, 1884-02-09
COEUR D'ALENE MINES.
A MissOuIIRn Makes Trip In and out
and Tells what He saw.


A Missoulian reporter this week
ran down a gentleman who had Wis
tied the Eagle City mines, via Trout
Creek, and as we are always anxious
to give our readers reliable news, we
will ask them to go into the mines
with our informcr, as follows: Lcav-
ing the Northern Pacific railroad at
Trout creek, dragging toNogon, in
company with several others, we
commenced the ascent Of the noun
tains. The trail, though hilly one,
is comparatively good for eight
miles, to what is known as eight
mile station; here we took dinner,
and camped for the night two miles
further on. The second day opened
stormy with snow and rain; we
made hut three miles that day, and
Ecamped in wet blankets with no
shelter. The third day we found
the trail very hilly though plainly
marked, and we campcd at night at
the halfway station. The fourth
dIy out we reached the summit,
after tiresomc trip of ,! miles con-
suming five hours time. From the
h llf-way station to the divide, snow
lays from six to fifteen feet deep,
and some Of the steepest hill climbing
on the route is encountered here.
We camped here for the night, and
though we had a rousing fire all
night the snow did not melt to the
ground. Started on again about
o'clock. climbed .hillS perhaps one
mile and then found three miles Of
down grade, where we took dinner.
In the afternoon, made three II lies
pulling sled over heavy hills, and
camped at o'clock on about eight
feet Of snow. The following day at
o'clock trudgcd into Eagle City.
Two and one-half miles before reach
ing town, we came to fiat or prairie
perhaps two miles long, and three
fOurths Of a mile wide. Through
this prairie runs Eagle creek. On
the level prairie is plated the new
addition to Eagle City, where there
were last week but ten cabins in
sight. Lots are stakcd out by any
body, and fenced in; but as nearly
all the ground is considered avail
able for mining purposes, lot owners
will have to give way to the original
locutors. Eagle city proper-eon-
sisting of forty or fifty cabins, scat
tered along the stream-is down on
Pri, hard creek. The town contains
eight places where liquor can be
bought, although nearly every sa-
loon Is a store, and every store sa-
loon. 1t as yet contains no hotel or
lodging house, although there is one
restaurant where meals are sold at
81 each. Within ten miles Of eagle
city deer are comparatively plenty
and venison is the only Obtainable
fresh meat, selling at 25c per pound.
Brown sugar retails at 4Oc per pound
none in camp at the time; beans
4Oc per pound; coffee, SOC; canned
goods, 7jc to 81; tobacco, SIPS per
pound. But very little hardware
in camp; axes sell for 81, handles,
Sl.5O. Whisky, IS per gallon; salt,
lOc per pound; onions, and pota.
toes, 2jc per pound, and none on
hand; grain, 25c per pound; coal oil,
50 per gallon; window-glass 1O-14,
Sl.5O per Tane; matches, 25c per
box; rubber boots, $40; flour, $40 and
S45 per bbL A No. S cook-stOve was
recently sold for $50. Eagle creek
runs north and south; Pri, hard
creek runs east and west. At theiI
junction they form the north fork
Of the Occur dAleTe. Up PrichUrd
creek, two and ore-half miles, We
find Osborn, or the Bill Osborn
claim, where the Evolution trail
comes in sight, and Mr.. Osborn has
a store and saloon here. Two and
one-half miles further up the creek
we find Ives claim. Here there is a
boarding-houSc, saloon and general
store. The town Of Ives is situated
half a mile west oi the celebpted
Widows claim, and is situated in
the center Of the district from which
no money has yet taken. Mr..
Mccormick, Of Helena, has a claim
here from viii, h a twO-and-one-half
ounce nugget was taken, valued at
S54. While here We will call upon
/ the Widow, whose claim IL being
worked by eleven men, who say they
will remain with 1t through thick
and thin. Their work is confined
at intervals, when the weather per-
mits, aad they fiEd bedrock at three
feet. (On Eagle creek IA feet have
been sunk without finding bedrock,
though colors were plenty. Seven
hours work on the Widows claim
has produced SIS per man. Messrs.
ROudehush & Flynn are working