North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-02-19
From Montana.

From Montana.
Weare in receipt of the following interest
ing letter from gentleman well known to
our North Iowa readers. Its modesty
relative to the success of the writer is the
best proof of its reliability. We hope to
see ENE. back here with cords of gold.
VIRGINIA Cry, MONTANA,
February LIST, 1868.
DEAR CoL:-Sir 1t has been several
years since left your fourishng city for
Colorado, and thinking you had all forgot,
ten your old friend Enc, / thought !
would remind you that he is still in the
land Of the living Tor in the land where
people live at least). left your city in
the spring of go, went from there to Col
orado, staid there till the spring of 63,
when I migrated to Montana Ter. and
have been here ever since. | was one of
the first settlers of Aulder Greek and Vir-
ginia City: but like thousands of other
poor devils, got claims in Aulder Creek
of course they were poor because l owned
them. ! played the pick and shovel tune
for one year and found that tune wouldent
play good so l turned my attention to
Quartz, and have not been doirg much
else since. have struck some rich lodes
and have considerable quartz property in
this country. Myself and two partners
have eight thousand feet of quartz proper
ty in the Eastern market now and are de-
veloping the rest as quick as we can; we
think when we get them developed that
we will have the world-where we can
hold it. 1t is rather slow process but
sure. This is rich territory both in quartz
and placer diggins, although the placer
digsins around Virginia are pretty much
worked out. think next summer will
develope some rich gulches in the county
as there are hundreds of prospecters out
oil over the county now, and l think by
spring there will be some heavy stampedes
through the country. The quartz in this
country is far ahead Of Colorado or any
other county ever heard of, fot richness
on the surface or even at the depth that
that they are down, that is from 50 to 200
feet. 1t is quite com mon to see native
gold in the quartz here. We are at work
in one of the lodges at this time where
some of the ore will essay fifteen thousand
dollars per ton. We are making calcula-
tons to get mill in the spring on this ledge.
We discovered another ledge two years ago
that has fifteen foot crevice of rich quartz
and has been struck for five miles long,
of which we own about two thirds; so if
you can form an idea Of the value of rich
ore you can readily see that it is entirely
a matter of time.
In regard to money or Lincoln skins,
have not get much Of shining speltcr yet,
but if the Lord is willing and the people
don't care, l will have enough money some
of these years to buy lot in McGregor
and run a Hurdee Gurdee or some other
one-horse institution. But, COL, to sum
the matter up short, this is one of the
richest territories ever struck and it is
only in its infancy; if Enc BOND lives and
does well, he thinks he will see you in
McGregor next fall, and hopes to have
good time-don't want quite such time
as when | left last, for imagine can
taste some of that McGregor whiskey, yet!
] had lost track of all you McGrcgorites,
but had brother running on your R'y
west as expressman, who informed me you
were still running the TINES, so thought
| would venture to write you, but you can
see make poor out at it; can handle
the pick and shovel better. am pleased
to hear that you Democrats of Iowa have
reduced the Republican majority, while
many other states have rolled up big Dem
oeratic majorities. Montana is all right,
thank God! We have the thing pretty
much our own way.
Give my respects to all old McGregorites
and send me TINES.
ENOCH F. BOND.