Calumet Claim, Okanogan Co., Washington, USAi

Regional Level Types
Calumet Claim	Claim
Okanogan Co.	County
Washington	State
USA	Country

The precise location of the Calumet claim cannot be determined. The best information available is that it is on Kruger Mountain, west of Osoyoos Lake, in the Oroville District, Washington State. Notwithstanding the uncertainty of location, the claim is of some interest on mineralogical and historical grounds.
The earliest reference I (Giles Peatfield) can find to the claim was by Hoffmann (1897), who wrote as follows: “5. Petzite The occurrence of this rare mineral in Canada, was for the first time pointed out by the Messrs. H. A. and G. A. Guess, who identified it as occurring with hessite, native gold, et cetera, in a vein, the exact nature and extent of which has not been determined, composed of quartz and coarsely crystalline siderite, at the Calumet claim, Kruger Mountain, on the western shore of Osoyoos Lake, Yale District, in the province of British Columbia; . . . . Their analysis of a specimen of the mineral from the Calumet claim, Kruger Mountain, showed it to contain 23.10 percent of gold; . . . .” It is not clear whether or not Hoffmann confirmed the analysis or simply relied on what the Guesses gave him. This occurrence of petzite in Canada has been cited at least up to the 1980’s – see, e.g. Johnston (1915), Thompson (1949), Traill (1970) and Traill (1983). Hoffman also reported hessite from the Calumet claim. The problem was in finding the location of the claim.
Detailed searching of British Columbia government files and reports turned up no mention of a Calumet claim on Kruger Mountain. I then realized that both Kruger Mountain and Osoyoos Lake occur also south of the Canada – USA border. Reference to Hunting (1956) led to a very sparse description: “Loc: On Kruger Mnt., Oroville District. Owner: James Anderson and E. D. Beeing (1897). Ore: Gold, silver. Ore min: Petzite. Assays: Av. $40 per ton. Ref: 63, p. 103. Reference “63” is Hodges (1897), where there is a somewhat more detailed description as follows: “On the Calumet, James Anderson and E. D. Beeing have ledge twenty to thirty feet wide containing rich streaks of two to three feet carrying petzite. This mineral is 23 per cent gold, 43 per cent silver, 34 per cent tellurium, and picked pieces of ore assay as high as $15,000, the average, however, being about $40. The ledge has been cross-cut.” I can find no further information on the Calumet claim.
The main reason for posting this review is to point out the long-standing error as regards the location of the claim.

References

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