The Little Pic Silver Mine (Papers, 1923)

"The Little Pic Silver Mine" is a report by Peter McKellar in the 1923 annual of the Thunder Bay Historical Society. McKellar read it to the society on 27 October and 29 December 1922; it is his own report of 20 September 1875 to Hon. William Cayley and associates on the season's work on the silver lode at Little Pic on the north shore of Lake Superior.

What it covers

On receiving the first instalment of $500, McKellar hired twelve men and left Fort William on 12 June aboard the specially chartered tug Watchman, reaching the claims, about 150 miles away, on the 14th. They worked until 21 August and came back with 22 barrels of ore. In that time they opened a drift and four shafts and dug about 25 cross-cuts along a mile of the vein; the deepest shaft reached 31 feet and was timbered with a windlass, and the drift was driven 27 feet.

Samples were assayed by Mr. Chiddey, the assayer of the Duncan Mine: zinc ore gave $13.12 of silver a ton and washed galena from the bottom of the deep shaft gave $124.25, with lead worth another $50 to $60 a ton. McKellar traced the vein for about three miles, noted a good water power beside the shaft, and compared the costs and yields with those of Silver Islet, arguing that ore of far lower grade paid on the Comstock Lode. He recommended working through the winter and testing two tons of ore, which could be smelted for $100 a ton at Newark or Wyandotte.

Key Thunder Bay facts

• The claims at Little Pic lay about 150 miles from Fort William by water, reached by tug.
• McKellar compared the project with Silver Islet, where he understood mining, stamping and separating cost no more than $2.50 a ton against yields of $15 to $25.
• The report is dated Toronto, 20 September 1875.