The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-08-10
MINING MATTERS.
THE HIGHLAND QUARTZ.

ED POST: Of late but lew articles emana-
ting from this place have appeared IN your
valuable paper. II Is trne that our placer
diggings develops slowly on account of the
great distance of the pay streak from the
creek. In many instances, drain bitches six
or seven hundred feet long have to be opened,
varying In depth from seven to ten feet; vet
we have a number of good paying claims
opened, and several Others that expect to be
sluicing In a few days.
Our quartz interest, all admit to be the best
| in the Territory. Our Ballarat, Queen of the
Forest, East Wheel Rose, Nevens, Only Chance,
Gold Excel. g General Harrison, Ora Petra, ETC.,
with numerous extensions, would, had we ade-
quste machinery, in few years furnish
! enough of the precious metals to Hquidate our
national debt. On the Nevens and Only
! Chance lodes two or three arastras will be In
| working order In day two Within the
l past ten days, several new and astonishingly
rich discoveries have been made on Moose
creek, contiguous TO our camp. Mr.. J. S.
| Collins, ID. r. Parker, s. O. Day and b. s.
/ Harvey, all experienced quartz prospectors,
| have brought in from the last named locality
the finest specimens of silver ore it has ever
been our good fortune TO see; during eighteen
/ years residence in the mountains. The lodes
discovered are said to be from eight to twelve
! feet wide-the Tiger lode, eight feet; ID. r.
Parker, twelve feet of a crevIce. The rock
/ blisters fine and shows the native silver in
larger quantities than any other rock we ever
| saw. Enclosed you will find globule of sill
| yer thrown out of the rock by common wood
| fire; this believe TO be out Of the Tiger lode.
| A piece of rock the size Of egg viii show
| scores of such globules. During the week,
we hope to visit tins new locality. Mr. VIM.
| @. Blake, with the subscriber, have underta-
| ken the pleasing task of making n collection
| of samples of ores from all the lodes now dis
| covered in this quartz district for our worthy
territorial cabinet; and also for the cabinet of
| the Posr. SEARLE.
Red Mountain City, August 4, 1861.
| (Thank you, George.)
WHITLATCH UNION MINES.
4 A visit to these works will repay any one
\ at the present time, beingxStuated on the
head of Orc Fino gulch, anItyhe most exten-
sively worked gold mine of the territory.
Mr.. Whitlatch pays personal attention to all
visitors wishing to examine the premises, and
| never tires in showing the most minute de-
tails about the mine. The whole length of
the Union, from No. 2 east to No. west,
where the Owyhee commences, Is now the
scene of mining unequalled In any other dis
trict in the Territory. Your correspondent
visited only the latest new tunnels and drifts
during his hasty visit. In No 2 east, tun-
mel is run In intersecting the ledge at depth
of 35 feet thence level runs west $40 feet,
terminating at the bottom of n vertical shaft
S5 feet deep, on the discovery claim on the
western end. But few feet remain to be
driven to complete this level, which will at
once supply the necessary ventilation for this
part of the mines and give a surface of $40
feet for working the vein, varying In width
from two to six feet of free gold bearing
white flint quartz aud yielding S64.l5 per ton.
From discovery claim very rich quartz Is now
being TAX en- for Turnley and Hendricks mills
the result of these mills will be furnished in q
few days. Mr.. w. has purchased of the Phil
adelphia Enterprise Gold Mining Company, of
which Messrs. Il. Carter and n. N. Seusendor-
fer are the representatives, one half of thirty
stamp mill, with powerful machinery, now
being built in Orc Fino gulch, convenient TO
the mines, under the superintendenCe of Mr..
>. Cameron, whose experience in that line of
business is already visible In the substantially
combined with elegance of the frame and ma
chine and battery tImbers. Three more weeks
viii be re quired to complete the mill, when
shall furnish you with a full description of
the same. Close by the mill a village of %
whitewashed houses has sprung up, inhabited
principally by the employees of the Company,
and presenting a striking appearance by its
neat and tidy surroundings. billiard sa-
loon, one of the indispensable peculiar insti-
tutions of a mining town, Is now In course of
construction. The only thing wanting Is a
name for the place, but this suggests itself,
and L" Unionyille f" should be it, being at once
euphoneous aud appropriate, taking its name
from the ledge which gave it existence. Sew
enty-fiye pair of hands are now busily engaged
in finishing the mill and taking out ore.
FLEETWING.
~ WEEK IN FLINT CREEK.
I EDITOR Posr: As this place has attracted
considerable attention, owing to some big
lodes having been struck, l have thought a
few items would not be uninteresting to your
readers. Phillipsourg is scarcely thirty days
old, and is increasing at the rate of one house
per day, with tents and wagons innumerable,
which gives the place business-like appear
ance. Whether they will all realize the full
extent of these expectations or not is more
than will say. One thing is certain that but
very little of the precious metal viii be eX-
tracted this year. The ten-stamp mill be-
longing TO the st. Louis & Montana Compsuy
is being pushed forward with zeal truly com
mendable and worthy of success. 1t is under
the superintendent of your worthy townsman,
IL. Countryman, who, by the way, understands
his business thoroughly. | may venture an
opsnion that the mill Will start some time in
October, and until then can have no gem
eTal results. There are certainly some rich
leads in this district. 1t is also certain that
not more than one in n hundred Will amount
to anything except to the recorder, and that
must be considerable, MS the country is staked
in every direction. There are few lodes,
however, which give eunmistakable promises of
future greatness. Amongst the first is the
Comanche lead, discovered June, '66. The
company has gone to work this ledge in
earnest by cutting tunnel through the ledge,
which is about forty feet wide. They are also
sinking shaft on the Cliff lode; this is per-
feet lode, showing itself above ground for a
long distance, and is very rich in silver. The
Poor Mans Joy is also exceedingly rich
lead the Black Bear is also said TO be very
rich and well defined. These are but few of
the many i might mention. Rumor has 1t
that Major Brooke is bringing a six stamp
mill to this district. How true it is / cannot
say. Enough on that score for the present.
The political atmosphere of this district is
rather mixed. As the fall campaign draws
near the excitement increases. One thing is
patent, however, that the honest miners of
this district will not have broken down,
played out political hack from Colorado to
represent them in the councils of the nation.
We have had enough of that stripe. Give us