The new North-west., 1885-10-23
AROUND THE MOUNTAINS.
just Glance ut Old Scenes and New One.

Directly west of Deer Lodge valley, be-
tween that and Flint creek, lie the Gold
Greek mountains-an isolated group encir-
cled by splendid natural road, which from
Deer Dodge via Pixies Peak, Pioneer, New
Chicago, Stone Station, Philipsburg, Gable,
Anaconda, Warm Springs and Race Track,
and "home again." is ITO miles in length.
Within this "magic circle" are placers that
have yielded millions Of gold, submits 10000
feet above the sea, the largest smelling
works in the world, and the best paying sill
yer mine In Montana; and just without sue
cessive valleys that only need to be "tickled
with plow to laugh with q harvest" 1t is
q wonderful ride around this group-ever
and ever to the left the majestic mountains
slashed and serrated with gold and silver
bearing lodges or rich placer cafons-ever
and ever on the right broad, fertile valleys,
where food for the mountain toilers grows
wheat that yields 20 bushels to the acre, and
oats that weigh As pounds to the bushel.
A few mornings ago Sheriff McM aster said
to US on the street: ~ am going to Philips
burg by way of New Chicago, and back via
Anaconda. have spare seat in the buggy
and wish I could find good travelling COM
panion."
"When do you 60 and return"
"The team Is on the street now, and will
be back in four days"
"You wouldn't take me IL wanted to 20 ?"
"You wouldn't 60 If wanted you to-"
"Wait a minute" "All right; I'll
be ready in a half hour"
And thus was the compact made.
A line drawn due east and west will fall
within the town limits of both Deer Lodge
and Philipsburg, and the road distance be-
tween the two, either via New Chicago or
Anaconda, is as nearly as can be equally
miles either way. So we except to the right
as the law directs" across Mullan canon and
Willow creek, and over the hills till the Pill
grim Bar district broke in view, and Pixies
Peak Gulch was crossed. Yes-Pikes Peak
Gulch, for those who knew the old town of
Pixies Peak shall know it no more forever
Twenty or thirty feet deep, under tailings
from the bar above, is buried as completely
as was Pompeii or Herculaneum, the town
that fourished from go to rs, where "dust"
was the only circulating medium" that ever
went over the counter for supplies, and q
silk hat would have attracted as much atten-
tion as a circus.
A great camp in its day was this Gold
Creek district, covering just about a town.
ship in area, and taking in Pioneer, Pilgrim
Bar and Extension, Gold Hill, Squaw and
French gulches, and the lesser fields. Mr..
Ed. II. Irvine estimates that since 1868, when
Pilgrim Bar was struck by Pilgrim Dutch
man named Walters, "a, 600 900 in gold dust
have been taken out of the district, and
81 800, 900 out of the 800 or 400 acres known
as Pilgrim Bar and Gold Hill. Roe, Hol-
comb, Beery and Bell got nearly a half-mi!-
lion of this out of their rich claim, and many
others rich Stakes" They are gone now.
The bar rifted and torn, and Gold Hill scored
with gigantic cuts, are lonely looking as q
grave. yard-not human being in sight as
one traverses them. And IL Is a graveyard
for one, as 1t was the death place of many.
Down on the bar is the solitary grave Of
Clark, whose horse fell on him In 20; above
Is the cut where Nugent and two others were
caved on and killed one night; near by the
cut where King Deyermon lost his life in
'73; while just beyond the town Of Yam Hill
is where John Rodgers, one of the pioneer
newspaper men of Montana, was thrown
from a wagon in '72 and killed. Many of the
old miners on the bar are here and here
abouts, while others who took out gold
galore have taken home and habitation far
away. Uncle Bill Fly is in Gallatin county,
and has thoroughbred cattle on several hills
James Holcomb and Joe Bell went to Texas,
bought up enormous areas Of lands and city
property, married, and are taking the world
easy while their bank accounts increase.
Doc Beery returned to Missouri and is q
rich farmer. Ben Broadus also went to Tex
as, but lost heavily on cattle and was lately
at Leadville.
at Yam Hill, that of Joseph Steele, and only
two or three other cabins are occupied. The
old hetel building where James A. Murray
laid the foundation of the Butte opera house
Is vacant, but not less SO than its across-the-
street neighbor, where hale aud genial Capt.
Trufant stood by the camp with his store till
all else had fed, and then he went back to
Bath, Me-, and Is coquetting with salt water
again in the shipping business. One thinks
of these "old-timers" kindly as he traverses
the solitudes where once they "rustled," and
wonders IL betimes they who live think Of
the old camp that once was so thrifty, rich
and populous.
(Tbe foreman says "the papers up.")
sIErpI EsS NIGHTS made ni.srahI. hv Oh r.,