The Ketchum Keystone

The Silver King Mine.

The advent in the household of Major Hyndman of a cherub—a notice of which we published last week—explains the cause of the Major's abrupt departure a month ago in the midst of vigorous preparations for winter's work at the Silver King mine. As the Sawtooth country is about closed to traffic for the season and the Major not likely to return, it is pertinent to indicate what he has done and what is being done at the Silver King in pursuance of provision made by him. After a year of dead work in driving a drain tunnel 1,000 feet and clearing the mine of water, retimbering, cleaning up and refurnishing generally, there are now twenty men at work sinking the main shaft, arrangements having been made to carry it down 300 feet during the winter. Besides the new Worthington duplex pump provided and put in place with all pipe attachments, etc., a new Lidgerwood double acting engine, of capacity to sink 600 feet, has been purchased and is now in operation, with new buckets, steel rope, etc. Mining supplies of every nature, aggregating upwards of 50 tons, have been laid in. A sawmill was purchased and a supply of 100,000 feet of mining timber of the finest quality provided, and there is nothing lacking to carry the development work contemplated to the full extent. Besides this, preparations have been inaugurated and somewhat carried out for milling at the mine. An elevated tramway, averaging 30 feet in height, has been constructed over 500 feet from a level of the mine to the mill, in which work 20,000 feet of lumber was used. The mill, which was never completed, is to be remodeled and arranged to treat the output of the mine, thus saving most of the $50 per ton that it has heretofore cost to market ores therefrom. Operations on the mine are being conducted by Jack Reynolds, a most thorough, competent and skillful miner, and with the backing the Major has provided and will continue to provide, there should be a pronounced success in the venture. It is, to say the least, a display of enterprise and nerve unequalled, as we understand it is all on a lease proposition, and success should crown such efforts. It undoubtedly will.