget, and Emma properties in the vicinity of Usk
have ores of this type.

Gold-bearing quartz veins carrying pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and galena.
The Bear vein on Maroon mountain has this mineral association.

Gold-bearing quartz veins carrying pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite. The
Martin vein, north of Little Beaver river, is of this type and a number of
other occurrences of arsenopyrite are reported on neighbouring claims.

Quartz veins carrying galena and sphalerite and containing either
argentite or tetrahedrite. The Hunter, Silver Plate, Silver Bow, Black Bull,
and Zymoetz veins are of this type. Other veins containing silver, lead,
and zine occur about 12 miles east of Usk near the headwaters of Legate
and Chimdemash creeks.

Veins and replacements of bornite, chaleocite, and chalcopyrite. There
are a number of these copper deposits on Bornite mountain, the best known