The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-07-18
NOT AN ELDORADO.
Notes From the Diary Of a PrOspector
in Washington Territory.
specisl CORRESPONDENCE of THE MINEa.

Special CORRESPONDENCE of THE MINER.
CHEwELAH, W. T., July Sth, 1885.
A great many inquiries are being made by
residents OF Butte concerning the mining
outlook in this section. | came here about
the 10th of April and have been running
over the country since, prospecting and
seeing what | could see. While the general
outlook is favorable, some considerable
doubt exists in my mind as to whether it
will be a mining country. At Ernbrey, where
the Cottonwood wagon road enters the val
lev from Spokane Falls. there was quite a
boom last summer and fall, and quite Il
camp sprung up, but several prospects that
promised well have apparently been dug
out. It is claimed, OF course, the party
working them did not know their business,
but one fact remains, the town and mines
are a thing of the past. West OF here a few
miles the Indian Agent has some claims
bonded that show up some ore; nearly
everything is in lime and shows up the best
on top. The Old Dominion is kicking up
quite a smoke at present. 1t is located on
the south side of a high mountain about
eight miles east OF the town OF Colville, and
is a fine bunch Of ore. Thu formation is
carbonate of lime and pure white marble.
The mountain spur upon which 1T Is located
is a succession OF dunes or knobs, each one
being separated from the other by a small
canon. The ore body OF the Old Dominion
is located on the side and apex OF one OF
these dunes, and consists OF a bunch OF
oxides OF silver associated with ~carbonates
OF copper. sulphide and ~arbona OF lead.
The gangue is white lime and the country
rock is lime or marble. TIL ore body is
about 70 feet long and 20 wide, and HIS
the appearance OF having run over the
lime. One half OF the one streak is high
grade ore, the galena assays from 700 to
400 ounces per ton, while other samples
UNI from 15, 900 ounces per ton down to a
trace. Experienced quartz men who
have made from fifty to a thousand
ASSAYS on the ore estimate the amount
of ore in sight at S25, 900. Seventeen tons
OF ore was recently shipped to San Fran
cisco, some close sorting was done and the
ore is reported to nave Melted $4,000.
This, of course tool the cream OF the mine
and the figures reported are probably lar
in excess OF the facts. At the lower end OF
the ore the owners started Il cut and soon
ran out of ore and into lime rock when they
abandoned it. Nine men out OF ten who
see it call it a surface deposit of other
claims. Extensions of the Old Dominion,
have little punches of ore scattered here
and there, which dig out on going down on
them four or five feet. Across the valley and
twenty-five miles from Colville, near the
Columbia river, is a group OF mines known
as the Friend Groupe. They are true ts-
sure and contact ore either in lime or
porphory and promise well.--The ore is high
grade and the deepest shaft is As feet deep,
4 feet of 175 ounce milling ore. Low grade
c%arbonates are also found in the same
vicinity. There are innumerable stringers
and prospects located everywhere along the
the valley, but none have the appearance
of being mines. Most OF the old prospetors
who have been here for a year or more are
striking out for other field, some going to
Pen d'Oreilles riverand Others to Oronogan
country. The Colville river is a small, slug
gish stream and the valley, from n to
five miles wide, is a rich agricultural coun-
try and thickly settled by the Indians and
half breeds with a scattering OF whites.
Flour is cheap, so are vegetables: The only
lively things l see in this country are the
mosquitoes, which keep up a lively skirmish
for blood during the entire t~wenty-four
hours. Il. 5. F.