The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-10-21

ELLESSBCRG, Il ITrITAS VALLEY.
Yakima county. w. T..
Oct. 6, 1879.
The road from Swauk runs up that
valley some eight miles to the summit
on the divide between Swaak and the
Peshastin creek. BY the survey it Is
some fourteen miles; by actual travel
on tho trail it is about fifteen miles
northward Of ths :iwauk mines, or some
3S miles from Ellensburg In north
westerly direction from that place.
Negro creek flows Into the Peshastin
about two miles north Of the mines.
Be. wecn the two creeks is mountain
u thousand or fifteen hundred feet high
At the miues tho c., eks are about two
miles apart Placer mines were first
worked here from 1853 to 1860 Ne.
gro creek was first worked by Antoine
Eticnne, a negro who ior the Las, forty
years has been among the Indians. He
Is now working Oh what Is called Hid
above the Wenatchee on the Columbia
river. near the big earthquake fis.ure.
Between 1870 and 1873 the Peshastin
placcrs were again worked until about
1874, when Mr.. Culver discovered the
quartz there. The first arasta was ut
up by Messrs. Culver and Saunders III
1875 These quartz leads can scarcsly
bc said To be prospected as yet. Those
who went III there were men OF lin
tied means No outside capital has
been employed in opening up these
mines. SO far they have paid for their
prospecting and development The two
principal leads developed have been
traced west ward from Pe,h.stin creek,
bending southwark on Negro creek. and
across to the big bald mountain west
of Negro creek. The whole distance is
about six miles. The different compa-
MES at work there have started some
fifteen or twenty separate shafts or
tunnels. Some are only prospect holes;
others are tunnels running into the
mountains over one hundred feet. aud
out of which large quantities of ore are
daily being taken for crushing in the
arastas at work there. While the leads
run towards the west, they dip to the
south on an average ef about 20 de-
Rrees. Owing to the hight Of the noun.
tain, some of the lowest tunnels are
1900 feet lower down on the incline OF
the lead than the upper ones. The
formation on the south Is serpentine.
while the northern wall rock is por-
phyrytic.
- Mr.. Martin Shafer. one Of the most
active miners there, has one tunnel in
S4 feot, which is past 81. foot ledge
A second tunnel, lower down. is in Az
feet, thsu 10 feet incline on ledge. One
hundred feet further down an incline
Of 90 feet, on a solid ledge. is where
ore was obtained for this summers
work. Ie is also in 81 feet on rocky
tunnel on the Golden Cherry. These
are all on the east side Of the Peshastin
creek.
John Black is in on the west side OF
the creek, across from Weiter's mill.
His lower tunnel is in 80 feet. with his
main tunnel As feet aud double tunnel
| 80 feet Those are all tho tunnels close
to the main creek Thompson's gulch.
q branch Of the creek extending up the
mountain. is where much Of the work
hns been done. The only incorporated
company there is called the Shster Gold
aud Silver Mining Company. and was
organized by Mr.. Shafer, but is now
owned by II. M. Cooper, California
49-er. and James and 4 W Lockwood.
This company las on the Peshastin
lead. III this gulch. three tunnels in re-
spectively so, Co aud S5 feet, with an
open summit cut of 20 feet.
On the Palepick lode the Beanshean
| tunnel is in 80 feet to the lead, then 1t
runs at right angles to the main gang
way on the lead 10 feet. Culver's
tunnel is in no feet. John Ernest has
also done good work. His modesty
prevented his giving me the exact
| figures He is al old Californis miner
OF 1850. His tunnel is also on Thomp-
sor gulch. Near the summit. between
Peshastin and Negro creeks. the Olym-
pia tunnel. run by Queitsch Of Olympia.
runs in from the east side 62 feet and
from the west or Negro creek side %
feet. with a shaft IA feet deep. John
Black nas also 12 feet tunnel on the
| Negro creek side Of ths mountain.
The ore is reduced by the primitive
arastas. that simply grind up the rock
tho god, which i IS fine a. flour. is
saved in the arasta by quicksilver
Some OF the ore 10 rich in silver. lead, {,
etc, all Of which goes to waste.
The crushing mills there are IS fol-
lows: M.rtin Shafer. one arAsts, former
crushing capacity one ton Of rock per
day, now about half . ton; mill we'll
worn by use. Weiter's mill. the largest
there, three arastas, two l2 feet in d am
e,er, one 10 feet. run by breast water
wheel "a feet in diameter and 4 feet
breast, when run to its full capacity can
crush nearly three tons Of rock per day
II crushes oil Of Blscxs ore.
| The mill Of the Shafer Mining COM
psny is smaller, but one OF the mos'
complete there. They have IL feet
fall and 20 inch Turbine wheel. They
have two arastAs. each s feet in diame'
ter. that discharge into separate anal
eauator 6 feet in diameter. Next yes'
this company expect to erect . hve-
stamp mill that can be iucreased.to
ten stamp mill.
John Ernest's mill is . single arast'
Of ,hree-ou.rter ton capacity per day
which is now ct work.
Mr.. Gallagher, formerly OF Snono
- r:. 4; -o,kinO with Culver