Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-06-29

The MINERS throughout the country are
now under full Roadway, and there are very
few, if any, idle men to be seen. This rush
of business, however, can only last during
the water season, which will close about the
last of August. The great abundance of
water this season enables the working of
more gulch claims and bars than usual, and
the yield from bar mines will be greater
than for some years past. But in regard to
the mines which are worked in the winter,
we cannot say so much. Many of the claims
which would have been worked, and paid
fair wages to their owners for several years
to come, have caved in and been filled up
by the spring flood, and since they only
yielded wages, it will not pay to reopen
them. The miner cannot afford to spend
three or four months opening digggings which
will only pay wages when opened. The
result is that unless some move is made in
the way Of developing new mines, the COM
ing winter season must be dull.
In Meagler county, and especially in Con.
federate gulch, this will be felt more, per-
haps, than in any other portion of the Ter
ritory, since a number of the claims which
have heretofore been worked are not access
siblo, and will be closed up mex winter.
These claims, it is true. have not been very
remuneratiye to their owners, but they have
all paid enough to justify working them.
Though claims may not be rich, and may
barely pay wages to their owners, they are
just about as good for the community at
large as If they yielded larger dividends;
and it will be found that the revenue Of from
eight to twelve hundred dollars taken out
and circulated weekly, through the winter
months, will be greatly missed by those into
whose hands it has heretofore passed. Not
only the miner who has lost his claim, but
the producer Of breadstufs, and the mer-
chant, will feel the decrease III revenue, and
we believe 1t behooves the latter, as we'll as
all others Interested in the welfare, prosper.
ity and advancement of the country, to eX-
crt themselves in an effort to open up a new
channel OF evenue. If this Is not done, the
miner who has lost his claim, as well as the
farmer who has been unfortunate in having
bis crop destroyed, must seek a new field of
operations. Each class are alike situated,
and suffer to the same extent. !.
II the mines pay the farmer win have a
market, and be encouraged to stop and make
an effort to raise another crop, bat if there
should be no chance to dispose of his pro-
duce-no prosperity in the country--he must
aeek q new field and a new market. The
merchant who has his capital in unsold
goods, looks to the mining and farming
classes for his profits.
We think it is, time u move was being
made to regain and improve our revenue,
and there seems to be no better way of do
ing this than by developing our quartz in
terests. The benefit defivedfrom the work
Ing Of one lead that pays is equal to that
from five or six placer claims. There are
hundreds Of quartz veins sticking out Of the
tops of the mountains which surround Com
federate gulch and Its tributaries. Some of
them have been developed to the depth of
eighty or ninety feet, and many Of them
show free gold. That they were the feeders
Of the rich bars and placers of this gulch
and its tributaries, no one doubts. Let this
be as it may, we know that there is gold in
many of these leads, and we know the
county cannot advance much from its pres
ont standpoint until these leads are devel-
oped, and made the principal source of rev.
enue.
Develop the quartz Of the Territory and
= great change will soon take place. Like
Colorado, !. new impetus wiz be given to