Wednesday; January 29, 1958 Ee ee THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAMS LAX®, B.C. Sesond Section Page 3 Modern Mining Exploration Depends On Teamwork Everyone has seen drawings and cartoons depict- ing the bearded prospector and his faithful! jackass searching the hills for hidden treasure. A more mis- leading picture of. present day mining exploration could scarcely be imagined. “seen a marked Nineteenth century America saw the heyday of the indepen- dent or grub-staked prospector who roamed a vast and unex- plored continent | searching for rich outcrops. of gold, silver, and other valuable minerals. During this period, a large ma- jority of our world famous mines were indeed discovered by the prospector and his long- eared companion. But obvious mines were soon in production and new methods were then re- quired to ensure a continuing flow of discoveries to replace the rapid depletion of existing ore bodies and to satisfy the ever growing demand for min- erals by an expanding economy. The twentieth century has and growing change in the methods used and tools required in the continuing search for new ore deposits. The decline in the number of impor- tant new discoveries forced the industry to turn to lower grade and more complex ores. Many technical problems required so- lution before these potentially valuable resources could be used. An ever increasing rate of industrialization and _ con- stantly rising living standards and population created an in- satiable demand for minerals. To aid in the search for new and hidden sources scientific in- struments were developed and mining exploration was effec- tively geared to modern meth- ods of transportation. These fac- tors have insured the inereasing interdependence of thep rospec- tor and mining company. )The prospector is still basic to modern mining exploration and will remain so until the last outerop within his reach has been examined. Today he nor- mally works for a salary but still retains an interest in his discovery, This inducement is essential because hardship and heartbreak inevitably ~ await those who search out the trea~ sures of the earth. But the prospector of this Centennial Year, 1958, still possesses the same free, indomitable spirit of his counterpart a hundred years “go, and the future of mining in British Columbia depends upon the preservation of this “Spirit of '58.” To show how the prospector- company team operates let us take an imaginary example trac- ing the early history of a new mineral discovery. Two prospectors have been assigned an area considered fa- vorable to mineral deposits. One man is old, having spent a life- time in the profession and not yet seeing one of his discoveries developed into a producing mine, The other is young, great- ly interested in his work and filled with hope. Their area Is remote from existing highways and railroads and they are ser- viced regularly by-plane. The company engineer pays frequent visits to encourage and advise. THE FIRST MOVE After several weeks of seem- ingly fruitless effort a discovery of copper {s made. The outcrop is small, the immediate area covered by heavy soil, and very little information {s available. However, the dark, coarse grained rock is called a gabbro by the prospectors and its as- sociation with the minerals pre- sent suggests the possible pres- ence of nickel. This is quickly confirmed by a simple test. Here, indeed, may lie) their El Dorado. From sunrise to sunset pick, shovel, and dynamite. are at work, and this arduous task. is |soon followed by a painstaking Sampling program. When the next plane arrives heavy bags of samples, a working sketch ‘of the new discovery, and a letter urgently requesting an immedi- ate examination by the engineer are waiting. The work of a harried assayer brings exciting news and the great company organization is readied for action. The engineer arrives on the new discovery to find initial staking completed and trenching continuing. A few check samples, a hasty geolog- ical map, anda quick dip needle survey confirm the importance of the find. : The prospectors are flown to the nearest mining office where their claims are recorded, then back with assistants to stake additional ground forthe most important, deposit may still lie Mrs. Ada White has a new $17,500 school for ber 11 pupils north of Port Severn, Ont. The trans-Canada highway can right through the old. ramshackle schcolhouse, so the department of highways pul up most of the money for the new building. Mrs. White and all the 11 children are related to one another but sbe expects to have 30 children enrolled soon. Sale Trends Shown In 1957 Figures On Cattle Shipments HE two major cattle shipping districts of the province showed reverse trends in 1957, accord- ing to a summary produced by the office of the Recorder of Brands. a Ee eee The Cariboo area, which tak in from Quesnel south to Lillooet, shipped 28,148 head, an increase of 4,463 head over the amount shipped in 1956. In the Kamloops-Nicola area, i of cattle last ‘y Cattle shipped from the In- terior of British Columbia to the United States in 1957 were 20,849, compared with 1,470 head in 1956. Shipments of cattle to the Prairies showed a drop of 9,946 head to a 1957 in some area. Back at. the office highly .sa- tisfying results from the check samples set the engineer in’mo- tion. There are men to employ, supplies to purchase, and trans- portation to be arranged. © An aerial survey company begins a topographie map of the new mining area, Geophysical instru- ments must be despatched at once with trained ‘personnel. Plans are made for an initial diamond drilling program and a host of other problems require immediate attention. LENGTHY PROCEDURE Wheels are now turning but months, perhaps years, will pass before the value of the discov- ery can be properly assessed. Large sums of money will be /spent and many