, 1888-03-08
MINES AND MINING.
ore Buyers Rallylng In Force ut
Spokane Falls.

opONauo oNc'
A corrcspcndent Of the Helena In
dependent, writing from Spokane
Falls, says: That very necessary and
useful individual, or several Of them
the ore buycr--is in tho field. Parties
are here and In the mines from all
sections Of the Union, representing
different smelling works. for the pur-
pose OF purchasing ores. The lead
ores Of the South. Fork section, the
Kootenai and Metaline districts are
said TO be the finest ever discovered
for smelling purposes outside oil the
carbonates OF Leadyille. James F.
Wardner 10 representing several large
concerns and will probably handle
several thousand tons the coming sea-
son. A. M. Esler Of Helena is in the
city and leaves for the South Fork to.
night in the interest OF the Wickes
works. Parties are also here from
Pueblo, Col, and other distant points
1t 10 estimated that the product of the
South Fork alone this sumner will be
300 tons daily Of smelling ore.
The Granite mine ON Nine Mile,
near Wallace, has rolled into line as
a dividend producer. having after the
expenditure Of 5000 on improve.
ments repaid it's owners with Sl5,OOO
over and above all expenses, with rev.
eral carloads OF ore in transit yet to be
heard from. Portland was the city
that secured this plum when it was
but mere prospect Az the present
prices for silver and lead it is esti-
mated that there is net profit OF not
less than $50 per ton on ores produced
in the South Fork section. Multiply
those figures by 800, the number of
tons per day produced, and II leaves a
sum sufficient to support quite pop
ulation.
Mr.. Esler in an interview stated
that he did not think the location of
large smelters at Helena, Great Falls,
or Portland would interfere with Spo-
kane's interests in that industry. He
il of the opinion that the surrounding
districts will produce sufficient ore to
snpply all the points named. He
thinks The smelter will come to this
,,l..ce in time, but first railroads will
bu necessary to the Okonogan (Salmon
mineeO aud the Colville districts.
James A. Peck, we'll known as
sayist of Butte, and late superinten-
dean of the Beach Pine, near Phil
iipsburg. left Spokane this morning
for the Okanogan country, where he
intends "staying with the country"
Advices from Sydenham Mills, who
is energetically prospecting his placer
mining enterprise on East eagle
creek, shows that he is too much infat-
uated with his work to make his east
ern trip.
A few days since, j met an old
Montana acquaintance, j. Harvey
Harris, who il interested In the strike
made last September, on Pine creek.
near Missolia river, in Montana. 1t
was the discovery Of these claims
that caused the regular old-time
stampede from the Coeur d'Alene
country last September. Mr.. Harris
proving wonderfully under develop
ment; and tho ores are mostly lead
carbonates carrying consider
able silver. He states that the leads
are from six to twenty feet in width ;
masses of native silver are found in
places. Mr.. Harris is authority for the
statement that he saw a batful OF ma
tive silver taken out Of one pocket.
He also states that the district can
produce ore worth $1,000 per ton. Mr..
Harris report OF the district is rather
rose colored, but others confirm the
statement that very iich ore is found
there and that il is likely to add an
other rich mining district to the al
ready large number which are situated
within the boundaries OF that territory.
The name of the present townsite,
staked out in the vicinity of these
mines is called Soloman, but will prob
ably be changed in time. 1t may be
OF interest to many old Montanians to
state that this is near Cedar creek.
where there was quite gold excite
ment in the early days of Montana.
There arc many grizzled old-timers
now in Helena who to this day will
shrug their shoulders and say d--n
Cedar creek!"