Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-04-28
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. APRIL 49, 1888
Senlii-V' eek|y,
THE .NEIHART MINES.

Last year when he visited the Neihal
district, Horace F. Brown, the Helen
mining expert, published observation
which are Of special Importance in view
of the early completion of the Great Fall
reduction works. Mr.. Brown then dis
cerned that the Neihart mining regior
would find its best outlet here, for he
wrote as follows:
Capital and transportation will be the
twin keys that will unlock the treasures
of this camp While there is some very
rich ore in nearly all the prospects Of the
camp, the great bulk of the ore must be
enriched by concentration. Hitherto the
only means of communication with the
markets of the world has been via White
Sulphur Springs to Townsend, distance
of 20 miles over two ranges of mountains.
A road down the canyon from Neihart
has been built and is now completed, eX-
cept few small bridges. Twelve miles
below the canyon merges into the valley
that stretches away to the Missouri in an
unbroken level. To Great Falls is but 60
miles, with no hills either way. The open
ing of navigation will give comparative
low freights, but branch line from
Great Falls will place this camp on an
equality with the most favored camps in
the territory. 1t is hard to conceive of
the difficulties attending the opening of
mines and the erection of works where
heavy machinery must be transported in
mid winter so far. 1t has cost three cents
pound, wagon freight from Townsed.
Tor the many tons that now constitute the
Hudson Mining company's concentrator.
1t will be seen that Mr.. Brown deemed
railroad communication as of the highest
importance to the young camp. Such is
the case with the mining regions in gen
eral, for it is the advent of the locomo- |
tives that promotes their greatest devel-
opment.
Mr.. Brown gave abundant details of the
Grant, the Queen of the Hills, the Lon
don and the Broadwater group of mines,
showing that he examined the camp
carefully from mining point of view.
His general conclusion was as follows:
From such limited examinations as |
could make, l think, all things considered,
'ho SohlP Will prove one OF Inc heavy
producers Of ores that can be made valu-
able by concentration. The ores as a
class, are not what would be called good
ores, but the ease with
which they can be mined, and their soft.
1rlable nature, rendering them easily
and separated, goes far to com
oensate for any loss in the chlorides that
will be washed away.
4
In the Idaho mining regions as well as in
Neihart the cry of the miners is also for
more railroads. In parts of the Cpur d.
Alene country the freight rates are 50
'reat that only high grade ores can be
worked. The ore rate from Burke to
Denver or Omaha is 1874 per ton. When
he cost OF mining, hauling and smelling
added to that sum, it is clear that the
re must be rich in silver that will yield
fair profit to the mine-owndr.
But it will not be in low rates from the !
line to the smelter that Neihart will be {
Mr.. Brown says the "most favored
amp" in Montana. That district and all
hers in the Belt mountain region will I
ain by the moderate cost of reduction l
ere and by the facilities which our q
'unk railroads provide for distributing I
le bullion to places where it is required.