The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-04-13
THE BONANZA CHIEF AND wrCurs.
important Developments In the sur-
rounding Camps.
what y Correspondent Saw and Heard.
Editor Butte MINER :

SsAAS btAAA' W j SAA |
is not a very pleasant thing to take, especially
oy stage coach. One week ago to-day | left
Helena on foot to visit the famous Bonanza
Chief mine. A pleasant walk of eight miles
over the undulating ground brought me TO the
old village of Montana City. After a short
rest, by the same conveyance I visited the
new mill now nearly completed. The mill
consists of 20 stamps, and is intended to be a
model OF convenience when finished. Mr..
Milo COPYRIGHT has charge of the construc-
ton of the mill, which is a sufficient
guarantee of its successful working. Mr..
Phil. Saunders has charge of the workings of
the Bonanza Chief mine The tunnel run to
tap the ledge go feet deep, lacks about 50 feet
Of penetrating the mine under the shaft, if
the opening now made on the mine can be
called a shaft, but to me it appears more like an
immense excavation. The walls of the ledge
l learn have not yet been found, so the i'm
mensity of the mine has never been fully de-
termined. About 1900 Or 800 tons of a good
grade OF ore is now on the dump awaiting the
completion of the mill. Mr.. COPYRIGHT III
formed me that two miners would be amply
sufficient force to keep the mill running. l
regret that on account of the water in the
mine / could not examine it more closely.
The ore on the dump shows considerable iron
(oxide) and some carbonate of copper.
After partaking of a substantial dinner at
the hotel at Montana City, to which l did
ample justice ON account of the healthful ex-
ercise of the forenoon, l mounted the first
Helena and Wickes express that came along,
taking the box with the driver, as newspaper
men are prone to do. i was soon informed by
our Jehu that he was running opposition to
the other line which was rapidly following in
our wake. Racing of any kind is very excit-
ing, but when one is OH the top of afour-horse
Concord coach spinning over a very rough
road, he is very apt to prefer the hurricane
deck of a gentle cayuse, and such was IN
experience after being passed and passing the
opposition coach a few times, and being near
ly jostled off. Frequently, l prevailed on the
accommodating whip to allow the other line
to take the lead which was done, much to my
relief and comfort until Jefferson City was
reached, where a good supper was pro-
cured at the City Hotel. Mounting a light
wagon we turn to the right and follow a good
road four miles up Spring creek to the tow
of Wickes, where the smelters and concentra-
ting works of the Alta-Montana Company are
located. Here l tarry for the night and re-
turn to Jefferson City the next day. On
Monday morning accepting an invitation from
Hon. j. e.. Saunders to visit the Gregory
mine, seven miles distant, we started, and
about half the distance we accomplished
splendidly behind Mr.. Saunders spirited
team, but then we began to encounter i'm
slow and difficult. Finally we reach the
mine and find a large shaft and whim
house with a smith shop in addition loca-
ted over the mine. Taking a candle we
climb down the ladder 100 feet, and fol-
lowing a leyel easterly 100 feet we examine
a good body of galena ore, associated with
iron pirites. was informed that the ore av-
eraged $500 in silver and 500 in gold per ton,
and carries about 35 per cent. of lead. This
mine has produced thousands of tons of rich
ore. Something over a year ago the Shaft
house, containing the engine and hosting
gear was burned, the shaft timbers for a depth
of Is feet were also burned and the shaft
caved in. This misfortune necessitated the
sinking of another shaft-the one above
mentioned, which has now attained a
depth of 1877 feet. At the time of my visit
this this shaft below the J0O-foot level was
filled with water, which prevented me from
making thorough exploration Of the mine.
However, l saw enough to prove to my salts
faction that the Gregory, although it has been
successfully worked for many years, and has
produced thousands, is yet a splendid prop
erty. WILDER F. and j, e. Saunders, l.. r..
METRE, and one Or two others, are the owners.
l.. r. METRE, Esq, superintends the workings
of the mine.
On our return trip we had the i'll fortune to
become tioundered in a huge snow bank, but
by dint of SNOW sloveling and unhitching
our horses and backing the wagon out of The
drift, we, by making quite a detour, avoided
camping for the night or choosing the alter
native of walking back to Jefferson.
The day following boarded the overland
coach and proceeded TO Boulder City. At this
place 1 met an old acqu ointance in the person
of j. NJ. d. Greene, Esq. Mr.. Greene and
Mr.. Jerry Smith had just returned from a
visit to the Basin and Cataract mines, and
were very enthusiastic about the future of
those camps. They informed me that the
mine bonded from Messrs. Hathaway and
Brown is proving to be a verltable bonanza
indeed, seventeen feet of good ole being in
sight. | remained at Boulder over night and
returned here. The overland coach change s
to runners nearly at the top of the divide be-
tween Prickly Pear and Boulder valley. BY