The Montana post., 1868-02-22
FRorI SILVER BOW.


mines, two years since could boast popula-
tion of over one thousand persons Then Hell.
ena and this point were rivals, and the only
western camps in our Territory Helena had
equally good mines, and being the head OF
navigation, has steadily increased her popu-
Iation and extended her boundaries until she
has become the metropolis, and would like to
be, the Capital of the Territory. A stranger
travelling. through this place to-day, would
very naturally exclaim, the mines of this vi
cinity cannot be valuable, or surely the town
would keep a larger population; but not so,
Mr.. Stranger. It is not the absence of the
precious metals that has operated to lessen
our population, bat other natural causes. First,
a very great scarcity of water, and second,
that of fall In the ground to enable persons to
frequently use the water we have; again, our
diggings are shallow, not afording tunnel dig
gings for our miners during the winter m onths,
and hence so soon as we are frozen up, our
miners betaks themselves to Deer Lodge Bit
ter Root and Gallatin Valleys, Helena and
Virginia Cities, and to Oregon and California
to return with the opening of SPRING
The great want of this country is water.-
Within a radius of two miles, we have gold
enough 20 give every man in Montana the
full cravings of his heart, could we command
an adequate supply of water From the sum
NIT of the divide, two miles distant on the
south, 20 the foot hills twelve miles east and to
the foot hills seven miles west, near German
Gulch, nearly every rod of the ground would
pay from So, to 81 per day to the hand, with
n reasonable supply of water; and we say what
we do know, when We state that many claims
in this Immediate vicinity, have paid and will
again pay, from $40 to $50 per day 20 the
hand, so soon and so long water can be OBJ
tanned this coming season. No better paying
investment can be entered into by any capi-
talist, than the bringing in of the wateis of
Big Hole River upon the grounds above de-
scribed. 1t will make mIllionaires of all inter
ested in the enterprise. But it is not alone
our placer diggings that we look to for future
The quartz In the immediate vi
cinity of our town Will operate still more
largely to build up, strengthen and support, a
large population. The number of our already
tried lodes, will offer profitable labor for
thousands of men, and hundreds of mills and
smelters. At Butte City, goodly amount of
work is being done on the ledges, In sinking
and tunnelling. The frame for the new mill
is mostly completed, but the machinery is not
expected to arrive before June, next. We visi-
ted Yankee Doodle Gulch, short time since,
md were surprised to find so many persons
there. We had been led to suppose
that gulch "bilk," but with pleasure we
leSrned that quite a number of claims had al
ready paid over wages. We saw over $50
washed out of the sluices for less than days /,
work for two men. Messrs. Everest Arm
trong & Co., intend putting in a lengthy bed |
'ock fiume in the spring. From Yankee Doc |
lie we went to Black Tail Gulch here all |
abor was suspended. This little gulch will |
'ay we'll the coming season. The water was |
into the gulch too late in the fall |
% accomplish much, yet some good pay was |
obtained. $500 feet of ground and the ditch |
;arrying the water into this gulch, is for sale |
~ A. L. Shoupe, and can be bought cheap, as |
hat gentleman wishes TO go east as early as /
possible Next we visited Highland. Here /
We were most agreeably surprised. Where we /
expected to find little or no labor being per-
ormed, on account of the depth of snow, we
ound all energy and enterprise. Serves &
MARSHALL were tunnelling and getting out pay |
irt Overbay, Buck & Co. do, as well as many |
thers. In the way of quartz, wonders are
eing accomplished Wilburn q Co. have near
y completed the tunnel to their ledge, Just /
Glow town. This ledge is rich in copper for
depth of sixty feet, when the copper runs out
nd a fine quality of gold-beaTing rock is
ound. On the Nevins Hill, all is life; a
lumber of shafts are being sunk to n cool
he rock from the Neven, Only Chance and
lold Excel, will equal In richness for gold,
ny rock in the country. The "Westeru
'reasury," Burden & Co.'s ledge, has q shaft
5 feet deep, and is turning out good ore
thompson, johnson & Myers, are running n
unnel to their silver ledge, to tap it 120 feet
eep- Flowers Il Co. are putting tunsel in
o the Only Chance" Bcrkney is tunnelling
or the Nevens; McCord & Co. do. Florence
McCord have struck ledge of very rich
ock in their tunnels, about which there is a
ispute. Some claim it for the Nevens, 9TH
rs for the Bendigo, and still Others for a new
.dge, and have named it the Cheyenne. -
n the Ballarat Hill, quite as much life is
lanifest. The indefatigable discoverers are
INNING tunnel to open their ledge about
10 feet deep; they are now in about zoo feet
nd expect to strike the ledge in April. Wat
Iay be, believing their BalIarat claims to con-
lin all they desire. The indomitable Todd 4
o. are running a tunnel to open the Ballarat
n the east line of No. 5. and the east line of
ne first extension. BY these tunnels, the Tul-
re, Ballarat, Bijou and Forest Queen, can all
2 worked. No less than nine tunnels are be- |
* run In this camp. En- route for Silver
ow, visited the Moose Creek silver lodes.-
arties were at work on the Tiger lode, now
resenting a ereyice about feet wide, at
epth of about 80 feet. The ore looks of
ne quality. On the Parker lode they are
own TO a greater depth, with n splendid crew
.e and the finest walls ever seen. This ledge
rich In gold, as well as silver. By assay,
has been found to be well worth working
II the gold alone, while it assays over $500, :
sr ton in silver. DIR. S. C. Day and Ben Har-
" have good ledges here. On one of their
dges, the DR.. says they are down over 60 feet.
be DIR. challenges the Territory on silver ore; :
Us he will bet any amount on his rock, ton
II ton, as it is quarried out of the ledge ,
Irely it almost staggers belief that so much
ealth exists In so small compass of coun-
y. Who can predict the influence of throw
z into the commercial world, the untold and
caleulable millions of Montana.
VINDEx.
SILVER Bow, Jan. 30. 1859.