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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  04-Aug-2020 by Karl A. Flower (KAF)

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NMI 082K3 Ag1
Name WASHINGTON (L.541), LUCKY BOY, WASHINGTON MINE, WASHINGTON GROUP, SLOCAN BOY GROUP, WASHINGTON FR. (L.4894), SLOCAN BOY (L.626), WANACOTTI (L.404), WANACOTT, CHARLOTTE (L.2631), CROSS ROADS (L.4116), MAJOR FR. (L.4896), CARBONATE KING (L.919), I.C. (L.4893), LONE JACK (L.2633) Mining Division Slocan
BCGS Map 082K004
Status Past Producer NTS Map 082K03E
Latitude 050º 00' 18'' UTM 11 (NAD 83)
Longitude 117º 13' 08'' Northing 5539210
Easting 484315
Commodities Silver, Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, Gold, Copper Deposit Types I05 : Polymetallic veins Ag-Pb-Zn+/-Au
Tectonic Belt Omineca Terrane Quesnel, Slide Mountain
Capsule Geology

The Washington past producer is located on a divide between Carpenter and McGuigan creeks, between 1767 and 1950 metres elevation. The Payne past producer (082KSW006) is located 1.5 kilometres to the west. The area lies roughly 10 kilometres northeast of New Denver, British Columbia.

The Washington claim, covering the Washington mine, was first located in 1891 and mining commenced almost immediately. The majority of production occurred between 1893 and 1902 and the Washington mine was one of the largest producing mines in the district. Total production from 1893 to 1974 included recovery of 14,075,320 grams silver, 280 grams gold, 2327 kilograms cadmium, 26 kilograms copper, 1,993,072 kilograms lead and 302,583 kilograms zinc from 8672 tonnes mined. The first mill was built in 1895, with a capacity of 55 tonnes per day. Minor intermittent production has occurred at the Washington mine since 1905, under various options and leases. In 1923, the property was acquired by Washington Mines Ltd. The Kelowna Exploration Co. held an option on the Washington, Slocan Boy and Payne claims from 1941 to 1942, during which time surface stripping uncovered three new veins at 2286 metres elevation. The option was dropped. Exploration has been conducted on the former Washington property by Arctex Engineering Services in 1992. Anomalous silver and lead values are reported from geochemical soil samples taken along the western projection of the Slocan Boy lode (Assessment Report 22961). During 2008 through 2010, Klondike Silver Corp. completed programs of soil and rock sampling, geological mapping and trenching on the area.

Workings at the Washington mine included a shaft near the top of the ridge and six adits over 170 vertical metres. These adits were driven from the McGuigan Creek side of the ridge and extend into the Slocan Boy claim, ranging from 30 to 238 metres length. For further information refer to the Slocan Boy mine.

Lithologies hosting the Washington mine include interbedded quartzite, argillite and limy shale of the Triassic Slocan Group. Their general strike is 110 degrees, dipping 51 degrees southwest. These are locally intruded by quartz feldspar porphyry dikes and sills. Workings are hosted in the upper limb of the recumbent fold hosting the Payne mine. Northeast of the principal workings the structure is complicated by faulting with strata dipping northeast in a syncline. These strata are equivalent to those in the underground workings and on either side beneath the centre of the ridge.

Ore is hosted in a fault-fissure zone, along which considerable shearing has occurred. The zone has a general strike of 050 degrees and dips steeply southeast in most places. In the productive zone the load was composed of brecciated wallrock, quartz, calcite and siderite hosting galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. Ore minerals were interbanded, or with quartz, or occurred as streaks and bunches in quartz. Lode thickness varied from 5 centimetres to 3.66 metres. Mineralization has been controlled by bedding and jointing, with the general trend of the Washington-Slocan Boy lode following jointing. No one fissure was continuously mineralized.

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1892-531; 1893-1044,1055,1062; 1894-740; 1895-676;
1896-37,47,49,61,561; 1898-1074; 1901-1026; 1902-1024; 1903-136;
1904-H136,196; 1905-G196; 1907-100; 1908-L100; 1910-98; 1911-K98;
1919-125; 1920-N125; 1921-N125; 1922-200; 1923-N200,225;
1924-A225; 1926-A246; 1927-C274; 1939-A39; 1941-A74; 1942-A72;
1964-123; 1965-A56,190; 1967-253; 1968-A55,255; 1969-A56; 1970-
A55; 1971-A55; 1973-A55; 1974-A121
EMPR ASS RPT 22961
EMPR BC METAL MM01456
EMPR BULL *29, pp. 121-122
EMPR GEM 1969-330,331; 1970-455; 1971-423
EMPR INDEX 3-218; 4-126
EMPR LMP Fiche No. 61761
EMPR MINING IN BC 1975, Vol. I, p. 33
EMPR PF (Millar, J.F.V. (1966?): Report on the Washington mine)
GSC ANN RPT 1895, p. 31
GSC MAP 273A, 1667
GSC MEM *173, Map 273A; *184, pp. 159-162
GSC OF 432; *464
Höy, T. (2016-06-28): Technical Report – The Slocan Silver Camp
EMPR PFD 4231, 4232, 750795

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