The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-03-22

AsOs G1f
q regular business and mining boom The
Montana district will come to the front this
year.
1t has generally happened that the most
successful mining camps have been the best
advertised camps, as, for instance, Lead
Vile, Deadwood, Tombstone, Bodie, Wood
River, Butte, etc. If the people in these
camp sat still and never said q word about
their mines; if they did not establish news
papers to disseminate news about them; III
they did not write about them and talk about
them, and tell people what they were and
what they expected to be, and generally
''blow their own ho1ns," then not one of
these camps would be one-quarter as much
developed as it is now. Mines alone will not
make a successful mining camp by any
means. We all know lots of places where
there are good mines, but no ''boom has
struck them" and no attention is paid to
them. .-Scaentifs Press.
Riverside" Bentons correspondent of
the Helena Lpderendent, is writing some
good letters for that paper. In recent ar
ticle he touches up the various mining dis
tricts tributary to Benton and shows the
great benefits our town is to reap from the
same, benefits that have already been felt by
our merchants in no small way. In cOnclu-
sion he points out new field for the pros
md fni1v hio ,,roSictinp in
the premises to be fully verified:
Benton being the natural and cheapest sup
ply depot for all that vast region, feels and
realizes the wonderful change more senslbly
than any other town in the Territory. But
Benton must not and will not remain satisfied
with only the mines SO far discovered. She
has other mines tributary to her which can
not long remain untouched. The restless
prospector is already gazing on the main
range of the Rocky mountains directly west
of Benton from 80 to 100 miles) at the head
of the Dearborn, Teton, and Msrias rivers.
Here is section practically untouched by
the prespector. That it is rich in leads there
is no doubt, for rich float rock can be found
all along its gulches and mountain Sides 1t
would not be surprising if there should be
rich placer mines found here. Long ago
| prospectors made few Intellectual attempts
| to prospect for placer mines, but the country
was then in the hands of hostile Indians and
| but little done. Since then, like other noun
| tain ranges in this vicinity, by common con-
sent it was given up and no attention paid to
| it, Here then is the coming new mining sec
| ton of Montana, and once opened it will
show results that will astonish some OF the
older mining camps.
| The Magnnis mines, says the Bismarck
77ri1une, are beginning IT, tabE Z hrna held
on the people at Miles City and other towns
in eastern Montana, where they are in q pos
ition to obtain the bottom facts regarding the
merits of the new mineral fields. Capt. John
W. Smith, of Miles City, now in Bismarck,
who has spent much time and some money
to ascertain the true state OF affairs IN the
new camp, is enthusiastic in its praise, and
has no hestancy in recommending his old
time friends, whom he would under no con-
ditions wilfully send on q wild goose chase,
to 90 there From what the Capt. has been
able to learn during the winter, he is CONT
dent that the Maglnnis region will be the CEN
tire of an unprecedented gold excitement, the
coming season. Parties who have been
there from Miles return to the diggings as
soon as they get an outfit. This new land OF
auriferous promise covers an extent OF coun-
try about as large as the Black Hills. The
point where the placer ard quartz have been
discovered is between four and five miles
| from Fort Maginnis. The military post and
the camp, which is called Vaudeville, are
divided by pelt of mountains, passabe only
nv a foot trail. The distance to be Travelled
by wagon from the Fort is thirty miles. Inc
present population of the camp is about 4oo
but already stampeders are beginning to 60
there in no small numbers from other camps
in Montana. There are as yet no large
/ business firms there, and in Capt. Smiths
} indoment such establishments will be among
the great necessities within month or two.
The sluicing season lasts only about six to
ten weeks; beginning when the spring thaws
{ set in and ending during the early summer
, Under such circumstance 1t will require t.
! seasons to wash the gravel, which fact in
sures two booming seasons at least Ii il
, the placer mines that keep up hurrah times
} in a mining camp.
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