The Arlington property comprises the Arlington, Burlington No. 2 and Stephanite Crown granted claims and fractions situated on the north slope of the valley, near the confluence of Speculator and Springer creeks, 8 kilometres east-northeast of Slocan. Access to the property from the Slocan highway is via the Springer Creek road.
The mine was developed by eight adits over a vertical range of about 200 metres. In the early years, the bulk of the ore was taken from the fifth to seventh levels and from the original discovery at surface near the shaft. In the latter years, underground work was confined to the lowest two levels.
Production between 1897 and 1979 totalled 20,592 tonnes, yielding 31,429,872 grams of silver, 861,487 kilograms of lead, 118,863 kilograms of zinc, 743 grams of gold, 834 kilograms of copper and 46 kilograms of cadmium. In 1962, 576 tonnes was used as a silica flux.
The Arlington lode is a mineralized crushed zone, about 20 metres wide, in coarse-grained hornblende granite or granodiorite of the Nelson batholith; the zone contains basic monzonite inclusions. The zone includes a number of parallel fissures and maintains a uniform strike of 040 degrees, dipping 60 to 70 degrees southeast. The sear zone is chloritic to talcose altered.
The ore is largely replacement of the country rock, occurring as scattered breccia lenses on continuous fractures. The chief ore minerals are galena and sphalerite, with associated disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite, stephanite, tetrahedrite and native silver. A sample of the dump taken in 1987 assayed 1280 grams per tonne silver, 0.03 grams per tonne gold, 0.0215 per cent copper, 5.7 per cent lead and 11.47 per cent zinc (Open File 1988-11).
The Arlington mine was worked extensively from 1899 through 1903, then intermittently until 1979. In 1969 and 1970, Arlington Silver Mines Ltd. stoped and shipped ore, which was mainly salvages from the old workings; they also explored, by diamond drilling, what appears to be the northern extension of the vein system.
The property was staked in about 1894 and comprises the Stephanite fraction, Burlington No. 2, Arlington No. 1 fraction, and Arlington No. 2 Crown-granted claims.
The first shipment of ore was made in 1897. The property was worked extensively from 1899 to 1903, production reaching a maximum in 1901. During this period the property was developed by three tunnels over a vertical range of 46 metres. Most of the stoping was done in the upper 15 metres. In 1919 the property was owned by the Rithet Estate and leasers began shipping ore from the dump.
During 1928 the Bayview Mining Co. held an option on the property and began driving a 4th level, the direction of the tunnel being determined by a Radiore survey. In 1937 the Slocan-Arlington Mines Development Co. of Penticton made a shipment of ore from the dump. Leasers shipped from the dump in 1939 and 1948. In 1951 the Ottawa Silver Mining & Milling Co. made a small shipment from the dump.
Amaque Gold Mines Ltd. obtained an option on the property in 1961 from B.I. Nesbitt of Vancouver. The old "A" level was rehabilitated by stripping the first 24 metres, which was caved, and retimbering 73 metres of drift. The level was reopened for a length of 213 metres. The portal of "D" level was opened up and some surface stripping was done. On "A" level eight diamond drill holes were completed, with a total length of 182.8 metres. The holes were drilled along the drift at intervals to explore the shear from footwall to hanging wall. In 1962 B.I. Nesbitt made a shipment of ore from the dump.
Arlington Silver Mines purchased 16 claims including the Arlington mine in 1964. The road and two adits were reopened. In 1969, Arlington became Western Arlington Resources Ltd. and in 1986 changed its name to Lightning Creek Mines Ltd. In 1981, Svienson Way Mineral Services Ltd. purchased 50 per cent interest in the property. From previous work there were blocked out 43,114 tonnes of proven surface dump ore at 487.8 grams per tonne silver, 0.49 per cent lead and 0.39 per cent zinc; 17,470 tonnes of indicated underground at 699.4 grams per tonne silver, 1.04 per cent lead and 0.85 per cent zinc (Vancouver Stock Exchange Statement of Material Facts (#108/90, 1990). In 1988, Lightning Creek Mines Ltd. listed proven, probable and indicated resources at 62,252 tonnes averaging 396 grams per tonne silver and 0.54 per cent zinc (CMH 1988-89, page 290). During 1989 and 1990, Cazador Explorations limited purchased the property. Cazador amalgamated in 1993 to become Granduc Mining Corporation, which amalgamated in 1996 with Black Hawk Mining Inc.
