The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-06-14
From the Daily Of Saturday.
THE NEW MINES.
A Letter From the Hon. William
Il. Olagett,
In Which He Gives HIS Opinion
Concerning the Country.

I'VE are permitted to copy the fol-
lowing letter written by Hon. VIM.
II. Clagett to a gentleman IN this
city. Mr.. Clagett is well known IN
Montana and whatever he may say
in regard to the Occur d'Alene coun-
try will be read with much interest
by every one in the Terrirory.l
MURRAYvILLE, June Sd, 1884.
DEAR S1R:-In response to your
request of my opinion in reference to
the Coeur d'Alene mining region al
low me to say that speaking broadly
and compromising what is now
known, as well as what may be an
ticipated in the near future, it is the
best and most extensive mining
country discovered since the days of
California. 1t has all the advantages
of accessibility, proximity to the
railroad, cheapness of living and eli
mate, which could be desired.
In saying this I anticipate the fu-
ture by only a few months. The
mineral region now known to be
rich, is from twenty to sixty miles
from the railroad. The water is
pure and abundant, the elevation
above sea level being less than $500
feet, the country covered with tim
Der. and surrounded by the grain,
fruit and cattle raising region of
Montana, Idaho and Washington
Territories. The abundance of timber
causes q temporary obstruction to
the building of wagon roads, but in
the summer and fall pack ANIMALS
can 60 anywhere.
The mines on Pritchard Greek and
its tributaries are the richest known,
but recent discoveries prove that this
mineral region, with only an occa-
sional break of few miles, ia about
one hundred miles long and thirty
miles wide. The mineral quartz
belt in this immediate vicinity is
about four miles wide and fifteen
miles long. It commences with the
argentiferous galena lodes on Bear
Greek, changing into lodes carrying
gold and silver, principally gold on
Pritchard Gulch, then into copper on
the left fork Of Eagle, finally crossing
to the right fork of Eagle, and ter
mlnating, apparently, in a belt of
veins rich in antlmonial oxides. The
veins, generally speaking. are from
two to ten feet wide; their trend is
from the northwest to the southeast.
The small amount of development
thus far indicates that the grade of
ore is high, rather than medium or
low.
The geological formation of the dis
trict embraces many different kinds
of rocks, consisting of states, lime-
stone and porphyry lying upon a
granite base.
The quantity Of water available for
mining purposes is very great.
Prltchard gulch alone furnishing
about one thousand inches at the
lowest stage of water.
The placer mines consist of gulch
and hill diggings, there are no bars
to speak of. The gold thus far found
everywhere is coarse and only one
spot in it has proven barren or any
of its tributaries where bedrock has
been reached. Pritchard is about fif-
teen miles long and has many t'ibu-
taries, some of which r almost as
long as the main gulch.
Above the gulch two old river
channels have been discovered, one
of which has been traced for a dis
lance of nearly thirty miles. The
intersection of these old river beds
and their tributaries by cross ravines,
aided by the wearing down Of the
quartz lodes have furnished the
placer gold found in these gulches.
One.of these old channels is forty
rods wide and the dirt in it on the
bedrock and for, from one to three
feet above it, runs from ten cents to
five dollars to the pan. Taking all
together there is no practical limit
to the future development of the
country. There will be q large
amount of drifting ground which can
be worked the entire year, and after
the gulch claims are once opened in
good shape, they also, owing to the
mildness of the climate, and the fact
that the ground never freezes, being
covered with snow, can be worked
for ten months in the year. The num-
Der of people here now, is scarcely
sufficient to scratch the surface of the
country.
The mining claims are owned by
poor men, who have spent most of
their means in consequence of the