Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-02-09


cernin: the Cerr d'Alene mines in
Northern idaho. Mr.. Barnard, after
having made n thorough inspection of
the mines say. he gained Il definite idea
Of their richness. aud has concluded to
put a saw mill near Eagle City. He
comes 10 this city for the purpose of
bnying machinery. He has already
made his purchase and proposes by
! March Ij 10 have the mill in running
order. 1t is portable steam mill with
q capacity Of from 5000 TO 10000 feet
per day 1t will be put in at point
three miles east Of Eagle City, near
Pritchard creek. AT present miners are
engaged in saving ont the lumber they
need with whip saws, these being the
only mode Of supply since the camp w.>
discovered. Lumber is worth there $l50
per thousand, and ii is in great demand
so that, evidently, the enterprise vii!
prove profitable. All his maChinery
will be taken in by n route heretofore
hut little mentioned. Ii IL what l.
known as the Trout creek route
Trout creek is the name Of the station
on the railroad, ninety miles east OF
Rathlrum, and is distant from Eagle
City, by trail, only thirty-fve miles.
Coming ont of the mines, Mr.. Barnard
walked the entire distance in twelve
hours aud twenty minutes He states
that eight miles of the roIte is somewhat
rough, but the remainder is unusually
good ground. Considering il Topographic
cally, it is marvel of evenness. II
should not be concluded, however, tha.
the trail is in the very best sh.pc ut the
present time In ao.ut week W there
about it will be in very coed condition,
so that anyone can take his pack and
start in and make good progress, ever
though some snow has recently fallen.
There is at present force Of fifteen
men repairing the trail at different
points. Thcy are also ,;'azing trees and
making prcparations COR Z wagon road
to De built at Later period. A good
many people are going in on this road
The gentleman in question reports that
during the trip out to the railroad he
met no less than forty-eight men bound
aoag the trail 20 the gold fields. The
machinery which he proposed to take
N over this route. being for a portable
sill, is. of course, not unusually cxtcns-
;v", hut is has nevertheless. q WEIGHT o!
six tons All this excepting the boilers,
will be ra"l: cd ia on burrO3. The boilers
viii! each be put upon narrow sledge,
and, where the trail will permit, tan
,,ein team OF tT0 cay':aC- VII! draw the
100 abrupt, or the road il so rough that
it cannot he taken in, in this manner, a
single animal Will be used. And at still
rougher points the force Of men them
selves will draw the load. Should the
transfer of the machinery he success,
it wonld appear that this route will be
preferable to any that has heretofore
been mentioned MesSra Hamilton and
Tone are the projectors Of the trail and
road. Mr.. Barnard states that the cosI
of living at Eagle City is very high.
Flour is $50 per hundred bacon 80 cts
to 40 cents; vcnison, the only kind Of
fresh meat TO bc had, is worth - cents
per pound.
There is one doctor, regularly practic
ing, two or three lawyers, of whom one
is decoying the public with a sheet-iron
'shingle," and there is the usual array
of busted capitalists and men who have
lost their grip and are trying to regain
it. MIR. w. l.. Hunt is ci,y recorder and
Frank Points is justice of the peace and
mining recorder. The miners Of Eagle
City held meeting on the 10th inst.
and decided regarding town property
that claimants or purchasers mast pat =
fence around their respective lots and
erect the foundation of a cabin four logs
high by July !, at which time other
legislation for the upbuildin. Of the
mining metropolis will doubtless be on
tapis. Mr.. Barnard is much impressed
with the richness of the mines. He
brought down two fine nuggets from
claim slightly above what is known as
the Widows" property. The nuggets
are of the value of $53, and the property
from which they are taken is situated
seven miles from Eagle City. He thinks
there is gold all the way up Pritchard
creek, and thinks the district is very ex-
tensive. On the west fork Of Eagle
creek, four and half miles from Eagle
City, rich quartz claim has been found,
the mineral ledge Of which juts squarely
against rock, and now the owner is in
a quandary t. know whether there is
any mine in and beyond the rock The
entire country is said to he full Of quartz
and it is appreheuded that the new dis
trict will gain much of its permanency
from such properties. 1t is thought
when the Trout creek trail is repaired
that freight can be taken over it for l2I
cents. instead Of %, as heretofore.
There are forty og houses in Eagle City,
! five stores anil six saloons. w. +. Stall