The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-07-19
OUR BONANZA LETTER.
The Weather-County Seat Ques.
tion-The Great Bonanzas of Bo-
nanza-Middle Fork Coun-
try-A New Road Pro-
jected-R. r. Survey
ing Parties-Popu-
lation- Etc Etc.

SHOWN no sign OF relaxing its hold Oh the
ankee Fork country, but he could not long
Withstand tie influence Of the bright sun
SHINE we were favored with, and summer
flowers soon took the place of the most stub
born snow drifts. Now looking upon our
grand old mountains clothed IN their gay al.
tire we almost forget that winter did ever
reign in this beautiful land Spring came
early-at least six weeks earlier than was ex-
pected-and with it a very noticeable change
in this mountain climate, as there has been
continued warm weather, with rain showers,
accompanied by real old-fashioned states like
thunder and lightning We have lately had
an eclipse Of the moon, and can also boast of
a comet, so you see this new country is fast
becoming civilized and naturalized.
The location of the county seat occupied
T. attention of our citizens for some time.
but it is now a thing Of the past, and we are
gradually becoming reconciled to the will of
the majority. AT the last session of the
legislature, new county was created out of
portion each Of Altura and Lemhi, named
Custer, and an election appointed for the 2Oth
OF June to locate a county seat and elect Off
GERS Chalis, Bonanza and Crystal were aspi-
rants for the hOnors, which made an exciting
contest. Challis led Bonanza hy nineteen
votes Our neshbor town, Custer, went
against Bonanza, otherwise we would have
gained the prize. Jealousy was the cause of
the luminosity, and it was a plain case of cut
ting Off the nose TO spite the face, for with
the county seat here Custer, only mile and
half away would have been equally bcne-
flied.
Alth ugh ever ything is 50 favorable for a
prosperous mining season, there has been no
unusual interest manifested in that drec-
ton owing, think. to The report Of numer-
Gus and rich strikes made in Wood River,
which turned the tide of emigration toward
that place. But our rich mines are steadily
and surely improving i'll value, aud must
sooner OF later bring tie Salmon River coun
try to the favurab e notice Of the world.
! have as yet visited little among the mines
this season, but see the owners often, who do
not seem averse to being interviewed, and SO
can get all the information | wish in regard
to the working of their mines However, now
that the days are so long and pleasant, eX-
pect to soon see more of the prominent mines
| in this vicinity.
This is now q bullion producing camp, aud
we are gaining considerable notoriety abroad
from the shipment of solid silver ware. The
General Custer mill is making a fine record,
crushing about twenty tons OF ore per day
from the Custer ledge. Over two hundred
bars have been cast since the mill commenced
running. For two months only ten stamps
were in operation, owing to some defect in the
elevators and in the capacity oflhe roasters. But
of late all of the stamps have been doing du-
ty, the yield being tN bars OF bullion each
twenty-four hours, valued at $1,000 to So OO
per bar. The Gre taken from ledge is all
worked good bad aud indifferent and yields
from Sl3O to 5000 per ton. The out-c:op OF
ore on the Custer nine seems hardly to have
| been disturbed as yet, and there is enough
ore above the ground to keep the mill run
| ming for several years. This is sent down to
the mill bv tramway. The ore house at tie
mill has a capacity of 800 tons, but an otherE
| to be butt soon tlat will garner O,Ooo tons
| The L Unknown mine, adjoining the Custer Oh
the east aud supposed to be the same ledge
only much smaller, has about 1000 tons OF
| $500 ore piled up at the mouth of the tunnel
| The mine is worked at depth or 2oo 'ee'
and IS Sai,i 10 have ore N sight 10 Tie am"0h'
OF At Least one million dollars. This mine Is
one of the proper ties OF the Custer COMPANY
1t is claimed that the mill has made the oes
recort. of any of like capacity ever erected
hut of course | am not sufficiently posted iI
these matters to give this as something pe
voud dispute, but being our first mill we
feel much pride in what we know IT has &C
complisled. Judging from the weekly re-
norts in the MINER would think that The
Alice is fully as great a ledge as the custer
inasmuch as it is perfect Teln, continuous
f,r several thousand feet, and although no
as as rich in its ores as is the CUSTER az Tilt
same time it is better developed, anu caii'io
be exhausted in years. The Custer has no
beep developed to any great extent u''oer
oroupd and it is not really known how eNteh
siye the great chimney is, but the ore III sign
10 estimated to be worth several million.
As vet we have only one mill i'll the camp
and one arastra but there are now huHi'e
of mines developed to that degree that tler'
con,d be no risk in bringing in mach'hers
Prominent among these are the plche''s
Montana, Lucky Boy and the Badger iher'
.ra other mines worked to considerable depti
a.d knowp to contain great deal OF goo'
milling ore, but mining is of late brought u
To that business point that company VIII ho