The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-06

of over one hundred miles. Considerable
work has beer done on the line in this
county, and the contract has been let for
the completion OF the road bed along the
Jefferson river.
RAILROAD PASS.
Probably one of the best railroad passes
through and across the Rocky Mountains
in Montana Except the Big Hole or Deer
Lodge pass) is in this county, via. Boulder
valley, and across the mountains by the
Lowland Fork of the Boulder river to
Butte. The altitude of the summit at the
pass is about 6, 800 feet above sea level, it
being but 800 feet Tin a distance OF forty
miles, above the level OF the town oi
Boulder. From the Jefferson river to the
town of Boulder. distance OF thirty five
miles, the ascent is about thirteen feet to
the mile. No excavations or filings would
be required, in fact it would cost no more
to construct road for this distance than
it does to build roads over the Western
prairies. From the base of the mountains
to Boulder the river flows through wide
canon with wide, level benches Except at
rare in tervals where low points OF the
mountains hug the stream) from eight to
twenty feet above the stream, and has an
average ascent from Boulder OF about
forty-five feet to the mile. From the base
of the mountains to the summit the grade
would be but little more than through the
canyon. There would be no long and ex
pens;ve tunnels to bore, and no high, dan
gerous and expensive tressels to build; il
would have the solid and imperishable
granite for roadbed. The route for nearly
it's entire length through the county is
through the very center of one OF the
largest land possibly as rich) mineral belts
as there is in the known world, and also
through the largest body OF timber in cen
trail Montana. The resources OF the route
are practically Unlimited.
PLACER MINES.
As has been stated, the county was first
settled by prospectors in search OF placer
mines. Gold was found in most all of the
streams and their tributaries, and in pay.
ing quantities in many OF them, principally
in the gulches and ravines rising in the
Rocky and Crow mountains, and the tribu
taries and bars of the larger streams.
Although it is often said that the placer
mines OF the Territory have been exhausted
land they are, to certain extent), still
there is a good deal of gold extracted from
this source every year throughout the
county.
The principal mines now being worked
are deep bars on the Missouri River, near
Bedford, by many thoughtto be the old
channel of Indian Creek. They are from
ten to sixty feet deep, and are worked by
the hydraulic process. They are said to be
paying well. The diggings are extensive,
but the water supply is limited, and in
the control OF few companies. which
gives them. monopoly OF the mines.
Mines OF a similar character, but not so
extensive, are still worked on the Little
Boulder. near the town, and at Raiders
burg. There is also some gulch and ravine
mining going on on the tributaries OF the
Big and Little Boulder, Clancey, Pipestone
and st. Louis Creeks, and in some OF the
gulches to the south of Helena, and in
gulches and small streams heading in the
Crow Mountains.
As there il large tract OF country on
the eastern slope OF the Rocky Mountains
still unprospected, this character OF mines
will be discovered from time to time for
many years to come.
QUARTZ MINES
As placer mining diminished, the little
army of miners and prospectors that had
hocked to the county began to turn their
attention to prospecting for quartz mines,
bearing gold, silver and other valuable
minerals, and to-day it may be said to be
the leading industry of the county. The
eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, as
far as ex plored, is literally ribbed with
quartz veins or lodes carrying gold, silver,
copper, lead, ETC., found in syenite and
porphy-eranite formations generally.
There are no organized districts in the
county. yet there are so-called districts
known to mining men, such for instance as
the Boulder, near the town OF that name,
OF which the Comet mine is near the center;
Cataract, about eight miles above and
north OF the town; Little Boulder, to the
southwest OF town; Colorado, surrounding
Wickes, Gregory ana Jefferson City; Hot
Spring, surrounding Clancy, and the Mon
tana district, Of which the bonanza Chief
mine is near the center. On the south Of
the Boulder is the White Tail, Pipe Stove
E:cl,r l:n%r tn. lr,ft
5ricts true fissure veins are found, the ores
varying in character very much. In some
especially in Cataract district) free gold
ia found near the surface, which can be
readily saved iE arastras and on amalga-
mating plates: but as depth is attained
the free gold becomes mixed with the baser
minerals, and in order to extract it smelt-
ing must be resorted to. Very often the
ore is found to be much richer in gold when
combined with the baser metals. than it is
in it's free state In others free milling gold
and silver ores are found which are easily
saved by amalgamation. while in Others,
and perhaps the greater number OF them,
argentiferous galena and carbonatcd ores
predominate, the metals OF which can only
be extracted by the smelling process. Sui
phuret ores are very frequently met with
in all the districts, and occasionally chlor-
ides and bromides OF silver. Native silver
is also sometimes found. The only works
erected in the districts named, OF any mag
nitude, for the extraction of the metals
from the ores are at Wickes, at the termi
nus of the Jefferson County Railroad, al
Gregory, four miles north OF Wickes, anc
the Amazon, near the town OF Boulder
Besides these there are concentrating " orks
at Corbin, near Wickes, and at the Comet
near Boulder.
The Wickes works are operated by {
company, of which Governor Hauser ii
president. They have a smelling capacit,
of eighty tons day, and milling capacit.
OF forty tons per day, and they are nov
run, and have been, ever since the compan.
that Governor Hauser represents tool
possession OF them, to their full capacity
In addition to the above works the sam
company operate the concentrating work
at Ca rbon that have capacity OF 81
tons per day, and the concentrating work
at Comet with a capacity OF 12O ton
oaily. The concentratOrs at Corbin ar