Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-18
VIRGINIA CITY'S BOON.
The Former Capital Of Montana Re-
newing Her Youth for o Grand
AWakening In Spring.

A MINER reporter yesterday met w. F.
Wakefield, superintendent of the Albany
Company's mill near Virginia City. Mr..
Wakefield gave some interesting facts
about the several valuable mines, general
sources of promise and the condition OF
the former capital city generally.
He started out with the assertion that
as an experienced man in practical mining
life and a mechanic-which we all know he
is to no small degree-he believed that in
spring Virginia City will have a boom SO
great that it will astonish the country.
For reasons, among Others, he referred to
the Layton or Prospect mine, owned by
Layton and Rice. A property that has
not been worked except as sort of milch
cow-to supply the immediate wants OF the
proprietors. 1t is a wonderful property,
averaging $40 gold and free milling ore.
This property is now bonded and without
doubt its owners will soon sell to q rich
and active company, who will operate it
thoroughly.
Another equally, perhaps, more vslua-
BILE property in a commercial sense, is the
U. s. Grant mine, owned by Mr.. King, who
offers it for $35. 900. "This," said the
gentleman, lin my solemn opinion, is one
greatest bargains in America to-day. 1t is
gold and silver bearing, averages more
than $40, and quantities of ore that have
been shipped TO Denver and Pueblo by it's
owner averaged $500. 1t is the cheapest
bargain I ever knew, because I know the
ore is there in endless quantities, and runs
all through alike"
Then comes DR.. Heald's mine, another
one like the Prospect. This is almest Ger
tain to be sold in spring also, and its sale
and that of the Prospect secure such an
activity to Virginia City and the vicinity
as has barely been thought of even by the
most aanguine of her people.
Again there are the famous placer dig
gings OF Alder Gulch, which have yielded
200 tons of gold!
There are yet millions OF gold in this
gulch and the adjoining grounds, and the
lack OF water only keeps it there, but this
difficulty is about to be obviated by q
Denver company, which is now negotiating
to purchase the several claims. aud thus,
by consolidating them and the water privi-
leges, bring in the water to the proper field.
In other words, to adapt the means to the
end. At the mouth of Alder now there are
Chinese at work, and they make good
wages with their crude methods. And add
ing to these placer grounds the equally rich
quartz leads all around them and almost
a part of them, it il easy to see what is in
store for Virginia as soon as activity in
work is had, and this is sure to be had in
the :,sPs sPsns; s;on,.a. n,;no :. another ., III.
cluster Of rich treasure beds. 1t is owned
by an Albany Company who are rich. and
mean to develope it for all it contains.
For example, although it has temporarily
stopped work, yet it is only because the
boiler at the minegav out and the COM
pany diverted the boiler to the mill until
another boiler arrives which has been or
dered from the east and whose arrival 1
shall await in this city, say ten or fifteen
days. The mill will start up about Janu-
ary 1, 1887, for all the season, it is claimed,
with reason. I think that the near ap-
rroach of a boom for Virginia is a fair busi-
ness guess. Therefore
: "All the business men feel this approach
and are preparing for it. Buford & Co.
have just completed a large brick and
other merchants are making similar prepa-
ratons. There are empty houses there
but they- essusett ise bought for tnOusaaus
Of dollars, although they don't appear to
be worth q thousand cents.
When that boom does come as it will
surely do in early summer OF 1887, that
section will put on such airs as will draw
the attention of men and money all over
the country. Then men like "waterman's
Porter, the curbstone broker, will sing
songs such as the angels sang together
when they and time were young. Then,
too, will we have eight instead of four mar
riages per month regularly. In all serious
ness, however, am sure OF the great ad-
in all sorts OF business early in
1887, and for this and only this reason:
that the gold and silver are there, but no.
body with means OF getting at them. The
sale OF the mines containing them to par
ties who will get at them will secure this
state OF affairs, predict. Those sales are
absolutely certain-hence my faith"
During all this talk the speaker was as
calm and business-like as if explaining the
working OF mill wheel and impressed the
with his belief.