Between the Atlin District and White Horse, the northern terminus of the
White Pass & Yukon Railway, no discoveries of minerals have been reported. In fact, but very little is known of the country. The pioneers who traveled down the lakes to the Lewes and Yukon rivers in boats and on scows were all too anxious to reach the Klondike, while those whe built cabins for stopping places enroute had their time fully occupied in making money by attending to the wants of the travelers. Consequently no attention appears to have been paid to prospecting from the shores of the lakes or the banks of the rivers by the old route, and since the new route was established by the constriction of the railway, apparently every traveler has pushed on to White Horse in too much of a hurry to take time to prospect en route.
The railway follows a wide valley from the foot of Lake Bennett to White
Horse instead of the longer route by the lakes and Lewes river. So far as one can see from the train there is but little indication of mineral near the line of the railway.
The geology around White Horse is particularly interesting. The rapids in
the Lewes river at the present time may be considered the head of navigation, because since the opening of the railway few travelers follow the custom of the pioneers of shooting the rapids. The formation cut through by this channel of the river is eruptive, but the extent of these rocks cannot be determined because of the sand which overlies them on both sides of the river and hides all the geology. In fact, one must travel nearly four miles back from the river on the west side before many natural exposuresof the geology
occur.
A close grained igneous rock, probably diabase, is the first rock - in
situ - the writer observed in that direction. Apparently a series of dikes of this rock occur, occupying a belt having a northwesterly line of strike; next to this belt towards the southwest occurs a zone of felsite and limestone with garnets and tremolite. The extent of this formation is yery variable. The writer crossed it at several points, and apparently at each, the superficial area covered varied in extent.
The best opportunity of determining the general geology of the district was afforded during the writer's visit to the White Horse coal mines when he followed up Johnston Creek from a point on the railroad about ten miles south from White Horse. This creek traverses the formation, its course being northeast from its source in a chain of mountains in which occur the coal measures, and situated about 11 miles by survey to the
southwest from the White Pass & Yukon railway. The following is the series of formations crossed from the railroad, so far, as can be observed from natural exposures, much of the geology being hidden by moraine deposits, moss and debris from rock slides:
For nearly two miles granite, next dia- base, next a bold bluff of felsite, next limestone, next granite. Apparently this belt of granite is continuous for
some six miles or until the range of mountains, made up of conglomerates and sandstones, is reached. Beyond this range the writer did not travel.
So far as one can judge from a cursory examination, nearly the same series of rocks occur in crossing another section, about 14 miles northwesterly from Johnston creek, except that the felsite and limestone appear to occupy much more extensive area. They are found in two zones each having a northwesterly trend, but not exactly paralleling each other. At the northwest end they form one zone or belt upwards ot 3,000 feet in width. The felsite is much more siliceous at some places than at others, and suggests that its origin may be from alteration, possibly from an impure limestone rather than from eruptive action. Garnet and tremolite are closely associated with the felsite as well as bornite, copper carbonates and less frequently chalcopyrites. These zones composed of limestone, felsite and diabase dikes comprise the metalliferous bearing regions, while the conglomerates and sandstones, near the head of the Johnston creek, yield bituminouss coal possessed of fine steaming qualities.
The writer during his stay in this section personally visited the following mineral claims situated in the zones referred to: Copper King, Ora, Copper Queen, Carlisle, Tamarack, Anaconda, Rabbit's Foot, Pueblo, Arctic Chief, Best Chance, Verona, Grafter, Black and Brown Cubs, as well as the coal mines owned by the White Horse Coal Company.
The mineral claims are located from northwest to southeast, the more northwesterly being the Anaconda and Rabbit's Foot, which adjoin each other, the latter being located on the southwest side of the former. The more south-easterly are the Black Cub and Brown Cub claims. The distance in an air line between these extreme points is
about 12 miles.
In following out the trend of the zone towards the southeast from the Anaconda and Rabbit's Foot, one is impressed with the fact that there are apparently two zones southeast from the Rabbit's Foot and Anaconda, each of which is copper bearing. The easterly of these is represented by the Copper Queen, Copper King, Ora, Carlisle, famarack, Grafter, Best Chance, Verona and possibly the Black and Brown Cub mineral claims, while the westerly is represented by the Pueblo, Arctic Chief and other mineral
claims. The distance intervening between these zones is about 1½ miles, which is the distance between the Copper King and Pueblo. Apparently this intervening space is occupied by granite, but the geology is so much hidden by moraine that until more
thorough prospecting has been done it is not safe to express any unqualified opinion.
The most important impression produced on the mind of the writer after as
careful an examination as time would permit was the strong resemblance from geological and mineralogical standpoints which this region bears to Texada Island in the Straits of Georgia, between the mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. The country rock is practically the same, and the ores are almost identical. The gangue of the copper ores at White Horse is chiefly garnet, tremolite and occasionally magnetite and hematite,
and so with the exception of the hematite is the gangue of the copper ores on Texada Island.
Bearing this resemblance in mind, as well as the fact that bornite ore is found at a depthi of 500 feet on the Copper Queen mine on Texada Island, at the contact between limestone and felsite, the writer is of the opinion that there is every encouragement to the owners of prospects at White Horse to develop their properties and attain depth. The theory that at White Horse granite will be found underlying the limestone, felsite, and diabase is one the writer saw no reason for upholding.
Evidently the original formation of this section was limestone, and the diabase and granite are intrusive rocks. So far as the felsite is concerned, that is either intrusive or alteration from some other rock, probably limestone.
The ore on all the claims occurs as replacement impregnations, usually in the felsite, but sometimes in the limestone. So far as can be determined from the work done the diabase dikes bear no relation whatever to the occurrences of ore, neither do the granite. True, the contacts between the felsite and limestone are not as well defined usually in the White Horse field as on Texada Island, but this may be because all the workings in the former are shallow, and as a matter of fact these same contacts on Texada Island are better defined at depth, and more regular on the 500 foot level of the Copper Queen mine than elsewhere.
Considering the various mineral claims in detail will give the reader a
better idea of their importance than can be gleaned from any general description of the field. It is to be regretted that so limited a quantity of work has been performed, also that the distance from smelters practically prohibits men of small means from developing their properties as extensively as their merits warrant, but if the coal discoveries should prove a good coking coal, then there is within the boundaries of the White Horse field every facility for economic smelting operations, because the limestone and iron ore
both occur in quantity and are easily accessible.
COPPER KING GROUP.
This group, comprising the Copper Queen, Copper King, and Ora is the
most important in the field. One shipment of ore from the Copper King claim, eight and one half tons, was made to the Everett Smelter in Washington during the winter of 1900-1901. This yielded per ton 46 per cent (dry assay) copper, together with low gold and silver values, the shipment netting the miners $731 above freight and treatment charges.
Two shafts haye been sunk in a depression between bluffs of limestone
and felsite. The depression is in felsite, and in this bornite and copper carbonate ores outcrop. One shaft 26 feet deep is at the contact of the lime and felsite, the other, 18 feet deep, is in felsite; from the latter shaft a drift 22 feet long has been run, and from this the shipment of ore referred to was taken.
The line of strike of the ore body follows the depression or narrow gulch
mentioned, and is north 35 degrees west magnetic. There is a maximum thickness of ore of about 12 feet at the shallower of the two shafts. Both shafts were sunk in ore, and at the time of the writer's visit there were about 75 tons of good grade ore on the dumps. No
work had been done on the Copper Queen claim adjoining the Copper King on the northwest or on the Ora claim adjoining the Copper King on the southeast.
McIntyre creek, which flows through these claims, affords a good supply of water for domestic, steam or concentrating purposes. An ample supply of timber for mining, log buildings and fuel grows on the surface of the claims.
CARLISLE MINERAL CLAIMS.
This adjoins the Copper King and Ora claims on the east. A shaft about
50 feet deep, closely timbered, had been sunk about 1,000 feet east from the Copper King shafts. Apparently the country rock between these points is all limestone and felsite, but the contacts are not well defined. From the bottom of the Carlisle shaft a crosscut had been run, the ore having dipped away from the shaft towards the north. Drifts both to the east and west have been driven. In the west drift a fair showing of bornite occurred in the limestone, but its full thickness could not be determined because the drift was run in
the limestone and ore left on the northern side, where the thickness could not be ascertained, it varied from a few inches to about two feet, and occurred in irregular pockets or lenses. In the east drift only a narrow stringer of the ore was observable. The bottom of the shaft presented peculiar features. The thin edge of a wedge of granite with
gneissoid structure was exposed in the east corner; this was succeeded by a calcareous siliceous, garnetiferous rock containing well defined crystals of hornblende and actinolite, of which the east wall and nearly all the bottom of the shaft was composed, while on the west side of the bottom occurred lime stone and felsite, but having no well
defined line of contact.
ANACONDA MINERAL CLAIM.
This is located northwesterly from the Copper Queen, about 2500 feet distant. A small creek locally known as Porter creek flows along the base of a bluff, on
which bornite with some malachite and azurite outcrops in felsite. This felsite bluff is on the southwest side of the creek, while a limestone bluff occurs on the northeast side, the creek apparently marking the line of contact. A cross-cut tunnel about 100 feet in length had been run into the felsite bluff, but not in the right direction to intersect any ore body which the outcroppings indicated might occur, consequently the work is thrown away, although two tunnels run from the main crosscut (both toward the south, while the main one was driven toward the west) show some indications of ore at their faces, and as these were being run towards the right direction to intersect an ore body indicated by the outcroppings, there was good reason to continue the work on one or both of these.
RABBIT'S FOOT MINERAL CLAIM.
This claim joins the Anaconda on the southwest. There have been three
prospect holes sunk, two about 15 feet each and ohne about 10 feet. These were sunk on outcroppings of bornite and copper carbonates in felsite. Closely associated with this felsite is a dark-colored limestone. The gangue of the ore is garnet and magnetite. The outcroppings cover quite an extensive area and plateau, and, had the work been systematically done in one place quite satisfactory conditions might have been exposed.
Both McIntyre and Porter creeks flow very closely together, and almost parallel near the Rabbit's Foot Claim. A narrow ridge not exceeding 350 feet across the base separates the waters of these two creeks.
Near the West line of the Rabbit's Foot Claim granite with gneissoid structure occurs in contact with felsite, and near the south line of the Rabbit's Foot the channel of Porter creek crosscuts a dike of diabase. Apparently the west line of the claim is the western boundary of the mineral bearing zone, and the igneous rock to the south is the narrow edge of the wedge of country rock which appears to split the zone in the manner already referred to.
GRAFTER MINERAL CLAIM.
This is located about three miles southeast from the Copper King. An
outcrop nearly 30 feet wide has been crosscut and opened by shallow prospect holes exposing bornite, azurite and malachite ore in felsite and limestone, with the line of contact not well defined. To the south is a dike of porphyritic quartzose rock, while on both the northeast and southwest sides is granite. A high mountain range further to the south is_said to be composed of limestone of dark color and stratified. The line of strike of the ore bearing rocks is apparently north 30° west, but the dip is not determinable because the work does not show the limits or walls of the ore body. Nor is its continuity
along the line of strike determined or in fact sufficient work done to warrant any estimate as to ultimate value.
BEST CHANCE MINERAL CLAIM.
This adjoins the Grafter on the north, and about 800 feet north of the outcrop on that claim there occurs an enormous surface showing of magnetite in felsite, epidote and garnet. This showing is about 100 feet wide, having its line of strike apparently parallel with that of the Grafter ore body. In a prospect hole about 6 feet deep, on the southwest edge of this outcrop, chalcopyrite and bornite are exposed, associated with a fine-graired felspathic rock. To the northeast of the Best Chance claim is a wide belt of grey granite, apparently the same as occurs on the northeast of the Copper King claim.
VERONA MINERAL CLAIM.
This is situated ahout 2000 feet southeast from the Grafter. Only a little work has been done, but in a well defined contact hetween limestone and felsite
there occurs bernite and chalcopyrite with actinolite, hornblende and garnet crystals in the gangue. This outcrop can be traced some distance to the south. It is not of any great width, but is very persistent. To the southwest of the ore-bearing zone occurs a wide belt
of granite, which separates it from another ore-bearing zone on the adjoining claim.
ARCTIC CHIEF MINERAL CLAIM.
This adjoins the Verona on the southwest, and occupies a much more elevated position, being about 500 feet higher than any of the other mineral claims in the district. The outcrops are magnetite, with impregnations of chalcopyrite, bornite and occasional copper carbonates, the gangue contains mica and garnet. The line of strike is northwesterly and dips 70° to the east. Two tunnels have been driven to crosscut the ore body, one 39 feet, inclusive of the open cut. In the longest tunnel an ore body 14 feet thick has been crosscut. The hanging wall of this is limestone and the foot wall felsite with garnets. On the southwest side of this ore bearing zone occurs granite, apparently maintaining its continuity towards the northwest and forming the southwesterly boundary of that, ore-bearing zone in which is situated also the Pueblo mineral claim.
PUEBLO MINERAL CLAIM.
This claim is situated about 1½ miles westerly from the Copper King mineral claim, but apparently in a distinct mineral bearing zone, because the country rock between the two occurrences of mineral is composed of hornblendic granite, in which occasionally occur quartz lenses carrying some bornite ore.
The outcrop on the Pueblo is about 200 peet square, and a portion of it occurs as a bold bluff about 30 feet high. This outcrop is chiefly composed of red
hematite iron ore with impregnations of bornite and chalcopyrite at the contact of limestone on the northeast sid and a quartzose rock, too much altered to be definitely classified, but resembling quartzite, on the southwest. The head of the west fork of McIntyre creek is situated in close proximity to this outcrop.
More work has been done on the Pueblo than on any of the White Horse propositions, but because of the water and ice in the shaft the writer was unable to examipe the workings, which he was informed: consisted of a shaft 68 feet deep; a drift 128 feet long, and a winze sunk from the drift 32 feet deep. All these workings are said to be in ore, and from the size of the dump about 100 feet in diameter and about 20 feet high, of sugar loaf shape, this information is probably correct. This dump consists of iron ore with quite low copper values, too low apparently, to possess commercial value as a copper ore, but when the iron is taken into consideration this ore should possess value for fluxing, if smelting operations are ever conducted in the district.
Hoisting and pumping machinery are on the ground and were used in performing the work some months previous to the writer's visit.
