The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1888-08-29
SWEET GRASS HILLS.
What a Prospector Has to Say
About Them.
The Way to Reach Them-The
Three Buttes-the Mines-the
Character Of the Ores-What
is Being Done-Its Coal
Mines : the Range
What the People
Want, Etc,

A short time ago passed through Ben
ton, on my way to the Sweet Grass hills.
While at Benton it was very difficult to
obtain any information as to the route.
So allow me to say to your readers that
the Sweet Grass hills lie about ninety
miles northwest Of Benton, and are the
only mountain peaks to be seen in that di-
rection. The nearest road is by way of
the ST. Louis cattle company's ranch, the
ranch being situated on the Marias river,
about forty-fve miles from Benton. There
is good ford at that point, grass and
water are abundant, and at frequent IN
tervals along the route. Wood is scarce.
The Hills proper consist of three buttes,
rising abruptly out of rolling prairie.
The west butte is surrounded by short
ranges Of timbered hills, and is an unex-
plored mineral country, not having been
explored for either placer or quartz
The middle butte is surrounded by
short ranges Of grass hills. Eclipse gulch
and its tributaries lying on the north
west slope, is where the miners are en-
gagged in placer mining. Most of the
mines have been laid over for the season,
on account of the scarcity of water. There
are several free milling gold-ore bearing
leads in the middle butte, but as yet very
little work has been done upon them.
They occur in a slate and porphyry for
nation.
The east butte is surrounded by short
ranges of timbered, hills, which have been
partially prospected for quartz, there be
ing good showing for the amount of labor
performed :, At present there are about
twenty-five prospects, that give every in
dicatlon of developing into mines.
The ores are purple copper ore, carrying
silver and argentiferous galena. The
lodges occur in amygdaloid trap, granite
and porphyry formations, and vary in
width from twelve inches to seven feet.
The gangue or matrix is silica and heavy
spar, or baryta The trend of the veins is
northerly and southerly, with dip to the
east. The ore is high grade, average
samples giving from $50 to $165 per ton.
There are about sixty prospectors in camp
some trying to develop their properties,
while others are prospecting. Ross &
Clarke have letTa contract to some parties
to sink working shaft, fifty feet in depth,
on the Cambrian lode, the contractors
taking a small interest in the claim for
their pay. Doc. Barclay and "Gov."
Brown are taking out and sorting ship
ping ore on the Jack Harris lode. Hazel
tin and Porter are developing the Brown
Eyed Queen.
There are three embryo metropolises
started in the east butte-Dog Town, on
the head Of Half breed creek, one named
Poverty Flat, on Whisky gulch, while the
one on Corral creek is named after the
creek.
Coal of a good quality has been found
close to the hills, on Sage creek, and sew
eral locations have been taken up. The
vein is about three feet in thickness.
The range country surrounding the hills
is not surpassed by any portion of the ter
ritory, and is being rapidly taken up by
sheep, cattle and horsemen.
What the people of the hills need is
mail route to connect with Fort Benton.
There have been two petitions sent in,one
| believe was sent direct to President
Cleveland, but I reckon he is SO busy with
his fall work that he is unable to attend
to it, as neither petition has been heard
from The county commissioners should
make voting precinct at the hills, SO
that the candidates could bring their
bark around. PALNUD.