The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-08-02
TIE MONTANA DISTRICT.
An Interesting Letter from Our Regular
Correspondents.


I herewith send you Il few items re-
garding this district, as development is
now proving to be a certainty what has
been long suspected, viz: that here is
going 20 be al extraordinarily rich camp.
The road question seems to be now
taken in hand, az the e%nterprising citi-
zels Of White Sulphur Springs have al
ready raised 3 fund for the construction
OF the road from the county seat TO this
place, and will from this circumstance
alone obtain the lions share of the trade
next season, as the distance is only "a
miles with easy grades. This road will
then place US about 80 miles 10. Hell
ena, with good roads the entire distance.
AS only about 10 miles of new road is
required TO place this camp in direct
communication with Benton, it seems
strange that nc steps have been taken in
the matter, especially as large interests
are held in the camp by Benton mer-
chants; as, also, it is probable that guam
titles Of high grade ore will nave to be
shipped via that point. The miners can
not be expected to make roads and de-
velop mines.
The weather SO far has been highly
unfavorablc 20 work this year. From
appearances 7 should Judge there are
nine months winter and three months
very late fall in this district. The min
ers are now pretty well scattered work
ing on their lodes, and liz daytime this
place presents 8 series Of lonely houses
and tents.
The locations In the camp on which
progress has been made are SO numerous
that il Will be impossible to include all
In this letter. Proceeding up the main
Belt from Harley creek, and observing
the verdant eXuberance Of Mr.. Gran
: dall's vegetable garden, we arrive at the
Montana, Sarah Jane and Blue lodes,
on all Of which deep shafts have been
sunk, showing we'll defined walls and
good indications for the future. These
mines are owned by Crandall q Mac
leod, [ believe, and show evidences of
skillful mining. The next location is
the Sunny South and Hillside, belong
ing to Neihart & Co., and now undergo
ing development. North Of these loca-
tons are the Amelia and Eureka. owned
by Macintosh, Sanborn & Co. These
are fine locations, and from the shafts
now I'm progress indicate q vein not less
than eight feet wide carrying mineral
across the face. The ore body looks re-
markably well. Due O. st is the location
OF ORourke & Moran, on which are two
shafts, n being about IS feet deep; the
owners have worked like beavers this
spring, and it is a valuable location.
South Of this one is the Samson lode Of
7. Fahrenbach's, which is now showing
enormous bodies OF mineral, and is I'M
dOubtedly one Of the finest mines in the
Belt range. The owner has driven a
tunnel in Is feet, showing now q face
eight feet wide. carrying mineral from
wall to wall, and continually widening
with the extension of the tunnel. I I'M
derstand that the tunnel will, without
cessation OF work, be carried 100 feet
further into the mountain, and as there
are nov over fifteen tons Of ore on the
dump, it Is probable the owner viii be
able to buy q smelter beSore spring.
The past week the owner made another
strike in q new vein on the same loca-
ton, showins up high grade ore, and
plenty OF it; he Is now proceeding to
Benton to make arran sements for the
work Of the ensuing winter. A little
east ofnorth are the Mountain Chief and
Ed. Mann lodes, belonging to Carotl1-
ers g. Co. On the Mountain Chief the
shaft is now down As feet, md the
face shows now 10. feet wide. carrying
valuable ore the whole width and the
hanging wall not yet reached. Over IS
tons of ore are now ON the dump, ana
the whole location bears evidence of toe
skill and industry Of the owners. On
the Ed. Mann location work is now in
progress, and another valuable vein has
been discovered in the same ground,
which from appearances indicates q
wide vein Of high grade ore. These
two locations are in exceedingly yalua-
Bile ground. MONTANA DISTRICT.
Al TRAVELLERS TALK.