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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1890)
WKST SHORE. MINES Or CHOTEAU COUNTY. MONTANA. t'ntil ailhin the past eighteen monthi the mineral reeourcee of Chote au county hive been M a waled book to Die protpect ing worlJ. It wu known that there were got J, silver an J copr karinj orri and placer tnlnci in Uie Hear I'aw and Mule Kucky mounUini, and in the Hweet Graaa hills, tut their eitent and richncia could onlr he i urmiiied. The thole of the northern, portion of the count, or about 20,000 Kjuart milee of it, were Irrkcd op in the vast Indian reservation, ebich eitended from the lumtnit of the main range of the Hockles to the wetrn bounda7 of North Dakota, and the a bite man a ho couldn't boatt the poMesaionof a iquaw wife wai mm marily r jcted from the tarred toil toon at hla prrm-nre upon it wa known to ita guardian ange Is-the Indian igenta. Yet, notwithstanding the vigilance of Indian detectives and the jealoui watchfulness of siiaw men, now and then an ad venturoui prospector would enter the forbidden ground and ply hi vocation. The favorable re urt made by one of thcee lnterlojre created the great itampede to the IWar 1'aas in 1h;h. Miner from every jortlon of Montana, California, Ne vada and the Mack 1 fills ruihed there, but not finding a for tune under every rock they turned over, they returned to their old camping grjunds, leaving a few of the more sanguine to continue the work of developing projcti, begun under moot encouraging conditions. The fow, hoaever, were loon driven off by the Indians, and the echoes of the JVr I'aas sgaln remained unbroken by the clang of pick or shovel. I'ut luffl cient otk hail been done to prove the ei Uteri ce of fine bodies of silver bearing lob, and of eitcnulve placer mine. Tliere are a few partir in Helena to-day who were Inter ested in the development of the Mack Diamond claims, lot ated some twelve or fifteen miles from the present town of Chinook. A shaft was sunk down upon it siity feet in depth in a fine holy of galena ore, sampling fifty -ill per cent, in lead, and from seventy-fire to eighty ounces in silver. The Indians drvte o(T the men in charge, and Uie work wu abandoned. Tliis a u ten or eleven years ago. The lode baa since been red'xated by Turn O'llanlon, and is now knoan aa Die Hear I'aw. It is a valuable property and will some day prove a honinia to the fortunate oaner. Other rom!ing ludea acre aUo discovered, but owing to the interference of the Indiana and other circumstances over whlrh the propecl had no con trol, Uie work of development was discontinued. VA. J. J. I) nelly, now a resident of 1'ort l'ntua, wu among the stampers at that time. He discovered Urge area of aarifrroui gravel opoo which an abundance of water ran U ciifidtMled at a comparatively ln!gnihVant outlay of capital. Mj.T.nrtjt ire tare for hydraulic mining and eireijent damping gf oinda could also U obtained. That the Hear I'aw mountaine are lihVl with goll bearing qiarti Is attested by the fad that "nAxs" ran be foond in evtry stream fating from them. Hume beautiful specimens of juarti containing fM Late been 4f ked op ia the miantaine, and considerable of tU mal l.u 1B aethad from s-rfne of the smaller streams. il la ikying pantiiiee Lu a!o ba found ia lU littl H n', a group of moucUlne at of tU Ia I'aw, end coo trt.l a ,iu ibem by a thai a tf bills or smaller OMmalai&e. X sampe-l la tU jyj .,, avnal jra1 tgo, wu rf-ki by lU authorities, u tU 'dia'.nra" were emhren! ia tU ) Indian reservation. Knoogh, Itoaever, a as Wsrn4 rucwtrnlrtg Uem to aatUy aarirnrv. pr mlrwri that tttey ofTvi Udiy the finest fielj fjr pfoit;n, with reueaUe nrm of inrei, in Montana. rUnti the ojning of the rwrrvatlon, a fsw u4 have gone la there and loratad claims, bat u (Uy are mn itliout meana, or eiperUnce la mlnlpg, lUy have a.mp Halted little ouUl.U of the nerrsaary a oik ta hold Iblr lm e tlons from year to year. TU time alll rottte, hot ever, Ua Ue I'-rar paw and Mule Ukle will be aa Md U lUir mineral output u lU great valleys and Wd pUtw.u rounding them are now fimoos fur their magnificent farming arras and broad, boon dleaa grsiing rx;rve. ' tH of grou of mountains are ilthla Chuteeq roooty's I?,fi00 niu miles of territory. The Heeet (iran kills are aho4 rlghty miles north of furl ronton and eight or ten mil sixtth of the kety ninth ara!!l oi latitu le-lhe twttii'iary tine lten M-xtlana an I wsr !VU iah nelghliurs. Tttew aofalle.1 hills are ctcud tf Mitt Irtjttea I'aat, Mfldle and WmI Paring the t Mtnmr some here In tU riit.lWl of lf) mn have lva ertgig! in prospecting la tUm, elth mxt encouraging results. Otvr fifty lorallum have la male ia U l'at )'(( aa-1 tiM In the dark anl murder's c of tle rwinly in l'ut lWhl.rn, hlls over llW remain annxurded. Nearly a'l the prtiftg and avrk of dewli pmeiit hart la rW,nd tj tl.e !' I'.'jt'e Home of the lod are very U lum Uing fifty ill feet aide at the lur. Tltr tm4 is aotha4 and yi!h went, tllh lillle or no d p or luhna'l'ja. Tt elU tWerarty low grale ropt ore, l..U otlers are very rWh la silitr. Several thlpmetits of aciedrd ores bate been tutU U) Mm f , which raa all t)e esy fruta l1) vubree U TV) vire It lU but the poterly uf Uie ovum, U.r j imitlte rtKh U mialeg and long wag-m haul tu tU nearer ra.!rtl t'-Hl. were a tar t)COC)tihO'MI dethrltrt.t irl.t W Ml ,t91H, baa t de la the YuA l-u'.Se to raU'.h lU great f a!'M of Ms f!e lieyofid reaxiabW dcU. Nitera! Ir.Wtwts bate ba e.t.'y aertirt! thert 1 y J urt -i.la ar4 Uhr rts at gl f g te l srllers, anl antW ytar w.B at UMiia ti.-(- menta la that 'ji.i.i.g sertt. httefal g-S4 Uar.rg urti Ulr h la d.tf- i the MvMW l'le, litt I.UU has djM oj Um, nearly a'l the BU-f ia O at e.-i Uiisg er gH ia mining. A ararrt'y uf waief ai' tttt eiUoaite Vr mining, tU patel, darg ti t,i. Uing ta''J die miles (or waahlng V U.r i gl a;e an ferl IhooMftd &Au U Mollis !a'J ri lae Ua eil It V )'rt I'-ett Utki d irif g tl.a ari. I l U'-lb " i' rting lu l8 d la Mm W r.'l, tb"!gb SlUfti rval iwaare at ktvea to eiWI la lU lifty. TU hrt bottee cvtef aa ara ti l.Va iy thiiy.or aWji VA ajuaefciiee. Tly a a 0 lt ale tea Wtl, pyt, tiiix;! .wt. Mm at e.W'! prrty Ua'l a tU M'4 U tJ-e g' U .4 jry It Is d nym the pytera sV, of the l M t' .l s, vA U U.l aft-1 taU .le Ug by tprw tf a ..' la alkh, TU skm'U U ah.te, wvl eul 'h aa srjyeXh u g'ai , II I fce al errl by f.:.tg. 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