58 



For some time after mining began at Cobalt, the ore was 

 shipped to the sampling works of Ledoux and Company, 

 New York. The richest shipment contained 7,402 ounces 

 of silver to the ton, the next in order being 6,909; 6,413; 

 6,163 and 5,948 ounces to the ton. The average per- 

 centages of other metals in the 366 carload lots sampled by 

 this firm were: cobalt, 5.99; nickel, 3.66; arsenic, 27.12. 



Concerning the high-grade ore at Cobalt, Mr. R. B. 

 Watson recently has said : "A typical ore carries 10 per cent, 

 silver, 9 per cent, cobalt, 6 per cent, nickel, and 39 per cent, 

 arsenic ; the rest is lime, silica and smaller amounts of 

 antimony, iron, sulphur, tellurium, etc."* 



The most productive vein in the area is that known as 

 the Carson, on the Crown Reserve property. It has been 

 estimated that this vein, with its extension on the Kerr Lake 

 property, will have produced before being exhausted 

 20,000,000 ounces or more of silver from that part of it 

 above the 200-foot level. 



The richness of the ore in various mines is well shown 

 by what it has cost, on the average, to produce an ounce of 

 silver. In 191 1, for example, the cost per ounce, including 

 mining and all other expenses, given in the annual reports 

 of certain companies, was : at the Crown Reserve, 10.761 

 cents per ounce ; at the Coniagas, 8.8 ; at the Nipissing, 

 13.95 ; and at the Kerr Lake, 14.69. 



The chief object in building the Temiskaming and 

 Northern Ontario railway was the development of the 

 agricultural areas at the head of Lake Temiskaming, to the 

 north of Cobalt. It was also felt that the railway would 

 increase the value of the timber lands through which it 

 passed, but, it is safe to say, the most sanguine supporters 

 of the policy of railway building little dreamed of the 

 mining development to which the construction of the road 

 would lead. It is true that mining at Sudbury had been 

 pursued for some years before it was decided to build the 

 railway into the Temiskaming country, but Sudbury had 

 never excited much interest among the people of Ontario. 

 Those who were inclined to invest in mines had little faith 

 in the mineral resources of their own Province. The dis- 

 coverv of Cobalt, however, has given confidence in the Pro- 



*Eng\ and Min. Jr., Dec. 7th, 1912 



