The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-09-05
FROM THE CGUR D,ALENEs.
One OF the Successful Miners interviewed.

Some Of the Companies Now Producing.
We get different stories from the C9ur
d'Alenes. The excitement drew there 1900
or 5000 men OF these about 1000 remain.
The other 1000 or 1900 did not realize their
expectations many of them would not have
done SO had the C9ur d. Alepes been tie best
mining camp in the world, and nine-tenths
of those who abandoned the country gave 1t
= bad name. 1t was frightfully over-supplied
with stampeders, owing greatly to the exag-
gerations of railroad companies desiring to
direct travel thither. 1t was soon demon
strated it was slow camp to open; 1t was
not known until later that there would be
much found there when it was opened. But
from thu first many good miners have stood
by their opinion that it was good gold held
and that miners who stood by it and opened
their claims would In the end make big
money. The wild stampede is over; the
bulk of the stainpeders have left the toilrrs
who remained are beginning TO reap their
reward, and there is a good prospect now
that the Ceur d'Alenes will henceforth and
for many years be a good placer mining coun-
try. We say this by way Of preface.
Sunday morning at o'clock Mr.. Stillweil
left Murray; at 8 o'clock Monday morning
he was in Deer Lodge, and we met him dur
ing the day. He mined in Alder Gulch in
ga in Confederate in '66, and has since been
in New Mexico, Sonora, Colorado, Dead
wood and Alaska. He got into the C9ur
d'Alenes last spring; has an interest in three
producing claims, and is out for a few days
business. He is an experienced miner and
q reliable man. He gives 1t as his opinion
that the Ceur fAlenes are good. OF the
1000 men there, nearly all are at work. Re-
Gently there were no idle men; but few
days ago company taking out 12-mile
ditch to carry 1900 inches Of water from
Pritchard creek to the old gravel beds be-
tween Eagle and Butte, suspended and dis
charged $50 men, which leaves some idle.
The enterprise Is promising one, and he
thinks it will be completed yet this winter.
A considerable number of companies have
now got to sluiciug and are generally doing
from fair to first rate. Below their work
will be more specifically mentioned The
bankers now estimate the weekly product Of
the gulch at from $1,000 to $4,000. This is
being taken out by about 800 men. 1t Is the
hardest gulch to open he ever worked in
The ground is deep, densely covered with
timber, very fiat, and the water is trouble
some. The gold in the shallower diggings is
mostly on bed rock In the deep channel
ed.rock is from 10 to So feet deep, with some
gold in the gravel. This will require drift
ing At present most of the companies are
outside the deep channel, where the
ground is "a to 10 feet 1t is all pick and
shovel work-even to shovshng away the
There are now two steam pumps
In near Eagle, and others have ordered
pumps. He does not anticipate much inter-
ruption of work during the winter. Last
winter there were not over 20 days when wa
ter froze in the sluics boxes. When they
get their claims once opened miners can
work almost uninterruptedly the year round.
creek is flowing now 4 600 to 6,000
inches of water. The gold is nearly all
coarse, no -four gold having yet been found.
Very many nuggets are picked up-the larg-
est yet found weighing 10 ounces. The gold
Is worth SIG 30 to ST. per ounce.
To specify the claims now sluicing, and
starting in three miles above Eagle, although
they are working seven miles further down,
he mentions:
Frank Grounds Company, working or
men, have good ground
Porter & Henderson, on the Gillette claim,
are working 20 men, have the bestpaying
claim in the camp, and having been opened
longer, have taken out three times the gold
IA any nthar claim IN ha craek
The o. X. claim, owned by Louis Wyant,
Charles Simpson, Charles p. Price and VIM.
Stilwell, is a 2O-acre lot have been sluicing
a short time on low bar off the main chan
mel, and the pay has averaged one ounce per
man per day including all dead work.
VOLTS claim of 20 acres is working 20
men, has done a good deal of dead work and
Is just beginning to sluice.
The Last Chance claim of IL acres, worked
by Capt wooten's company, is working 30
men, is good pay and has yielded go ounces.
Six men working on the leased ground are
taking out SO per day each.
Williams Il Mcdonald, with 81 acres, are
working II men in the gulch and some on
the bar, and are taking out an ounce to the
hand per day.
The Grub Stake Co, consisting Of Nr.
Capt. Wooten, VIM. Price and
some Dream Gulch boys, has 20 acres, work
ing 6 men and getting good pay; have taken
put $50 ounces.
Ives & Silverthorn, with 20 acres, are
working 6 or men; good pay.
Norton & McAlear, working 6 or men,
are averaging s12 or S13 per day.
The company working the fraction next
above, with o or men, arc making wages.
On the Murray claim, the lower half is pay
ng So to $40 to the hand. The upper half,
known as the Pacific ground, is owned by
John Downs, w. NICK. Dennee,
Charlie Dudley and G. ID. Porter. They paid
BIO 600 for this 10 acres, are now sluicing on
gravel and not getting wages yet, but are get. |
ing to good ground.
The Widows 20-acre claim, VIM. Keller |
is working 80 men and paying |
we'll, but this company has never announced
Is product. The five-acre claim il also work |
ng 10 or 15 men.
Pat Flynn, Barney Roudebush and Tom |
Bentley have a 20-acre claim, are working IL |
Or fifteen men and getting good pay.
CT Porter, representing the Gilmer Il
claim of 20 or 30 acres, is just ready
20 drift and sluice.
There are other companies above taking |
put pay, and all along below, between those
mentioned, are companies hard at work, but
not yet sluicing. In some places men are
working on the hill sides, packing dirt to the |
creek, rocking 1t and making $3.50 to an
ounce day. A half dozen parties are doing |
this. Dream Gulch has no water at present, |
but there ia plenty of ground, some Of which |
pays 30 cents to 81 to the pan. lit will be |
recellected IA men in 20 hours work got %
pounds of gold out there some weeks ago.
The population Of the towns are: Murray, |
500; Butte, Eagle and Beaver Creek, about |
100 each. There are ten or twelve families |
On the creek; with % or 30 children. The |
amp is very orderly; only two men have |
been killed there by violence. There is
on the street In Murray every |
Sunday and the audiences are large and well |
behaved Rev. Shipper oficiates. Very lit
lie gambling Is done lately. That element |