Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-04-17


weakened" skipped the camp, and the
title to that property is as good to-day as
any in the district.
Lawyers are not scarce in Eagle City, and
those already there seem determined TO i'm
prove their opportunities deed requlr-
ing ten minutes work costs SO, and other
services are charged for in proportion.
dollar a minute would satisfy anyone but
railroad director, and as yet the fraternity
have nothing to complain of.
The Recorders Office is probably paying
as large dividends as any property in Am
erica. Imagine rude building, occupied
as a store. thronged with miners busy
clerks doing up packages of bacon, groceries
and tobacco One side of the apartment
occupied as a saloon, with the constant
clinking of glasses, and whisky flowing in
an unceasing stream. Imagine the hustle
and hustle, the boisterous greetings, the
noisy conversation and unceasing talk of
quartz, claims, etc Then picture,
| if you can, small space rallied
off. behind which sit three sober,
sedate clerks, busy from morning till night
copying into formidable looking volumes.
Outside the railing an eager thrOng of old
timers and tenderfeet are assembled. A
hundred hands are thrusting over legal
papers, each anxious to be first. One man
stands to receive them, and after making
the proper endorsements passes them over
to the clerks Each entry costs So. The
clerks probably receive s. day for their
services.
A bank is already opened in Eagle, and
a newspaper is said to be coming. When
it will arrive time and tide" must decide.
But has this excitement a solid founda-
tion is the conundrum With from four
to seven feet of snow upon the ground and
several feet of frozen earth beneath, it
would be difficult even for an expert to
answer. The Last Chance claim ON
Pritchard creek is taking out some gold,
but how much you nor | nor nobody
knows" though its owners claim they are
getting about SIS day to the man. The
"Widow's" claim is iaported to have yielded
$4,000, but it was impossible to work later
than January, and operations have not
since been resumed.
Seven miles distant from Eagle City is
Murraysville, which numbers several habi-
tations and has large expectations in the
quartz line The only ledge yet located is
the Mother" discovered last fall by follow
ing float ore found in the creek. The
miner holding this claim closes his cabin
door at night by rolling against it piece
of quartz weighing thirty pounds, which
is plentifully sprinkled with free gold. 1t
is said that the character of the ore further
up the mountain changes to galena and
silver, but little is actually known upon
which TO base expectation. Opinions as to
the value of the various gulches surround
ing these camps are as numerous as as
pirants for the coming Presidential nOmi-
nation, but for the present the mineral
wealth of this section is hidden beneath a
snowy veil, dazzling but impenetrable.
However. this stampede must result in
the careful examination of great scope
of country heretofore, to all practicable
purposes inaccessible, and it is more than
probable that veins of precious metal will
be discovered, even if present ex-
pectations should be disappointed.
Four miles above Murrayville is Raven,
where accommodation for travellers can be
obtained. Leaving this place you are now
fellow traveller, (for remember it is you
who are hauling the toboggan) homeward
bound on the trail to Thompsons Falls.
The path is about three feet wide, and you
frequently cross Pritchard creek which is
a trife wider and carries more water than
Eagle No bridges have been built and
the crossings are made upon logs. After
travelling distance of six miles the foot OF
the divide is reached From this point the
trail follows a steep, narrow gulch half a
mile, then leaves it and reaches the sum-
of the mountain for an equal distance
This grade is very steep, and there seems
no way ofavoiding or improving it; eleva-
ton 45OO feet. Descending the mountain
it enters deep, narrow gulch. No horses,
it is said, have ever crossed this divide.
From the foot of the summit to the Noun
Of md
ter miles, the path is hilly, narrow
and full of short pitches. Half a
mile from the Mountain House the |
sleigh road is reached, distance from
Thompson Falls 2OI miles. The road was
made by shOveling out snow from two |
to seven feet. Few logs have been re-
moved, which must seriously incommode |
travel when the snow melts. At the |
Mountain House the traveller can secure a |
seat in sleigh and finish the journey |
in comparative ease. The road crosses
Prospect creek many times, and some of
the crossings are decidedly bad at present.
The stream has an average width eighty |
feet and depth of eight inches. Arriv-
ing at Clarke's Fork finely equipped |
ferry is found which in few moments /
transports you to Thompson Falls, where
YOU can take such rest and refreshment as
tagging strength may require.
F. NJ w.
An old bachelor was recently heard say