The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-26
OUR DEER LODGE LETTER.
The Woather-The COeur d.
Alene BOOm-A Criminal
Fraud-The New
Court House.
The Matter Observation-Disclosures
sonal, ETC., Etc.

Ed. MINER:-The past two days
have been a marked improvement
upon the few weeks preceding, in
point of weather. The climate now
is about all that could be desired and
the farmors are beginning to prepare
for active operations. Should the
sun continue to shine SO warm and
brightly for week or so longer,
Deer Lodge Valley will present a
lively scene. Already the foot hills
begin to assume an emerald hue and
the "cattle upon a thousand hilis"
are nibbling at the young and tender
grass.
The town of Deer Lodge, however,
is very quiet this spring. as it is
called in California, "between sea-
sons" Soon work will start up in
earnest; then we can hopeto chronicle
livelier times.
The Cuur d'Alene craze has al
most subsidized here, those who had it
on the brain all having gone. The
more sober, thoughtful ones do not
care to tear themselves away in
search of something 50 deeply buried
in doubt and snow. In short time
we shall know what the C9ur
d'Alenes contain. Then will it be
time enough to 60 or stay. People
are foolish to subject themselves to
the hardships incident to a rough
and snowy country at this season Of
the year.
Another mining excitement has
sprung at Heron Siding. The new
discovery is said to be located twenty
miles south of that place. OF course
this is a fraud, being maliciously
perpetrated in the interests of the
perpetrators. A short time ago a
friend of the writer came up from
Heron and said that in about a
two weeks there would be an excite
ment started over the discovery of
new mines in that locality. He said
they were systematically working
up "boom," and we could be pre-
pared to hear of it. Sure enough. at
the appointed time it was started
through the Helena Independent,
and subsequently copied in the
MINER. Your correspondent ''smole
a smile" when he read Of the Won
derful discovery, remembering what
he had been told regarding it some
two weeks ago. The times seem to
be ripe for mining excitements, and
while they are at ebb tide, thousands
of poor, miserable, deluded people
will be required to hold the bag,
while the more deceptive and willy
frauds get away with the game.
At one time, it will be remem-
bered. the neck of old man Pritchard
was in danger of being dislocated in
consequence of the warranted
excitement over the Coeuer d'Alene
mines, and only through the inter-
position of California company of
prospectors was the catastrophe
averted. The party of thirty or
forty who went into the Cgur
d'Alenes early last spring from
Bozeman, through the influence of
Pritchard's letter, felt so badly sold
that they could scarcely retain their
feelings. Some of the party to-day
are in Deer Lodge and Ana
ccnda, yet there is no question
but what there is gold on Pritchard
Greek, but how much no one knows.
It is all speculation yet, and will be
until the snow goes off. But after
going through the new mines, the
writer hereof is of the opinion that
there is not sufficient to warrant
anything like the excitement pre-
vailing, allowing all that is claimed
for them. Some of these systematic
boomers" will have a chance to
mine at the end Of a rope instead OF
the sluice box If they are not more
adroit than your correspondent
thinks they are. This thing of mis-
leading men should not, and will not,
be tolerated very long.
THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
It is presumed that the Court
House question is settled, and that
the building will 60 up the present
season. The Supervisors, represents
ing each of the extreme ends of the
county, seem to be fixed In their
opinions, and do not propose to be