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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1883)
November, 1883. THE WEST SHORE. 283 companies to begin oerationa un quite an ex- Icn.ivc scale, ami chances lor the springing up ol large mining camp in the near future are very bright. Coal has been discovered on the western ilope of the Cascade mountains, in Yakima county, V. T. That it is of good quality it evidenced by the fact that gentlemen ronnected with the mines at NewcMle recently located sixteen claims on a five-foot vein. The discovery is in the Teanaway country west ot Kittitas valley. A ledge of silver ore was recently discovered near Fairweather, Spokane county, W. T.. alxnit twenty miles from Cheney, and when the news reached that enterprising town there was a lively scamper to secure locations on the lead. A mining district has been organized and many claims taken. The rock is pronounced very rich in silver by quartz experts. Coal was recently struck in shaft No. I, on the Ksplnnade, by the Vancouver Coal Co., near Nanaimo, I). C. Sinking was begun in June, 1881, and a circular shaft twenty feet in diameter was sunk 635 feet until it reached a seam of ex cellent coal seven feet and four inches in width. The event was celebrated by a grand banquet given by the company to its employees. The valuable deposits of mica which were dis covered some time since at the head of Dear creek, almut four miles northeast of Lewiston, Idaho, have already sent two consignments to lloston and New York. The mica, which is de claicd by experts to be superior in quality to that procured in the Carolinas, is found in small inter mittent veins or streaks covering a large area, in dicating an abundance that will render the mines of permanent value. The metal is prepared for market at the mine, being split into thin layers, cut to patterns of some eighty sizes and shaes, neatly wrapped in tissue paper and packed for shipping. Returning miners from the Kootenai region say that considerable prospecting has been done there this season. The ore is low grade, assaying from twelve to forty ounces of silver and carrying a large per cent, of lead. Prospecting down the Columbia some ninety miles from the lake, re vealed no placer diggings of much value, but placer mines have' been found on Hull river by prospectors from Kootenai. Many quartz claims have been located this season, and the indications are that a flourishing mining district will spring up there. A numlier of large boats have been built to navigate the lake and river and transport supplies to the miners. The county of Meagher, Montana, which has always been known a the "cow eunty Is de veloping great mineral wealth In the Belt moun tains that occupy its eastern end. The mountains are full of prospectors and many rich strikes have been made. There are promising ledges In Maiden, Yogo, Wolf creek, Copperopolls, Sage creek. Castle mountain, Montana, Barker, Birch creek, Belt Park, Mossgale and Sixteen-mile creek districts, many of which have been located a number of years. Preparations are being made If severa At 1 larrUburg, Alaska, mining has lieen sus pended fur the winter. The Trcndwell mine, on Douglas island, has a ledge 500 feel wide which has lieen uncovered a distance of l.ouo feet. The ore is low giade but in great quantity and easily taken out. In twenty-three days no tons were brought to the surface and crushed in a live-stamp mill, yielding $i,6oowithuut saving the sulpliurcts, which would have averaged $6 per Ion. It Is proposed to erect a lio-stamp mill next season. Several other claims show paying ore. About 120 people are wintering in llarrisburg this season. The judgment of the Schiffclin Brothers that the season in Alaska is too short to render mining profitable is no doubt correct, except in the cow of such mammoth ledges as the Trcadwell, Re turning miners bring many samples of fine coal and a superior quality of white marble. Kcxrts from the Cn ur d'Alene gold mines are somewhat conflicting, ranging in lint from blue to rose, hut all agree upon the conclusion that I he placers, or at least portions of them, are rich, but just how extensive and valuable they are can only be demonstrated by actual working, Many Maims have been located, though bul few of them have been oicncd. The lolluwing from the Walla Walla i'Him is as reliable a report as can be had at present: "Tom llcntly, Pal Flynn and Koliert Smith, three practical miners from Wood river, have just returned from the Cirur d'Alene mines and speak in the highest terms of the prnscls there, They report Pritchard s creek (or gulch) alxiul eighteen miles long, varying In width from twenty to eighty rods. It Is flat and smooth, having a (all of two feet to the hundred, with a gradual and even slope. The gulch is all covered with heavy limlwr. Kocks are also quite numerous, but the largest can lie easily handled by two men Water is abundant and sufficient fur the diggings. The ground will be worked by either stripping or drifting, but most likely it will not pay to drift very extensively. Ten miles of the gulch have alieaily lieen prospected anil pay dirt found. Two hundred claims have Iwen located, ami every claim opened up so far pays from $ lo $100 per man daily. Only ten strings of sluices art now running. The bed-iock Is slate, and pays from one lo two ounces per pan. Thcie are a few inchea of pay gravel on Ihe hcdrork which prospects from 1$ cents lo f 10 per pan. It Is not ascertained how wide Ihe pay streak Is, bul parlies are now working in Ihe center and on both sides of the gulch In various place". When Ihe parly reached Ihe gulch they found only two men ipm intf ll up ieorge ,n"' m,n A""' JVIter looklnn at Ihe records lliey discovered inai several men were holding all lh way from 60 to 110 acres apiece in their own names, as well as the names of those who hail never Urn near there. They accordingly slaked off twenty aeies of such land apiece, ami were lmme.nateiy suiiow ed by others, who did likewise. Miners cam In from .11 directions, and now only two men have twenty acres each -Ives and CWJletl. The claims .nluniaillv divided ap and given to new comers. The miner P"y .ot askine Ives and CllVrtl to divide op, a Ihey ere the liist in the gulch, and had shown such energy In opening 11 up. I net art several gulches liibulaiy In Piilc.haid' which have all been taken up, vil. 1 Kagle creek, alniut seven inili-s long 1 Butte gulch, line and a half miles mgt (add Kun, two or tlure miles lungi Quails nidi, on ihe south side of Pillchaid's, four or ve miles long. On the latter there wei only wn claims when the paily left. This gulch gels its name from an extensive quails formation at Its head. It Is thought some eight hundred or on thousand men will winter In the gulch. A post Dllice will soon be established. Seven hundred names have already been signed lo a petition for the establishment of mail service. A liall Is now iwn Iwlween Heron Siding and the diggings. Crossing over the Cii-ur d'A'ene ridge. I he Irail Is a cumulatively easy one, and being Ihe shortest most of the travel lo Ihe mines will go via llcion Siding." AGRICULTURE. MONTANA FARMS. The character and wculUtlllei of farming In Montana aie well set forth in Ihe following arti cles by several of Ihe leading paen ol that lent. lory. The (ilm.live Timii says t "'I he western migrant who starts for Montana with view of farming, should not hhm that the country Is like lakola, and oilers large aicas of land of even fertility ready for cultivation. Montana, with . tlie exception of the high, rolling, grawy plains In the eastern portion of the lerrlloiy, il essentially mountain region, It If Ihe becklxine ol tlie continent, and its surface la u plica veil Into count- leu ridges and ranges and into so many gigantic peaks that nobody has found lime lo give thesn all names. People who gel Iheir Ideas of moun tains from a map, ami Imagine that a tang con stats of a single line of ridges and summits, will be surprised In find that what la called Ihe main divide of the Rockies is about fifty mile wide, ami that spurs and lateral ranges All bell of country more than two hundred miles In breadth. Then titer am detached gitM and lenges thai lie out on either side of Ihe main My like Ihe (tankers of an army. The mountains art by no means valueless to the setllei (of I belt slope are covered with grass lo an elevation uf seven of eight thousand feet almve I lie sra level, awl lim ber grows In Our ravines on Imlh sll. igifcui lure, however, Is necetrily confined lo the alleys which wind around among Ihe U.fly rangea in long, narrow bells of fertile bottom-land. The farmer only seeks to own strip 01 valley land, knowing thai Ihe slope of the adjacent mountain ill afford Ire range fur nts flocks awl henls. Not only U Montana (arming limited lo Ihe nr row valleys, but lo such portions of the valleys as can U IrtlgaleJ. Ci'ips iaid In mny localities without liilgsli., but ibis U I low land ckM to Ihe stream, lieneially Sltg, on Montsna fctme lb scnniy nsioUH mul be .uppUmentrd once or twice during the glowing by aa artificial waUsing of the kid. The tsr the litigating methods aduptw. h Urn simple and cheap, smh tstse providing ditch (w hU own mm. I'smII? lh Iffgt ilvet art not drawn apon al all. Ul Ihe III lie Uteamt 0at . duwa fnm Ihe nvmnlain giga atsj