Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-11

The New COeur d'AIene Mines which are
to Astonish the World.

The New COeur d. A lene MINES NAANA a. .
to Astonish the World.
With the spring comes back the gold eX-
citement, says a Fort KeOgh, Mont, let
ter, and miners are getting out their pans
sharpening their picks and brushing up
their outfits preparatory to leaving Tor the
diggIngs.
The principal attraction is the new
Ceur dAlene mines, and they are DIM
cult to get at, but as the specimen ore eX-
hibited is very rich and dazzling, routes
will be found and roads built III spite OF
every obstacle. The excitement nrst
commenced last fall Just as winter was
coming on. Notwithstanding the diff
culties of access to the heart OF the mines,
through UNEMPLOYED regions. some men
braved the rigors of the winter climate
and made the attempt, so that all winter
long about 200 miners have been pent up
and isolated in that snOw-b0und Wilder
ness, awaiting warm weather and spring
freshets to engage in placer-washlng.
The CGur d'Alene mountains are spur
of the Rockies, branching from the man
stem on the western slope of the main dl-
| vide into Northern Idaho. The term C@ur
d'Alene means "Hearts of Avis" ana
was given to tribe of Indians by the
] French trappers and hunters sent by the
/ HudsOn's Bay Company years ago. W men
1 the men arrived in the region lnhaDlted
/ by the Indians they found them unusually
1 Obdurate and willing to make no terms OF
/ friendship. After the settlement OF the
! country the tribal name was appned 10
/ the range of mountains, the river ana the
/ lake, which they have borne ever since.
Gold was accidentally discovered by an
old Californian who came through on a
mule last fall, and who upon reaching CT
! ViliZatiOn on this side of the Rocky Noun
/ tains gave glowing accounts OF the coun-
! try he saw. Already specimens are com
ing out, and although it is entirely placer
4 gold it is worth from SIS to 500 per ounce.
Clutches full of gold-bearing quartz are
said to be there, but as the era of quartz
crushers and smelters has not yet com
menced for the CUur d'Alenes, the pre-
ciOus metal when mined will have to be
transported from the diggings by means
of wagon and OK trains.
There are three routes into the mines.
One is by the way of Rathdrum, through
tremendous mountain gorge and over
eighty miles in circuitous length. 1t IS
hard and tortuous in it's windings and is
difficult to travel.
Another is by way of Spokane Falls
and Lake Cwur d'Alene. This is abeauti-
sui sheet of water nearly forty miles long
and is scarcely rivaled anywhere tor mag
nificence of Alpine setting or beauty OF
pine-clothed isles. 1t is 800 feet deep, full
of trout, a perfect paradise for the an
1 gler, and possesses charms i'll many re-
spects superior and in none inferior to
those which have enraptured artist and
poet at Killarney, Loeb Katrine and
| Geneva.
Early in the spring party of gentle
men propose to put a steamer on the lake
to ply between Fort CGur dAlene and
the mouth of Eagle creek, the centre OF
the mining district.
The third and what is considered the
best route of all runs via Trout Creek,
and is from thirty to thirty-tive miles long,
requiring two days to get into Eagle City.
The trail runs seventeen miles up the
mountain to the summit, thence down the
other side thirteen miles into the camp,
and is distinctly blazed the whole dis
| lance.
Mr.. Wolf, Helena gentleman, went
into the mines this way last fall with a
number Of companions, and located a
claim. He has since bought out their in
terest in a twenty-acre lot, for which he
paid $1,000.
Trout Creek is the name of a station on
the Northern Pacific Railroad, 80 miles
east of Rathdrum, and is distant from
Eagle City 30 miles by trail. 1t is all
plain sailing on the railroad to Trout
! SldtlOUs Dub blCn buC ONNlltthO AOUbS "
gins. The first miles are rough, but the
remainder is good ground, though not in
the very best shape at the present time.
There is at this writing a force Of fifteen
men working on the trail at different
points, making preparations for a wagon
| road.
Eagle City is already putting on the
robes of municipality, and the following
| appointments to Office have been made
W. f. Hunt, City Recorder; Frank
Points, Justice Of the Peace and Mining
Recorder.
The miners have decided that claim
ants or purchasers must put fence
around their respective lots and erect the
foundation Of a cabin four logs high by
July 1, at which time other legislation for
regular building in this new mining me-
trOpolis will no doubt be enacted. There
are now forty log houses III Eagle City,
five stores. six saloons, and Mr.. w. f.
Stall is going to put in drug store with
in a few days.