The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-02
From the Daily of Tuesday
EAGLE CITY.
Two Hundred Men Holding the
Fort Who Know the
True Value Of Their
Property.
They Expect an Influx OF Fifty
Thousand People.
A Butte Lady Sue1ng for the
Widow Claim.

d'Alenes Is w. j.. Shelton, formerly
of Butte, but now of the firm of Shell
ton & Cunningham, dealers in gen
eral merchandise at Eagle City. He
came out by the Rathirum route,
and says that as yet neither the Her.
on Siding or Trout Greek trail has
been kept open, though he met the
proprietor of the latter, who
Informed him that twenty
men were Ell route Ito work on
the trail and he felt confident Of hav-
ing it open, so that freight could be
packed OVERT by the 9Th inst. Two
towns have been laid out in thegulcb,
Eagle City at the junction of Eagle
and Pritchard creeks, and Lansing at
a point about a mile and a half above
Eagle City, on Eagle Creek. The
former town has got the start and
will be the principal point. The lots
are sold simply with a building priv
lege and no title can be passed. Lots
on the side streets can be purchased
at very reasonable rates, but on the
Main street in what is expected to be
the business center they are not for
sale, owners preferring to await the
spring stampede. The buildings are
all built of logs, many Of them with
open doors and windows but as
wood is o plenty and
easier to get, than Ceur d'Alene
gold, and the climate is not excess
sively cold, the occupants keep COM
Portable with the aid of rousing fires.
The two towns are populated by
some two hundred men, of whom Mr..
Shelton says there was never a more
quiet or orderly community in any
mining camp. They are generally
claim owners, and are possessed of
a wonderful unanimity Of opinion as
to the Value Of the diggings, and are
waiting with abiding faith for the
spring to open, when they expect IN
influx of at least $4,000 people, and a
market for their claims. They are
not anxious to sell: however, as they
generally believe they a take all
the money they want out of the
ground, and in any event with
the rush of stampeders there
will be rafting good times for a
while, and everybody will have a
chance to make a stake. Some very
rich new ground was struck, as late
as three weeks ago, quite a distance
up on the mountain side, which
seems to be an extensive gravel bed,
carrying the same quality OF coarse
gold found on the creeks, but show
ing less wash IN the contour of the
grains. It is the general belief at
Eagle City that richer diggings will
be found in the spring than have yet
been developed. Mr.. Shelton had
not heard ofthe new diggings recently
discovered by Butte parties, thirty
miles from Eagle City, but be says
that the whole country for fifty
miles, from the Railroad to
the old Mullen Pass is a splendid
country to prospect, and rich placers
will probably be found there next sea-
son and Pritchard told him that he
would show up some richer diggings
next spring than those of the Ceur
d. Alanes.
At Rathdrum, he heard of a suit
having been commenced there by
Mrs. Edgington formerly of this city,
for the title to the Widows claim,
which is the most valuable yet devel-
oped on Pritchard creek. She claims
to have grub staked Pritchard for two
years, in consideration of which he
filed on the claim in the name of
Mary E. Lane, which was her mai
den name. There seemed to be a
possibility of her being defeated OH
technical grounds, but those who
know Mrs Edgington's wonderful
energy and determination of ch rae
ter will believe that she will not give
her rights until the last battle has
been fought.
The Greatest Show ever in Butte
the Comique this week.