The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-06-07
WHAT COL. SWEET SAYS.
An Authentic Report About the Mines
at the MagInnis. Barker and HON
tana Districts.
[Bism arck Tribune.l

ing arrived on the Rose Bud, yesterday
morning, on his return from q years tour
through Montana. the representative of the
Tribune sought him out, and at once pro-
ceeded to interview him
Reporter-Well, Colonel, what do you
think IF Montana. especially that portion
lying north of the Northern Pacific, which
would be opened up by a railroad from the
Yellowstone to Fort Benton !?
Col. Sweet-It is a splendid country, rich
in all the elements that build up q new coun-
try. It's rich, luxuriant grasses, and abund-
ant springs and mountain Streams make it
the finest range for sheep and cattle in the
United States. It's deposits Of cool among
the foothills along the eastern and northern
slopes Of the Little Belt range Of mountains,
among which | found coal that would coke,
will yet be drawn upon to supply the fuel for
q large portion Of Dakota, to the exclusion
of the Ignite found farther east, besides
there are large deposits on vein of good iron
ore in close proximity to the coal which will
be utilized 10 time in the manufacture of
railroad iron and other manufactures of that
useful metal.
R-Yes, but we want to know about the
gold and silver mines in the Maginnis, Bark
er and Montana districts, all of which are in
the vicinity of the projected railroad men
toned did you visit them, and if so what
have you to report 10 relation to them
Answer-Prefacing my reply with The
statement that the first named district should
be called Warm Spring. instead of 'Magin-
mis-, | will state that | have visited nearly
all the mines and prospects In the Barker,
about thirty Of the principal ones in the
Warm Spring and about twenty-fve in the
Montana district, from all of which I have
specimens Of the ores" and here we were
shown a very fine collection of gold and sill
yer ores, as we'll as coal, iron, marble, gyp-
sum, all carefully labeled and numbering be-
tween one and two hundred. But the most
interesting was a lot Of coarse gold taken
from a "cIean up" in Maiden Gulch in the
presence Of Col. S., among which was one
nugget weighing nearly So. Among the
specimens carrying ''free gold" were several
in which the pure metal was abundantly Wis
IDLE to the naked eye, but the silver ores
were of a variety Of forms known as argen-
~tiferous galena, silver glance, ruby silver,
and antimonial silver and black sulpher-
cts of silver, with a few showing native sill
yer. Some OF these ores are said to assay
as high as $40, 900 to the ton or more. Some
of the coal looked very bright, with an irrld-
escence showing all the colors in a peacock's
tail, while the iron, as far as we could judge,
looked like good rich ore. This collection
the Colonel informs as will be taken to St.
Paul, where it will be on exhibition proba-
bly, at the Northern Pacific railroad head
quarters.
Rep-What is your opinion of Fort Ben
ton, and how will the developments of the
mines you have visited affect its business.
A%ns-Before visiting the place had sup
trading post, with its usual complement of
old, dilapidated adobe buildings, the fort"
a kind Of stockade, with a number of "In-
dian traders trying to circumvent his neigh
Dor and get the lions share of the trade in
furs, but instead / found it to be q live town
with large brick stores, and enormous ware
houses, as extensive even as those Of Bis
marck. The amount of capita invested IN
b lsiness there amounts to about two and
q half millions of dollars. The business
men of that town bave organized q board of
trade, and are now working with complete
Immunity of purpose, determined to place
Brnton in the position which her location
gives her, the business metropolis of Mon
tana. They are determined to have railroad
connection with the outside world, and if the
North Pacific people cannot aid them, they
will take measures that will insure them a
line before trade, which properly belongs to
them, can be diverted in some other direc-
ton.
The development of the rich mines of
gold, silver, iron and coal around Benton,
which is only a question of time, not far die
point, and a glance at the map will show
that Benton is without a competitor as such
point, having. like 81. Louis and st. Paul,
been selected by the early traders who were
familiar with the topography of the whole
region and uninfuenced in their selection by
any one holding s'corner lots"
On further inquiry, we found that Col.
Sweet had copious notes, filling several
books, in relation to Montana, which we
homo he NOV ho ;nducod RI r;uo thn r1hlic