The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-08-22
RED BLUFF DISTRICT.
Its Formation, VEINS and Facilities for
Cheap Reduction Of Ores.


RED BLUFF, Montana, August 18th.
EDITOR CHARACTERISTICS my last I
have spent considerable time looking
over this District. The elevation at Red
Bluff is about 4, 400 feet above sea level
being slightly lower than Bozeman.
Long rolling hills and stretches of upland
and valley meadows comprise the Dis
trict. One very large meadow through
which the Hot Spring Creek meanders
furnishes hay and pasture for present
needs. The hills are bare of trees and
the almost continuous severe winds of
Winter blow off the snow, so that no
trouble is experienced from that source,
and cattle find food and do well all the
year round. Below the village of Red
Bluff the creek descends rapidly furnish
ing small water powers that run Hick-
man & olds and Filing & Words stamp
mills; as also the arasta of Pope &
Buylesc, about one and one-half miles
below the last named stamp mill, empty
ing into the Madison River three miles
oeiow hed biun. Inc manson hiVer is
a large stream with heavy iali' iuinish-
ing ample water power ana capable OF
floating lumber and wood in great guam
tities 70 wlthih three or iour miles Oh the
mines anove.
1t will thus be seen that the two ele-
ments for the cheap reduction of ores
exist-water power to drive the neces-
sary machinery and cheap fuel.
As far as examined these long rolling
hills, above referred to. are composed of
pranitic pneiss--all possible variations
OF this-for instance, Quartzose Schist,
observed locally. The gneiss is bent and
twisted in a most wonderful manner
more 80 than have ever seen this rock +,
so notorious for bends and twists. The
dip is by no means constant, anti.cliral
dips occur in adjacent hills and revers.
ing in the next, only general dip can
be claimed. Most hills. and those in
which the least local changes occur dip
toward the South striking East and West
making an angle of 20 to so degrees with
the horizon. Throughout the District
the veins appear to strike Northernly
ana southernly dipping towards the
East al an angie varying between ~ ana
6o degrees. Inc exceptions to TINS RUE
are few and viii, believe, be found to be
local; as they appear IN patches OF
country rock also twisted out OF the
original dips and strikes as before indi'
Gated.
The ores of the various veins are very
similar, the difference In appearance be-
ing due probably to difference in water
level; those nearest the top of the hills
showing very much decomposed outcrops
and those more in the valley showing
quartz and iron pyrites.
A peculiar hill near the center of the
mineralopical value of the district is in
terestiue. II is apparently the surround
inps of an ancient hot spring, and ap
pears now as mountain Of finely shistet
chalcedony of BLUSH and erayish tint
| None of the veins have been found t
penetrate it, although several aim direct
| ly toward it.
The Al, of the oneiss be;no into tb
hill, and towards the biob oround IL wi;
,ha found that the n;nes in this d;stri,
are wet; the. water precipitated upo
the surface having no chance to sink an
could not at lower levels. This has bee
found to be the case in several mine
As the rain fall ia small and no runnin
| ekraa ,,,u a re f,,nnd ohnva tbpsa n,ineo III