The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-05-17

mining district is the ''Warm Spring Dis |
;rict."
During my stay there visited twenty five
Of the quartz locations, extending 4 distance
Of not less than six miles, from north east to
southwest Among them is to be found q
number of very fine prospects, generally
free milling rock, principally carrying silver,
but few carrying gold. OF the former the
Collar stands at the head, having more devel-
rpment than any other in the camp. 1t is
owned by Messra, Kemper, Bessy, Erwin,
Snow and Mcfarland, who have sunk q
shat. 70 feet, where they have run level
about 80 feet. The vein at that depth shows
about twenty feet in width. They are now
running tunnel in to strike the vein 200
feet below. The ore is q copper-stained
quartz, the silver being principally in the
form of black sulphuret, The assays run
from $50 to $2,100.
The Florence, situated near the summit of
the mountain, and owned BY the proprietors
of the Collar, is very promising prospect,
in which the ores assay from 1877 to s, 600 or.
of silver, with from to II OF. ounces of
gold to the ton.
Near Forge Creek, which runs towards
Fort Maginnis, visited the Silver Star and
Eureka, near each other, which were being
developed, and both showing fine bodies of
rich quartz assaying high in silver.a in the
former assaylng IS high as 1866 in gold.
The North Star and Kentucky Favorite were
visited, the latter showing native silver in
dark quartz, while another part OF the vein
bad q purple tinted quartz.
The Yellow Jacket was of character diff
ferent from any of the others. having car
Donates and iron pyrites in the vein.
The Maggie, hear the top of the noun
ta,ns, has an entirely different kind of vein
matter, being decomposed, with an abund-
ance Of tale, and said to carry free gold, but
how much I did not ascertain.
We visited the Montana mine, owned by
Hauser, Hotter & Co., of Helena, where q
shaft was found said to be So feet deep, a.
the bottom Of which they have run on th.
vein 40 feet. The timberiDg Of the shat
| not locking very safe We did not descend.
The quartz shows free gold, which the 81
persntendent, A. N. Essler, informed hit
would 60 800 to the ton, with loss of les
| than ten per cent.
| All of the mines and prospects so far de
scribed lie eastward of the camp. Ih'
group lying to the southwest. below Alpin
Gulch, was then visited, among which we on
served the Red Erie, Pet, Consolidated Ken
tucky, UDet, Great Eastern, Legal Tender
Roby, Monte Christie, and silver Lake. fol
merly known as Madam Green. Anon
these were several very fine looking pros
poets, showing an abundance of sulphure
of silver and some ruby silver. The ort
assay high and the heavy ''6oat" indicate
strong veins. The Monte Christie has sha
IS feet, from which very fine ore has bee
taken. Upon the others very little work hs
been done.
The consolidated Kentucky has da'
. quartz carrying evidently considerable .
senical ores. The others have ores conside
; ably resembling those of the Collar, Floren
. Eureka and North Star.
D Some ten or eleve of these claims lyil
{ adjacent to each other have been consolidate
! into q company under tee name Of The "ku'
e Silver Mining Company They have
Y cured mill site and water right near by,
]. the vicinity of Dexter's saw mill, and hope
e have mill in operation crushing their or
+ before twelve months expires-and . nj
!, with national reputation is expected to
g sume the head of their company.
# The next thing to visit was the p'ac
d mines, the best paying ones being in Maid
y pulch. Mr.. J. F. Sage cleaned up the slu
it ing Of the work of about four men for
,r day. and the result was about six ounces
coarse gold, abont 900 fne. Messrs. LA
, dueky and Kayser are also sluicing to 60
Il profit. We did not get the figures. {
a though the kindness and generosity
n Messrs. Snow, IF the Collar. and Landusk
find myself the owner Of about half
Al ounce of dust, among which is nugs
weighing about four dollars another y
ID shown us, however, that weighed about "
,e The scarcity of wster is the only drawba
. to the successful working OF these place
as the volume is small and the supply OF
; lasts few weeks in the spring, The slu
B. bexes were nearly ready to commence We
4 on several claims in Warm Spring and
Of pine gulches.
= One advantage OF these mines IS the OF
.. with which they are reached from the "
a. ana northwest, as there is good road Tx