The host rocks of the Vigilant deposit are micaceoius and chloritic schists, quartzites and limestones of the Middle Cambrian to Middle Devonian Lardeau Group. Some pegmatitic sills intrude the schist. Many steep fractures containing narrow widths of quartz occur. These veins locally contain lenses of galena with some sphalerite. Veins widths vary up to about 1 metre.
From 1949 to 1953, a total of 4684 tonnes of ore were mined from which 423,467 grams of silver, 62 grams of gold, 319 kilograms of cadmium, 381,669 kilograms of lead and 167,453 kilograms of zinc were recovered.
The Vigilant and Lulu claims lie to the east of Woodbury Creek, between the creek and the Ainsworth-Kaslo highway. The adjoining claims are the Zoa, Diamond Jubilee, Duplex No. 2 and the Dixie Fraction. The claims in this area were originally staked by the King Solomon Mining Co. Ltd. in about 1904. A small amount of exploratory work was done at this time and a few tons of sorted ore shipped. Most of the present claims are relocations of cancelled Crown-grants bearing same name.
All the above claims, along with the August Fraction and Nameless Fraction were obtained by Dr. L.D. Besecker of Woodbury Creek in 1949. This group of claims became known as the Woodbury Group. A lease on the property was obtained by Privateer Mines Ltd. later that same year. About 46 metres of tunnel was driven and 635 tons of ore shipped but the returns were less than expected and the operation was abandoned.
In 1950 J.A. Cooper obtained the Vigilant and Zoa claims on a lease-purchase agreement. On the Vigilant claim, two adits, 190 metres above the creek on the east bank are collared 5 metres apart and follow two steeply dipping quartz veins in a general easterly direction. The veins join and the two adits come together about 12 metres in. The old adits were found to contain replacement ore. Stoping was done over a 46 metre length in the old adit and the tunnel was extended to a total length of 88 metres. Another adit was collared 30 metres above the old adit and the tunnel driven for 96 metres. The vein narrowed toward the face of the tunnel but near the portal it warranted stoping through to the surface. Work on this claim ceased in 1953. The present tunnel faces are somewhere near the claim boundary.
On the Lulu claim the extension of the fissure vein developed on the adjoining Vigilant claim was traced along strike. An adit was driven to a point below a good surface exposure but the vein was almost barren at this horizon.
On the Dixie Fraction claim some trenching and shallow tunneling was done to investigate a vein which is exposed on the adjoining Budweiser No. 2 claim.
