The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-04-25

of the Mines and Future
Prospects for Mining
interests.
Early Settlement of Jefferson
.Citv-A Railroad Needed.

Early Settlement of Jefferson
.City-A Railroad Needed.
County Seat Removal.
Special Correspond nce of the MINER.
BUTTE, NJ. T., April "a, 1888.
Editor Miner.
Since leaving Jefferson City l have
met so many old friends, and nave
had to answer so many questions III
relation o jefferson City, .Wickes,
Gregory, Boulder and the county
seat question, that l concluded 10
give your readers as near q correct
view of the condition of things IN
that part of the Territory as | can, If
YOU would be kind enough to indulge
me sufficient space. Jefferson City
is one of the oldest towns in Mon
| tana. having been settled in '62. L
| think the first settlers on the Prickly
! Pear were from Minnesota, and made
| the trip across the plains from st.
| Paul to Montana in 1872. Fisk Bros,
| of Helena, were members Ofthe patty:
! Jefferson City is one of the most
| pleasantly located towns in Montana.
It can boast of two fine mercantile
establishments, n good hotel, three
SALOONS, two livery stables, one black
smith shop, shoe shop, barber shop,
etc.
Is essentially a mining town, the
citizens of the town depending en-
tirely upon the Alta Montana's
smelling works for employment and
support. The works are temporarily
shut down. AS all the ores of the
Comet and Alta, and a number of
other mines OF less note, are reduced
at Wickes, it is not %expedient to
work these mines when the smelt-
ing works are not running, as the
ores would accumulate on the dump
and no disposition could be made of
them; so the reason for the dull
times in Jefferson and Wickes is
apparent.
TIE GREGORY
COmpany's mines and smelling
works are running steadily: The
ore of the Gregory mine is being sue
cessfully treated by Mr.. Hesse, the
efficient manager of the company's
smelling department..
There are a number Of fine mining
properties lying near Gregory, but
the company have all the ore of their
own that they can treat; so there are
no mines being worked except those
belonging to that company.
Is very dull at present, the mines
being shut down for the reason that
they can do nothing with their Gre
when the Wickes works are not run
ming. I understand that the mana
ger at Wickes, Mr.. Heverlin, has
received advices from New York to
the effect that the works would
probably start up in two or three
weeks. If 80 times will soon begin
to brighten up in Jefferson, Wicks
and surrounding country.
Jefferson county will at no very
distant day be one of the largest
bullion producing counties in the
territory. In the country lying be-
tween Helena and Butte aud on the
east side Of the Range, all i'll Jefler-
son county, there are hundreds OF
mining prospects, many of which are
developed to satisfy their
owners that they are good paying
All these properties are idle
present, because there is no market
for the ores, nor facilities Ior re-
them.
Other mining districts of the Ter
ritory are now attracting the atten-
ton Of eastern capitalists, and many
are being made in prop
critics less promising than those Of
Jefferson county.
RAILROAD MATTERS.
The time is not far distant when
from abroad will see the OPP
for investment in our sec-l
ion, and large smelling works viii!
be erected at Jefferson City, Helena,
1r in the Prickly Pear valley to re-
luce our ores. The advantages will
hen be made apparent to the U. 4 N.
Z. r. officials, of this route, over which |
o BUILD their connection with the l
Pacific in the Prickly t
Pear valley, over the hard and barren
quite on the otherside of the range. !
line can he run, with a compara- 1
lively easy grade, passing through I
! vast mineral belt, and inexhausti- i
Die forests of pine and fir, which {
would open up n of the richest t
mineral regions in Montana. The
miners must have a market for their {
res and railroad transportation to c
he reduction works, and if the Utah s
Z Northern fails to see their oppor-
unity and take timely advantage of S
the Northern Pacific will un- !
loubtedly tap this rich field for q
uture carrying trade by a branch
rom their main line. {
BOULDER CITY +
a promising little town and is just r
low entertaining ambitious ideas in
eference to the county seat question. 9
Jefferson people Of course dis !
gree with them upon this point '
ut nevertheless Boulder is a fine =
title town, has some good mines. !
nd is sure OF its share of material I
Prosperity in the future. =
THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION. y
From an entirely non-partisan
ONT of view it appears that altbough Il
J pOiS IuISc fOte lCr v
ounty seat, and possibly may secure
be removal which her people are a
such q strenuous effort a
obtain, yet that result is extremely tt
Many taxpayers in the b
ounty are strongly opposed to any a
ove which will add to the county;s 7
ebt. and will oppose removal uDon il
nat ground, while Jefferson, Wickes. v
Tregory, Clancy and other precincts G,
I'LL vote against the measure for Oh b
lous reasons involving local inter- D
Woodvllle, which is evidently I
ent upon eventual annexation to y
liver Bow, will probably see in the b
roposed removal a fatal blow to n
leir hopes in that direction. and ri
lille removal will poll some votes v,
lere the majority will probably be te
'"il's' IL. A, W