Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-03-07
GOLD, SILVER, IRON.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE
NEIHART MINING REGION.
Sale of an Interest in the Snowdrl1t
ne--Exhaustless stores of Iron
Ore of Superior Quality---A
Great Camp.

NEIHART, Mont, February 27.-[Cor-
respondence of the Tribune. - Your
special edition was read here with general
satisfaction, eliciting the greatest praise
from all. because it gives fairly the credit
due to Great Falls, the neighboring coun-
try and Neihart, the center of mineral
| production. Few persons who have not
| lived in Montana can realize what vast
| wealth is in store for those who will cast
their fortune in this grand territory. Few
can realize that we have here in the
Belt mountains, one Of the greatest min
eral districts in the United States. Few
can realize that our mines as shown have
no equal for the money expended. .
THE SALE OF THE SNOW DRIFT.
Only last week part of the Snowdrift,
which was briefly described in your val
liable edition of the 18th instant, was sold
for $4,000 to one of your esteemed fellow
citizens, John Lepley, vice president OF
the First National bank of your flourish
| ing city and future metropolis OF Mon
tana. This. bear in mind, implies a
valuation of $4,000 for this mine which,
| with railroad communication to Great
| Falls and the reduction works there, will
| hold high rank as Il dividend-paying
mine and bonanza property. The other
owners hold their interest at u much
higher sum. Less than $1,000 has been
expended in development work on this
property. Does not this transaction show
that we offer good inducements to large
or small capitalists and that we have be-
gun to attract the attention of careful,
experienced investors?
VAST IRON DEPOSITS.
Our camp is indeed one of promise, for
we have like Great Falls something back
of us, which will confirm our assertions.
The extensive silver and gold mines are
enough to establish as great camp as
any in Montana; but we have still more.
Passing down Belt creek for about 10
miles, we come to Iron creek, about two
miles from the mouth of this creek we
enter the famous iron district. which is
bound to make Great Falls celebrated for
the production of steel rails, as well as
iron and steel products in general.
The ore found in this district is mag
netic manganese, carrying 80 per cent Of
iron. 1t has been proven by practical
tests that its quality has never been sur
passed by any iron used in the production
of Bessemer steel. The work done
shows that the leads are practically in
exhaustble. They tower above the
surface several feet and when exposed
| show solid bodies of iron ore twenty feet
thick. These immense bodies Of ore will
in short time be source of revenue to
Great Falls. +.
The largest of the leads are the Great
Falls, the Etna, the Hurricane and Del
monco, owned by William Miller, Frank
Marion, A.. j. Sanford, Paul Mercure,
and Captain M. Payne. The great merit
of this ore is that it carries no other in
gradients, or very little of them. All
these properties can be easily tunnelled
thereby saving great expense for ma
chinery. The formation in this country
is slate On the hanging wall and porphyry
on the foot wall The lead pitches gent
ly to the north, at about an angle of 45
degrees.
About five or six miles up the noun
tains we come to another iron district,
that bids fair to rival that already des-
cribed. The most prominent of these
properties are the Forest Queen, Iron
King and White Pine These with others
have been traced and located for over
5000 feet. These leads also show when
exposed bodies of ore 20 to 80 feet wide.
SLATE AND BUILDING STONE.
In the same district on Belt and
Iron creeks that contain the immense
iron deposits described in my last
letter is some of the finest slate for build
ing purposes known in this part Of the
territory. These slate beds run parallel
to the veins of iron ETC., on the north
On the south is a granite porphyry build
ing stone which is susceptible of the
finest kind Of polish, producing building
material equal to any in the country
The benefit of such material lying at the
doors of the future great city of the falls
can hardly be estimated. Great Falls
with her brilliant future may reap rich
harvest from this source alone. When il
is considered how easily those places car
be reached by following the valley along
the creek and their short distance from
the falls, it is obvious that gains will BE-