New-York tribune., 1884-03-23
THE CGUR DALENE MINES.
ALrrrER FROM GENERAL JAMES 5. .BRIsBlN.

A IL l L
THE RUSH TO THE NEW GOLD FIELDs-PRoBABLf
SOME GOLD THERE But NO OCCASION FOR
STAMPEDE.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR. | have been at some pains 10 get at the
facts regarding the excitement now agitatng the "hoie
woe+ over the Cpur d'Alene mines. The stampede ls
general toward the dggngs. As Is the case IN III
new mining regions the testimony ia conflicting but
am disposed to think real and valuable discovery OF
eod has been made I'm Idaho Letters from men on the
pronnd on whose Judgment can rely and o whose non
est belief in what they there cannot De uouo s"e
that the mines are genuine. still advise no one 70 90
there this winter by spring we shall know more ABOUT
them The country is cold and provisions OF all KINDS
are very high There be great amount OF suier
ing on account Of the proximity OF the mines 70 the
Northern Pacific Railroad but there are enough men
there now and those are wise Will stay out thul
spring opens.
The new mines arc in the northeastern part OF ldaho'
about sixty miles the Northern Pacific by the best
route The railroad passes within thiry-hVe miles OF
the mines but it is not yet certain that good road can
be made from the nearest point There are at present
three routes into the mines by Trout Creek thirty 70
thirty five miles; by Rathdrum, eiehty-hve miles; anu
nv Lake CPur dAlere, from Fort Ceur dAene 10 Eagle
CITY sixty miles, Tie country about the mines IS wiz
and mountainous and difficult TO travel Oyer even III
simmer Lumber has TO be sawed by hand and costs
$50 per thousand feet An attempt viii shortly be made
by Mr. Barnard to pack in saw-m MI Barnard CAME
out over the Trout Greek route, ana says oi II;
nut the distance from Eagle City TO Trout Creek sta
f6n on the Northern Pacific Railroad at thrty-hve miles
and / walked it in twelve hours aud twenty minute m &
rbe frst erbt miles Is somewhat rOugn but the &c
Inauder Is good. Considered geographically ~ IS i9r
country OF unusual evenncss The trail IS
moi now In good shape but they are working on II ana IN
week or two II viii be 50 any can take his pack and
oale GOOD time Fifteen men blazing the trees and
making preparations for wagon road met lorly-
eight men going in to the mines as came out.
Mr. Barnard's mil will weigh SIX tons, and he VIII
have 10 pack It in on and mules or burros The boil
ors will be nut on narrow sledgcs and, whore the trail
win permit a tandem team will draw each sledge.
Whore the turning points TOO abrupt or the ground
too rough animals and will be used to pack the ma
ehinerv Hamilton Tone have undertaken TINS route
and Will put a toll road upon t. It's shortnes7 recon-
roend- f. but il IS doubt rougber than the longer
routes by Eathdrum and CGur dAlene. Mr.. Barnard
said that flour was selling at the mines when he left at
s per barrel bacon Gj cents pound beef 30 cents
and yeuson % cents There 10 beef eff and little
veniso was to be had One doctor aand three lawyers
had arrived The number of broken-down capitalists
was Increasing hourly. and few men with money were
coming in NJ W. 7. Hunt had been elected city
recorler and Frank Points justice Of the peace town
meeting had been held and all claimants Of lots we're re-
oured to fence them In and erect foundation four logs
high for cabin by July Oh penalty Of seeing item Tor
eited OF jumped BY those who would fence and build
Mr. Barnard made careful examination OF the mines
and thinks they are very rich He is putting all his
I
would not DO II hehought the mines would peter out"
There s gold all the way up Prtchard Creek and the dis
tretis very extensive Quartz hasbeen foundn several
nlaces and very rich Mt. Barnard brought
down some fine nuggets the largest worth $50 and SO
each. They were found on the Woo" pIopSryl Snu
on two claims just above the Widow Inls Is NJ.
Barnards statement and he Is unquetiondby honest III
all he says Inc Only IouJ. n ~ NY nlu 40 I ny 49, "a %
may trust his Judgment lie Is an eNpeIleheed miner
hovever and ought know what lie l. talking about
Other information comes to me from discharged
soldiers who are the mines and who corroboIate all
-acFfl QozfG& IpF lI n
necessares OF life Eagle CITY, and men get 80 per day
for labor. Bread, coffee and meat are ~ per % meal
Oirnted drinks 25 cents and all articles, however small
at least 35 each 1t costs 30 cents TO get letter.
and 20 cents for newspaper OF any saG h az care are
these prices viii soon down, as merchants with all
kinds Of goods their way TO the mines herd OF
800 mules was expected the Old Mission topack to the
mines and stage line was to be put on WIN Iarc Only
s6 ner naseenger from Rathdrm To the Old Mission.
TELEGRAPH inc Is being built and force Of men IS emitting
and grading roads. town has been started TWO
miles above Eagle City, Prtchsrd Creek and many
cabins are coing up 4 meeting had been held AT Eagle
to cut down the Size OF claims but the proposition was
defeated by 100 votes Another meeting VIII pe nSo Sao
next month and effort made TO limit all claims TO 800
feet It said that some men are holding tReny aGIes
who have yet started tor the mines but whose claims
were entered by friends the ground An enOrt was
made 20 forfeit all claims OF persons not acty On tne
ground but this defeated oVerWhemihRy' as most
persons friends for whom they desire 10 operate
and many OF the at the mines are merely repre-
seutatives OF others absent
The T9w s %s deron " Who O owns the Ed
erton Hotel Butte City, Montana, staked Prchard
and him up TO CGur dAlene 20 see what he could
find she had idea there was gold in the C9ur Aene
country and knew Prttchard 10 be good InOuntaneer
and He found Pritchard Creek and promptly
staked the widow" Mrs Edgerton has 30 the
region and at last at Fort CGur dAlene
waiting Transportation the mountains She Is very
large woman, weighing 800 pounds and she offered
500 10 be taken the mountains. but would
| undertake 10 transport her.
4 The claims next 70 the Widow are Ives, Campbell
ana Davis They being worked and are reported
yielding $40 90 r25 per day 10 the hand The highest
amount taken out in a day per hand $40 on the
widow" but 81 20 500 the usual yield The located
claims extend for twenty-five miles Eagle and Pritch
ard creeks and gold is found from the grass down
TO depth Of eight feet whore bed rock s struck ono
unopened claim sold for 81 400 cash, and another
miner was offered IL 800, but declined 10 take H. for his
claim. quartz claim changed hands at - 900 and
| other ut $1,000.
The beet OF order prevails at the mines and not single
row or murder has yet occurred There 800 miners
In and Eagle City and the population Is Increasing
an the rate OF ty per day. II Is believed bv MANY that
dstrlct but hope not, for such number needed
fhere advise every one against going 10 Cgur dAlene
until springs by that time II will be possible 10 tell
whether or not Il Is worth while 70 go at all .Ihe C9ur
dAene discovery excited the whole West but In my
opinion nothing has yet been found there to justify this
great excitement and the sooner II Is aayed the better
have long believed that the precious metals dlseoV-
cred In the Black Hills and at South Pass wyoming OF
the east Nevada Utah and Montana on the south ahu
wer but the outlying spurs OF great central dposl'
which Ia the Big Horn OF owl creek Noun
| tains Ali the dips toward these mountains, ana
there the OF gold but they have never YET peer
| found and may not be In time AhEs n khLsDlF .
| f1t HsSgh. xVistaaas March lG, les@