Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1890)
WEST SHORE. 854 work there this season. The Swauk gold output is of a very interesting character, consisting of nuggets worth from ten cents to $500 each. The largest find yet reported was a nugget that was worth $700. Many of the nuggets are simply a com pressed network of beautiful wires of virgin gold. Not being able to trace this placer deposit more than 500 feet above the confluence of Swauk and Becker creeks, its source has been the occasion of a great deal of speculation and many days of hard, and hitherto fruitless, work by those who desired to locate it. Within the past four weeks, however, it has been discovered that this gold was deposited by an ancient stream running directly counter to the present water courses, and a great deal of money is being taken out by the miners, who have found the coarse gold upon the second and third benches away up on the mountain sides, in the last places where the ordinary pros pector would have thought of exploring. As the same charac ter of coarse gold has been found upon all of the principal streams having their source on the eastern slope of the Cascade range, there is no doubt but that the clues obtained at Swauk will enable the successful development of placer mines upon nearly all of the tributaries of the Yakima river. The Gonconnully mines are also attracting much attention. A peculiarity of that mineral belt is the great abundance on the surface of ores that will bear tranpportation to smelters. Those mines pay from the first. Ellensburgh keeps a steamer run ning on the Columbia river to as to reduce the stage ride to the Conconnully mines to about sixty miles, about half the distance by any other route. The Ellensburgh & Northeastern railway is also in a fair way toward completion from the city to the ' Columbia river where connection with the steamboat line will be made. There is a rich iron range extending from the lower end of the Kittitas valley in a general northerly direction about forty miles. In three mines that have been opened the veins of iron ore are from ten to forty feet in thickness and samples assay fifty-five per cent, metallic iron. For the most part the iron ore lies near the railroad. The principal owners on this iron range have formed a company and floated a considerable amount of bonds in New York for the purpose of building and operating a large reducing and iron working plant near Ellens burgh. It is understood that construction work on this impor tant enterprise will be begun this season and be pushed as rapidly as circumstances will permit. There is an abundance of lime stone on the Wenatchie river that may be obtained for fluxing. GENESEE, IDAHO. Genesee, a live city of recent growth, is pleasantly situated among the fertile hills and valleys in the southwestern part of Latah county, Idaho. This section is a portion of that rich agricn'tural district extending through Eastern Washington into Northern Idaho known as the Palouse country. The city occupies a site on the southern incline of a gently sloping hill, in consequence of which perfect drainage is secured. To the south and west lie the broad acres of the Ne Perce Indian reservation, which are now being allotted in severalty to the members of the tribe by a government official. Upon the completion of this work the remainder, consisting of thousands of acres of choice land, will be thrown open for settlement. In the northern part of this tract lies the sunny valley of the Clearwater river. To the east is the rich Totlatch country, and north and west are the rolling prairies of the Palouse country. Genesee, being located at the southern terminus of the Spo kane A ralouse railway, occupies a most advantageous position In relation to the surrounding country, which is noUd for the. large wheat crops annually produced, and as a wheat shipping point this town is one of the first on that line of road. Though only two years old, Genesee has a population of 500, and is steadily growing. Among the important improvements now under way is the erection of a grist mill, which will soon be in operation. Work on a high school building to be erected at an expense of $5,000 will eoon begin, the bonds having already been sold and the contract let. The Catholic and Con gregational churches have comfortable houses of worship in the city, while the German Lutherans are preparing to build dur ing the summer. A fair association has been organized, and annual exhibitions are given under its auspiceB at the fine grounds, located one-half mile from the city. The mile race course is said to be one of the best in the entire west. . The land in this region is in the hands of settlers, and can be obtained for from $15 to $30 per acre, according to location and improvements. Pure water can be obtained at a depth of from twelve to forty feet. Genesee haB a goodly number of business houses, but offers opportunities for engaging in different lines of trade. A bank is among the needs of the people. Farm crops in this section promise exceptionally well this year, and as the acreage is much larger than any previous year the yield will be enormous. The Upper Natcheez promises something wonderful in the way of minerals. New surprises are being constantly unearthed and the prospects are that this section will prove the richest of any yet discovered. Almost everything in the shape of miner al that is valuable is found there. From the mouth of the Rattlesnake on up to the summit, almost everything in the mineral line can be found. At the mouth of the Rattlesnake and at the mouth of the Nile there are first rate placer diggings. At the mouth of Rock creek arc silver claims and from there to the mouth of the Bumping river is one vast deposit of silver and gold, assays from Portland and San Francisco running from $40 to $80 per ton. On the Bumping river is coal, silver and gold. On Milk creek are large deposits of red oxide of iron or mineral paint, of the finest quality. To the south, over the mountain, has been found pure copper, so pure that the pick strikes into it like in a pig of lead ; in a due line west of this have been found small quantities of cinnabar of mercury. Still further south, towards the Tietan basin, is first class iron ore, and in almost immediate proximity, coal and limestone. The next two years will see all this section opened up and devel oped, with a vast addition to the wealth and population of this country.-tferaM, North Yakima, Wash. It is understood that the Northern Pacific has finally pur chased the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railway. The Great Northern had found it impracticable to use the Lake Shore in building its line to the coast so it easily fell to the Northern Pacific. The Great Northern has obtained in London $30,000, 000 for the purpose of building from Great Falls, Montana, to the coast, and it is announced that the road between Great Falls and Spokane Falls will be in operation within a year at the latest. The country has been very thoroughly examined but the exact route to be pursued is not yet announced. The Tacoma & Lake City railroad is now fully incorporated into the Union Pacific system. The last checks in payment for the road have been passed, the purchase price being $151,000. The new steamer Norma has been launched on the Upper Snake river. This boat will run between Huntington and the nearest point to the Seven Devils mining district.