The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-04-09
THE NEW NORTHWEST. DEER LODGE,
! rRrp OVER THE MOUNTAINS
Into First Chance Mining District-Scenes In
Route as Noted by an Observing Gen
tleman Who Submits to an
Interview.

Into First Chance Mining Distries-seenes =
Route as Noted by an Observing Gen
tIeman Who Submits to an
Interview.
From a gentleman who recently Visite'
, this district we get the following interesting
account of the country and roads in the vi
cinity and the mines at First Chance. Tn
district is situated at the head of Deep ant
First Chance gulches and extends aioni
the divide between Bear and Elk Creek.
THE ROADS.
There is a good summer road into th'
J district which DIVORCES from the MuikeI
Canon road on the summit of the range ane
near Deep. A practicable wagon road also
extends from the Muikey road into the Ne
vada valley, leaving the road short dis
lance before the summit is reached and
striking the valley of Nevada creek at the
old Qainn ranch. To reach the mInes'
avoid the long and tedious Mulkey route,
save time and horsefesh and secare in ev'
cry way better route, it is proposed 10
leave the valley near Edwards (Packers)
ranch In doing So distance of about four
miles will be saved aud better grade be
another feature of the new road. AT the
present time the better way TO reach the
mines is to journey ola Beartown. Our
informant travelled this way, taking the
stage to Bear Mouth Station. No regular
coach line being in operation there, not and
happening to meet the occasional sled
which traverses the distance, 1t was trav-
eled on foot.
THE SNOW FALL,
At Bear Mouth the snow is about At
feet deep on the level Travelling up
the gulch it increases In depth until at
Beartown it is from four to four and half
feet deep.
To get to the mines from Bsartown the
traveller takes the trail up Bear Gu!ch to
Cave, up Cave Gulch to it's head and over
the steep divide between the latter gulch
and First Chance. The depth of snow in
creases with the altitude after leaving Bear
town, until at First Chance it is from five
to seven feet deep. A remarkable feature
of the snow is that there are no drifts
whatever-all lies as when 1t fell. 1t is e.
timated by the miners that from twelve to
fourteen feet have fallen this winter-an
unusually large amount. 1t has become
settled and packed into compact form and
will remain until summer suns remove it.
No difficulty was experienced in travelling
where there were trails, and in a short time
the SHOW will have become solid enough to
bear the weight of man. The region is
finely timbered with fir and pine, not large,
but all Of best quality. But few fallen
trees are to be seen, owing to the nom
prevalence OF the high winds from which
other sections cannot claim immunity.
Notwithstanding the altitude, it has not
been colder there during the winter than in
the valley. Some twenty or thirty quartz
miners are located along the divide from
head of Deep aud extending six or eight
miles south. The deep SHOWS prevented
other than the mines at the mead of First |
Chance being visited.
SOME OF THE MINES.
The niue with the greatest amount Of |
development is the Magone & Anderson.
The lode upon which their claim of 1900 |
feet is located runs nearly east and west, as |
do nearly all lodes in the district, and has
been traced aud exposed for distance Of |
over 1900 feet. The owners have done |
work nearly all along the line of their |
claim. 1t consists chiefly, however, Of a
a tunnel 200 feet in length near the west or |
lower end of the claim, which starts in !
upon and follows the vein into the hill and |
which at its extremity has reached a depth |
of IS feet below the surface, and a similar |
tunnel about 70 feet in length near the
centre Of their claim, exposing the veia its
entire length. The vein exposed is from
three TO five feet in width. 1t is contact
vein with granite on one wall and on the
other a kind of rock unknown to our in
formant It is all remarkable free gold.
bearing quartz, said to assay well and to
indicate that it will pay handsomely
throughout. ..s..
THE HoMEsTAKE LODE
OF Henry Grant was also visited and Dir. |
G. was found hard at work in the develop
ment of his lead. He has not reached
sufficient depth to demonstrate the full ex-
tent and character of his vein. All the in
dications, however, are favorable for a
large, first-class gold-bearing quartz lode.
The quartz on the dump aud IN sight, with |
the present amount of work done, is GER
tainly worth great many thousand dol
ranging in value from S. to SIS. ct will
be remembered by our readers that from
this lode, December Gath last, Mr. Grant |
pounded out from the rock 5000 in six |
hours. N. N.-W.)
Measrs. Charles Cooper and Sam Richie
have some excellent leads and prospects. |
The Robert Emmett lode, the property of |
Glen, Warner and others,is also valuable |
aud desirable location. On this lead
shaft IS feet in depth has been sunk, de-
veloping remarkably fine vein of gold
bearing quartz 30 inches ia width. This
is the only vein visited by our informant
which runs in northerly and southerly d.
rection.
Prospecting, owing to the large amount
of snow, cannot be successfully conducted
for several weeks. 1t Is fine field for
prospectors, and the miners now owning
leads there are confident that permanent
arrangements will be made this season
looking to the development of the camp.
The gentleman to whom we are indebted
for the foregoing is enthusiastic as to the
future OF First Chance, and speaks CRATE
fully Of the hospitality extended to himself
and companion at First Chance ard at
f,aartorn