The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-04-27
HERE'S WEALTH.
Ceur d'Alene, the New Mining Camp OF
the Great Northwest.
What an Experienced Mineralogist Has
to Say About Its Placer Mines
and Future Prospects.

NEW YORK, April 2G-One of the
offices of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company in the Mills building presented
the appearance of a museum yesterday
when a correspondent called on Prof, JAS.
NJ. NJ. Tiernan, the official mineralogist
of the Company, who had recently arrived
from the Cpur D'Alene district. Speci-
mems of base and precious minerals OF
almost infinite variety in form and color
filled several glass cases ranged along
the walls. Other specimens and curious
looking maps covered Il long table, ut
which Prof. Herman was describing the
mineral riches of the new Northwest to
small, but interested audience. The
Professor is one of the earliest pioneers
of the country fast becoming famous,
having been for nearly thirty years
engaged in explorations, surveys
and investigations on the Pacific slope in
the interests of both the United States
and the Canadian Governments and one
of the railways.
"NloSt of the reports from the new
Eldorado," said Prof. Herman, "are great
ly exaggerated. The excitement is in
tense, and among the crowds daily COM
ing into the country there are many mex
perienCed men, without money or tools.
These men will undoubtedly suffer a good
deal of hardshps during the next month
or two while waiting for the Chinook
winds, which are expected to blow over
| the mountains and melt the snow early in
| June, but there have been no cases of
extreme suffering so far"
care the expectations OF rich finds
which draw these men into the noun
tains likely to be fulfilled"
at is hard to say. | prospected along
| all the streams in that district nearly two
years ago and found gold in the gravel of
every one of them. But nothing is more
uncertain than placer mining
| THE REAL MINERAL WEALTH.
of the country consists in its quartz veins,
| which are of marvellous richness only wait
| ing the attention of capital for develop
ment. In both Idaho and Montana there
are more mines than money. AS in Cali
fornia, Nevada and Colorado money in
placer mining will PROBABLY be invested
in systematic and regular quartz mining.
In fact we must depend to great extent
on the quick and easy, though uncertain
returns of placer mining for the develop
ment of the substantial and permanent
| resources of the country"
care the veins you mention now
worked at all?"
"Only slightly. The great mineral belt
in which they are found has long been al
most inaccessible. 1t will be opened up,
| however, by the cascade branch of the
Northern Pacific Road now in process of
construction. | have made an exceed
ingly valuable collection of nearly 500
specimens, representing country about
GOO miles long and 200 miles broad These
ores were carried down the mountains
about thirty miles to my house at Spo-
kane Falls. am now engaged in ar
ranging these ores, which include not
only gold and silver ores, but also cop
per, nickel, iron, anthony, galena, fire
clay, marble, bituminOuS and anthracite
coal and mica. Next week they will be
on exhibition at No. 3l9 Broadway"
Unlike similar collections, Prof. Tiernan's
was found to consist of large and numer-
; Gus specimens, showingnot only the best,
/ but also the average yield of the mines
visited by him. The new mining camp
which has brought the name of CuAer d.
Alene into prominence is really but a
small part of the
CTUER D'ALENE MOUNTAIN,
from which it takes its name. Among
the specimens in the collection from this
B.. district, about thirty-two miles south o.
!. the placer claims, may be mentioned s
d small chunk of quartz, the specific gravity
q of which indicated the presence of abou
4 thirty-two dollars worth of gold This
- the professor explained, was an exceed
, ingly rare specimen, but quartz takel
=, from the same mine averaged about SlOl
:, to the ton. From a mine twcntv-eigh
:, miles north of the placer camp was takel
Il huge chunk OF argentlierous galena, as
saying Sll5 worth OF silver to the ton
The same neighborhood supplied an eX
. ceedingy rich specimen of iron pyrites, as
saving an average of 81 200 worth of col
d to the ton, and one of copper glance con
< tanning $llj worth of silver to the ton
x Among the most beautiful specimens ar
10 several large chunks of argentiferou
-, copper, called by the miners 'Peacoc
ore" on account of its brilliant and yare
~ hues. These are taken from u vein run
5 ming within six miles of the Northern Pa
u cifc track in the Cascades. The vein |
81 six feet wide and traceable for 8 900 feet
1t assays about thirty-two dollars wort
of silver to the ton and siXty-two pc
cent. OF copper From the same neigl
g. borhood were several glistenng spec
mems of argentiferous pyritcs and Il fort
!, pound chunk of argentfcrous antimon
y, assaying $50 in silver to the ton and 81,
III ty-two per cent, of anthony. The nick,
tn ores in the collection assay nearly eigl
IN per cent Of that metal. Lead, nickel an
~ anthony are found in such enormou
no quantities, Prof. Tiernan said, that the
promise to be even more profitable tina
I'll the gold and silver mines The Calisp
ed district is represented by specimens
OF silver Culorides, gold and silver quart
Id and argcntiferous galena, all of exceedin
s- richness.
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W The Wheat Excitement Did It. 9i