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