NORTH-WESTERN DISTRICT (No. 1). 63

intervals along a considerable distance below the edge of the glacier. Very encouraging values in gold, silver, copper, lead, and zine are reported in the assay returns from samples taken by the owners. The area has only recently been prospected and it would seem that the discoveries warrant a systematic exploration.

Late in the year the Excelsior Prospecting syndicate was formed in Stewart to commence development of these claims. It is understood that this syndicate is capitalized for $150,000, divided into 15,000 units of $10 par.

Several other groups haye been staked in the locality, including one group by the Northern Prospectors’ Syndicate, of Stewart, on which showings of chalcopyrite are reported.

Sartmon River SEcTION.

For a description of the ore-deposits of this property readers are referred to Premier Gold former Annual Reports and to Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 132. Mining Co., Ltd. Thanks are due to D. L. Pitt, manager of the Premier Gold Mining Company, for the following information: * During 1929 development and exploration was carried on energetically and a total of 266,972 tons was produced. Of this, 74,617 tons was shipped to Tacoma, 27,212 tons to Anyox, and 165,143 tons went to the mill. The mill made 14,631 tons of concentrates, all of which was shipped to Tacoma for treatment. Metal production for the year amounted to a total of 96,636 oz. gold and 2,258,729 oz. silver. This shows a decrease of over 33,000 oz. gold and a decrease of about 110,000 oz. silver as compared with the 1928 production. As the milled ore showed an increase of about 3,000 tons during 1929, the gross decrease is accounted for by a decrease of nearly 12,000 tons of shipped ore. It is understood that this is due to the fact that the smelters to which the ore is shipped have limited the tonnage they would receive at various times during the year, and production was necessarily curtailed accordingly.- The decrease in metal value produced is due partly to the reduced tonnage shipped and partly to lower-grade ore. It is also understood that the year 1930 does not hold any promise that higher-grade shipments will be made. Tonnage to be shipped cannot be forecast, as it is dependent on the smelter’s ability to handle the ore.

During the year the mill tonnage increase amounted to an average of about 10 tons a day. This is due to better operating conditions in the mill and does not represent any increased capacity due to mill enlargement. At the end of 1929 the mill was treating about 450 tons of ore a day and it is hoped to maintain that tonnage during 1930.

The usual amount of prospecting and development work was done during 1929, with 8,705 feet of drifting and raising and 4,044 feet of diamond-drilling. Development has been successful in locating and further opening up new and known ore-shoots. The result has been the addition of a larger tonnage to the ore reseryes than was recorded in 1928. The annual report of the Premier company shows ore reserves at the end of 1929 of 419,036 tons, as compared with 456,203 tons at the end of 1928, so that nearly as much ore was deyeloped in 1929 as was mined out. The grade, however, of the ore reserves given is somewhat lower than in 1928. Most of the new ore has been found in the foot-wall country of the main ore-zone and in fairly close proximity to the known ore-bodies.

During the early part of the year dev elopment-work was carried on on No. 5 level to open up an indicated ore-shoot on this horizon. The preliminary work showed a small shoot of medium-grade ore which held some promise. Further development of this shoot, however, proved rather disappointing and only a small tonnage of ore has resulted from this work.

On No. 6 level a vigorous campaign of further development has been pushed into virgin country by drifting on this horizon. Up to the close of the year, however, no ore-bodies of commercial grade had been located on No. 6 level. Development on this horizon is continuing. There has been no construction on the Premier during the year, but the plant has been main- tained at its usual standard.

This company has absorbed the old Northern Light Mining Company, the Premier Border shareholders of the latter receieving an equality of shares in the Premier Mining Co., Ltd. Border Company. During the year a thorough geological survey and surface- trenching was carried out for the purpose of mapping the mineralized sills

* Net figures for full production during calendar year.

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