The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-01-16
NEIHART AND SNOW CREEK.
An Interesting Review of These Promising
Mining Districts.

Our promising camps are seen in the
following light through the spectacles OF
the Salt Lake Tribune's 'quartz harp"
These camps should feel fattered that
they are noticed at all, when the Barker
and Maiden mining districts are not even
named. He says:
The Montana district is new dis
trict, Just two years old, but was little
known until last summer. It is stu
ated in the heart of the Little Belt
mountains, on Belt creek. The town is
located on narrow flat in the bed of
the canyon. The mountains on either
side rise at steep angle, ranging in al
titude from 900 to 8, 900 feet above Nei-
hart, the town. The highest peak is
north and little east of the town, and
is known as Badly, very appropriate
name. It's summit and its side is cover
ed with slide rock, and utterly void Of
vegetation, except bush here ana
there. The canyon courses east and
west, nearly. The mines thus far are
mainly confined to the north side of the
CANYON The rocks of which the dis
trict is mainly made up are generally
of porphyritic nature, with some slate
and syenitic granite porphyry. Almost
between a true granite and true porphy-
ry are represented in this district. The
bands of slate rocks alternating with
the granite give the whole the appear
ance of being bedded. The strike of
these is east and west. The veins strike
at right angles to the course of the cOun
try rock. This is the only Objectionable
feature to the district, if it nay be called
such My preference is on the side OF
having the vein-fissures cut the enclos-
ING rocks at same angle to their dip in
stead of at right angles to their strike.
Still no one is foolish enough to condemn
district upon this ground; though in
my experience the opposite class of veins
have turned out most favorably.
The ores of the veins of this districts are
both milling and smelling, the latter,
lead ore, small percentage of carbonate
and sulphate of lead is found near the
surface in several places, but galena
largely predominates. Some OF the
mines are purely milling ore, usually
free, so far as the developments go,
which are yet very limited. The
gangne of the majority of the veins is
sulphate of baryta (heavy SPAR; the
exceptions carry quartz gangue. In
all there is more or less brown oxide of
iron. Usually the ore is comparatively
soft and easy to mine, as is the rock en-
closing the vein. They vary in width
from foot to upwards of five feet. Oc-
casional swells in some of the veins
reach ten feet. Those of the min es most
developed show good walls, carrying
clay selveges at intervals, and at other
points no clay Some on the other hand
are more or less blended with the wall
rock This is the popularity that is not
regarded as favorable. It is q noted
characteristic of veins of this class-of
the cut mentioned above.
The ores so far as ascertalned are OF
all grades, from a few ounces In silver
to several thousand dollars per ton. The
Developments resyet too limited to adj
nit of an unqualified opinion as to their
permanence or continuity in depth, but
the indications so far as attained for the
development of good paying mines are
most favorable. The district is well sup
piled with wood and water none better.
This natural outlet is down Belt creek,
toward Benton. I believe the Benton
road is distant only from nine to twelve /
miles from Neihart; but the canyon is
rough and rocky. A road was being
built through at the time of our visit,
and is no DOUBT completed through to
the point of intersection. This district
was discovered about two years and a
half ago by Messrs. Neihart, OBrien
and Harley. The town consisted OF
seven or eight cabins, and store in
course of erection, when we We're there.
No whisky there up to that time. but
plenty of pure water, and no fights-ex-
cept with bear. which came near ter
hllnating the life of one of the prospec-