The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-11-17

/ y
/ and along all its continents there is as lars
L an area of virgin forest as is to be found i
y the Territory. Game abounds III certli
: portions Of the range, and the grazing |
e ail the openings cannot be excelled.
With these preliminary remarks, wi
: give more detailed account Of the differ
$ ent districts, and will commence with tn
: youngest, though not the least, namely tn
I MONTANA DISTRICT.
: This mineral field discovered aholl
. June 18th, 1881, by A1essrs. Neihart, O.
: Brien and Harley may be considered TIN
I great discovery OF the present year iii tn,
/ Little Belt, not only by the large number
f ot locations, but also the true fisslre char
/ acter Of the veins, and the nigh grade orr
J produced.
i The district is situated on main Bel
creek about eight miles from its source
and on the west and southwest of Blacb
Baldy, which is the southern peak Of the
T Badly range.
4 At the present time the route from the
Barker to this place is by means of pack
animals, and goes over the low pass on the
i left bank ofthe Dry Fork about three miles
4 below the smelter, and then across hillv
trail to Belt creek, crossing which we ar
rive at the Park with its picturesque scen-
cry. This Park Is a mountain prairie with
a descent to the northwest, we'll Watered
and timbered, covered with a thick growth
OF nutritious grasses, and in some places
wild timothy attains such luxuriance as to
be often three feet high. AS natural
consequence this locality has always been
famous as the resort for elk, deer. bear and
other game. In the vicinity of the creek
the country looks almost impracticabe for
wagons, but every mile Or so some back
bone can be found which will furnish an
easy descent, and generally the only OBJ
structions to be found are fallen timber,
which can be easily cut.
Proceeding almost to the head of the
Park, and arriving at Harley creek, We. ar
rive at the western limit Cat presently of the
mines, and descend into Belt, which we
follow upstream for almost two miles, to
the future site Of Canyon City.
The character of the rocks in the camp is !
essentially granite, at the eastern bound
ary changing to quartzite. The line oft!i- |
vision il, however, i'll defined apparently, |
most Of the country east and south pertain
to quartzite formation. On the south Of
Belt small narrow strip Of talcose schst
exists, lying in a diagonal dip and covering
the lodes passing beneath.
At Canyon City the granite il porp71yr-
itic, and i'll places syenitic with an eastand
west cleavage. Often the rocks are heayi-
" impregnated with iron, sometimes
a copperlike stain In crystalline
torn. The argentiferous lodes all run par
allel with each other in direction little
east of north, and west of south, aud are
all enclosed in porphyritic walls. Many
lodes show a large amount Of black oxide
Of manganese, and few considerable fluoI
spar.
AT the present time nineteen distinct
veins have been discovered, on which
there are eighty locations. Thirteen other
locations are ON these lodes, but they are
ID the confines of Belt Park district. This
will give total Of ninety-one locations on
he lodes. The majority of veins seem to
show an average width Of three to six feet
n width. Most of them show low grade
mineral right OH the surface, the work done !.
'n them not yet being sufficient to show
heir character. Exceptions exist, loW-
,yer, in the centre six lodes, which often .
how pay ore chutes OIL the surface, some
ines stretching from wall rock to wall !;
ock.
The longest vein found in the camp is
he s'Queen of the Hills, !" which she is in !
ruth. On this lode there are now nineteen I
Dcations, equaling 2s,500 feet OF nearly .
u miles, making it probably the longest .
elm ever found in the United States. !,
Iessrs. Neihart & Co.'S locations give an !,
ssay, hear, of nearly $1,000; Messrs.
'arruthers & Co. on the Mountain Chief q
nd ''Mann" $7O3; Messrs. Sutton 6 Co. q
" the 'tKing of the Mts." $23S. and others 4
shich assay high. which | have not ye,
cen the returns of.
The Oregon Massachusetts" and +
Cora located by Messrs. Ladd, Mort !
on, etc., gives a late assay Of nearly $3l5. i
his vein lies to east of, and close to the
Queen of the Hills Fl
rgst.o A ..,nrs, -