, 1889-07-11
KOOTENAI COUNTRY.
The Most Promising Mineral Re-
gion in all the Great Pa
oifc Northwest.
Description of the Country, and
Hints as to How to get
Into and Out of It.
Character of the Ores and Views
on the Future When Trans
portation is Obtained.

kootenai Lake, British Columbia Is
both tie Youngest and oldest mining
camp on this coast outside of the dcvcl-
opmentS IN mines made by early Span
ish prospcCtor1, seeing that the earliest
mineral discovery and location dates
from the year 1894 when tho Big
Mine now known as the Blue Bell was
discovered, and Of which mention will
be made hereafter. II l. the Youngest
because it is littlc less than two years
ago since discoveries of so allurng and
substantial Il character were made Ia tho
| Immediate vicinity of Ainsworth or
Warm Springs OF Lake kQotcnai.
To visit this camp one must 20 10y
rail 10 kootcnai station, then by stage,
Of which tnCrc are two lines, to Bonnie
Ferry, which has recently been chris
toned, and T. fast becoming known as
Gulcna Landing From KUotcnni sta.
tlon to the landing where the steamer is
taken Is a distance of thirtv-three
miles through almost unchangiug
sweeps of forests of pine, tir and
tamnrac only broken q few times 10y
narrow reaches of the "Opcn,' where
some sclf.oxilcd squnttcr has located
whose muuimouts OF title are based on
the laws of natural justice Us summed
come, first served" doubtless to him us
protective and ineNpugnablc rs ifho had
acquired the knowledge of the strength
of hi- title from the pUudects ofJustniau,
where scniOrcs priOres was but stiii
rendering of the same homelY phrase
with which the squattcr securely looks
forward to absolute ownership. The road
to the ferry Is not an uncomfortable one
to Jolt over, and Just as the sixteen mile
finger board peers out at the tourist, the
halfway house is reached and IL good
midday meal is served. From Galcna
landing to Warm Springs, the steamer
is taken, which consumes nearly twelve
hours In transporting the traveller down
the river and through the lake till II
glits harshly on the sand or reef of rocks
which intest tn, shore of Ainsworth.
II can readily he perceived that this
camp can be reached without any diff
Guilty or severe fatigue that for proSpec-
tor or capitalist, neither the distance nor
the method of trans sportation can tend to
rtpcl, while the round fare from Spokane
Falls is only $l2.
LOCATION OF THE MINES.
A steep mountain Just back Of the few
houses and tents that comprise the haht-
tations of the dwellerS here, rises up az a
steep angle and 1t Is on the sharp incline
of this that some of the principle mines
are located. Loose float of quartz, sycr-
itc and quartZito are found in small
quantities here and there as olc asceud-
where brief acquaintance with the hill
side soon convinces him that the forma-
| tion must be in limestone and slate. In
/ u bce-line 1t Is just three. .fourthS Of a
mile from the little struggling array OF
| habitati0ns below TO the first reef or
/ lengthy continuation of claims where the
| first discoveries were made hut the
| winding ascent and shelving curves OF
| the trail on the hillside makes the dis
tance nearly double, Right here are
located q number Of fine pr9Pcrti,s;i'
owned by Mr. Davenport Of Portland,
who is well and favorGhly known In the
various mining districts around
the Falls City. The Little Don.
aid is being rapidly developed, shows
UP grau1ly in g0lcna and carborates
has had assays OFF, per cent lead and
over S!5o in silver, whilc,,he lead, which
is II wide one, gives unmistakable eVi
dence ofcontinuity. Its value, as values
are rated in this district cannot he aSccr.
tanned, since itS owner has no intention
of disposing OF it, and will work i, for all
there Is in II. TO the north adjoining
the .ibbee Donald on the Black Dia-
mond and Maestro, both showing up
well considering the limited OF work
done. Adjoining there are the Spokane
and Trinket both splendid properties
belonging to the Pacific Bullion Mining
Company, with headquarters at SpO-
kane Falls, and whose officers and stock
holders are residents of that city, II
should b. stated that all along the sur
face of the mines mentioned the galena
orc crops out most uoticeably. 1t can
be traced for thousands of feet along the
reef, There are breaks of several
hundred feet at a stretch, where
the crude ore Is not visible
but in these gaps the lead always follow.
cd the formation, dips where it dips and
rises equally where the formation is elc-
yutcd, And in these gaps there is no
difficulty in assuring oneself that tho
ore matter itself is continued and I'M.
broken when few blows of the pick
will expose the hidden gplenG. Tho
prospcctor who first stakcd off his claim
here H. certainly not entitled 10 any
particular admiration or reverence In
making his discovery, for here the gale.
ma was SO exposed, betting as II were
with its silver sheen the mountain side
and to have literally bcckoned to him tC
come and locate, develop and become
prosperous thereby.
THE SPOKANE AND rRrwKEr
claims have passed from the category o
mere locations or prospect holes. They
are mines. This can he Said with cs
Hcial force more Of the Spokane thar
the Trinket, since the former has hecI
more extensively developed thai
the latter, The lead was fiy
tim6ered, and followed some nineti
feet, at whose base shaft has been suul
over fifty feet. Almost midway alonj
the incline to the south Il titty-tcct drift
was run which has just been completed
The lead Is four feet wide, while the or,
body at no place has exposed less than
nineteen inches Of galcna, almost en-
tircly clean Of any gungue matter, Al
through the incline and drift and shat
this galena body sustains itself uu
broken, while stringcrs of rich carhonat,
and galenu are found universally, ouly
to focus and concentrate with some de
gree of regularity IN the main body o
the lead. sufficient has been devclopcC
here to convince the most experience
miner both of the value of the orc and it,
permanence. Many assays have beer
made Of the output and its averag,
was ascortaincd TO bo s34 II
silver and y per cent lead
SO promising are the conditions o
this mine that ore is now being extracted
and prepared for shipment 70 Helena
over two car loads having been already
seen in the ore shed of the mine by III,
writer sorted and sacked for shipmcnt
When one reflected that the cost o
transportation per ton To Helena now /,
$2S, and that the net result Is most salts
factory after paying this, the cost of re
ductiop and other expenses coutingen
on exploiting the mine, he cannot bu
infer that the Spokane gentlemen inter
estcd in the Pacific Bullion Mining Com
pany are in possession Of very valuabl,
property.
Space will not permit distinct allusior
TO the many properties in this locality
but we cannot pass in silence
THE NO. ONE,
owned by w. II. Wright of Portland
which is among the most valuable here
1t, too is in a condition of rapid devel