The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-01

!. worked to . considerable extent. Thl
claim was bonded some time ago 70
5000, but the parties failing to com
to time the money put up was fol
feited. DR.. Campbell has severa
ounces of the dust taken out of tn
claim and says 1t pays handsomely
about $50 day to the man. Belov
him no claims are being worked
This exhausts Pritchard creek, tn,
distance gone over being abou
II miles. You can now judg;
Of the prospects and what is bein1
done in the main stream of the camp
1t will be seen that aside from a tev
claims it is difficult to tell whether
the ground will yield beautifully o.
the precious metal or not. There are
quite a number Of side gulches max.
ing into Pritchard Greek that have
been taken up but their wealth is
equally uncertain.
Beaver Greek, a small stream run
ming parallel with .Pritchard, and
which empties into the north fork
of the Coeur d'Alene river 3 few
miles below Pritchard, has been
taken up by gold hunters, bu. it is
not known that there is pay on the
bed rock, so to speak. People in thai
country are wild, and lay claim to
everything in sight. 1 have now
gone all over the mining ground, aud
your readers can judge for them
selves a to what 1t contains. One
thing sure, I feel fully convinced
after a careful survey of the field and
the many conversations had with
the best miners Of the camp, that
there is not sufficient in sight to
warrant one-fourth the excitement
there is about the Coeur d'Alene
mines. What the quartz will de-
velop remains to he seen. I am
rather inclined to believe THAT the
quartz lodges are rich, and will
prove the main stay of the camp.
It Is nonsense to talk Of 50. 900
people going into the C@ur d'Alenes
with the hope of doing business. Ten
thousand men, including merchants,
miners, teamsters and all other
kinds of %laborers, are sufficient to
work all claims thus far taken up,
within two years. And this esti-
mate Is based on the hypothesis
that the ground claimed Is all rich.
1t Is reasonable to conclude, how
ever, that 10000 or $4,000 peo-
pie will visit the. Occur d'Alenes
between now and next summer.
The gold taken out Is of a coarse
quality aud worth $19 to the ounce,
1t is certainly beautiful, the mere
sight Of which being enough to cause
the average old miners eyes to dance
with delight and lure him on with a
stout heart in search Of new fields to
conquer.
While I consider there is an un-
warrantable excitement concerning
this camp, I am impressed with the he
lief that the rush of old miners into
the camp will not be unattended
with good results as 1t will serve to
give that mountainous and hereto
fore isolated and unexplored coun-
try a thorough prospecting. 1t is
evidently a gold bearing country and
the overplus of population will have
a chance to tax Its energies in
searching out the rich spots.
THE TOWNS.
Concerning the towns located in
the camp, a passing notice was made
in my last. Eagle City and Murray
vile, five miles apart, are struggling
for the mastery, each having a plaus-
IDLE argument to put forth in its be-
half. Eagle City claims to be more
located and being the old
town, boots at the idea of being
outstripped by any other. Property
here is very hig1 and still rising.
Lots range in value from $3.50 to 49,.
OoO, and IN entering the camp a
stranger imagines himself in Cali
fornia street, San Francisco. Owing
the scarcity of lumber compare
few buildings of a substantial
nature " gsing up. People seem
to occupy tents or rude'y con-
'tructed log houses for the present. !
soon to be able to procure
lumber with which to improve their
OTIS. Two or three saw mills are
now on the line of the railroad
waiting the completion of the road
nto the mines. they will be To-
lated a short distance above Muir
AWHILE in the midst Of as fine q
'elt of pine and cedar timber as one
would wish to see In any country.
Whip sawed lumber is worth fifteen
'ents q foot and scarce at that. Little
an be done in the mines until the
aw mills get in.
THE MARKET.
There has been some change in the
market report since my last. Flour =
as 1 understand, to $50 a
arrel, and bacon to co cents a pound.
he elevations were brought about !
4 consequence of the severe snow !
torn which has been prevailing for
everal days and closing the pack {
rails. {
The PACKERS. Z
Messrs. Garrison & Strong. who e
In a pack train from Evolution into Q
re camp, came near losing their 8
hole outfit during their last effort a