The Dillon tribune., 1883-11-03
CEUR D'ALENR MINES.

CEUR D'ALENE MINES.
An Interview with Parties Just from
There.
Sunday morning Tom Bentley arrived
in HALEY from the placer ditgings in the
Ceeur d'Alene districts. His partner, Pat
Flynn came in yesterday. These gentlemen
have been we'll nigh besieged By the
curious and the inquisitive ever since
their arrival, and thinking brief account
Of their travels and observations would not
be uninteresitng 10 the public, we had a
quiet interview yesterday and learned many
things hitherto unknown about the coun.
try and the placers.
Tom Bentley, Pat Flynn and Robert
Smith left HALEY on the 2oth Of last Aug.
ust for the Ceur d'Alene country. They
started on horseback, and in twelve days
completed the journey to Mi.soula, Mont.
At this point they took three men into their
company, as partners, and again started, this
time for Miners camp, which Is on this
side Of the Ceur d'Alene range, and
about twenty miles from the Ceur Alene
Mission. From Missoula the journey was
made over tho Mullen road, which runs
from Fort Benton through to Walla Walla,
Washington Territory, via Missoula. It
was originally government road, and was
built In 1858. Starting again from Miners
Camp, tn. party reached Prichard's creek,
on the ground Of the present placer mining
excitement, Sept, roth. The journey was
an exceedingly hard one, but proved not so
irksome and perilous an undertaking as
coming out.
Pritchard's creek or gulct,, is about eigh.
teen miles long, varying In width from
twersy to eighty rods, tits flat and smooth
having fall of two feet to the hundred, with
a gradual and even slope. The gulch is
covered with heavy timber. Rocks are al.
SO quite numerous, but the largest one seen
can be easily handled by two mev. Water
is abundant and sufficient for the diggings.
The ground will be worked by either strip
ping or drifting, but most likely it will not
pay to drift very extensively. Ten miles
OF the gulch has been prospected and pay
dirt found. Two hundred claims have been
located, and every claim opened up SO far
pays from $40 to $1oo per nan daily.
Only ten strings Of sluices are now running
The bed rock is slate and pays from one to
two ounces per pan. There are few oun.
ces Of pay gravel on the bed rock which
pays from two bits to $40 per pan. It is
not yet ascertained how wide the pay streak
is, hut parties are now working in the cen.
ire and on both sides Of the gulch in various
places.
When Bentley & Flynn's party reached
reached the gulch they found only two men
opening it up-Geo. Ives and man named
Gillet. After looking at the records they
discovered that several men were holding
from 60 to $40 acres apiece in their own
names, as we'll as the names of those who
had never been there. They accordingly
staked off twenty acres Of such land apiece
and were Immediately followed BY others
who did likewise. Miners came In from all
directions, and now only two men have
their twenty acres each-Ives and Gillet.
The claims were voluntarily divided up and
and given to the newcomers. The miners
were generally not in favor Of asking Ives
and Gillett to divide up, as they were the
first in tie gulch, and had shown such en-.
ergy in opening it up.
There are several gulches tributary to
Pritchard's, which have all been taken up,
namely: Eagle creek, about seven miles
long; Butte gulch, three and one half miles
long: Gold Run, two or three miles long;
Quartz 9ulcl,, on the scutl, side Of Pritchard's
four or five miles long. On the latter there
were only two claims when the party left.
This gulch gets its name from the extern
sive quartz formation at its head.
1t Is thought some 500 or 1000 men will
winter in the gulch. A postoffice will soon
be established. Seven hundred names have
already been signed to petition Tor the es.
tablishment Of mail service. A trai! is now
being made from Heron Siding over the
Ceur d'Alene range to the new gold field.
1t will be completed by the first OF Noven.
Der.
On Monday morning, the 18th of the
present month, Bentley and Flynn, in com.
pany with five others, started out to make
the return trip over the CeuI dAlene
range, the names of the five men were
John Curry, Chas. Lee, Jimmy the Spirit,
Barney Rowdybush and Al. Dell. The
two last named, partners, soon after leaving
camp, turned back down the creek toward
the diggings thinking the party were not
taking the right course. 1t is supposed now
that they lost their way,as nothing has been
heard from them.
The Ave men were four days getting out
to the railroad at Trout Creek Station, on
the Northern Pacific. On the third night
just as darkness set in, they were within