, 1889-02-07
RICH IN MINES.
The Treasures Of Wannacut
Lake District.
A Fine Quality Of Ore and
Rapid Development.
rhs rirst Annual Assessment work WIN
be Dons This Year ON Most OF
the Claims.

City. Waunscut Lake district, OkanoRan
county. has been spending several weeks
/ In the city end was interviewed yesterday
by REvinw reporter, who obtained the
| following facts concerning that new dis.
trict. which 10 rapidly coming 70 the 'front.'
as promising rich field: Mr. ocnepuster
Cole % Of Golden City, and W. II. Town
send Of this city, we're among the first to
make locations in that section in the
month of August, 1887, there being but
two other locations there at the time.
They located and recorded the Jesse,
Triune, Occident and Silent Friend
elaine and then went to Salmon City, re-
turning in the latter part OF December.
1887, with provisions and tools they spent
the severe wipter of l887.8S, in q cabin
| with no door or window, the doorway be-
| ing covered with blanket hung across 1t;
| but by the use of plenty of fuel they man
aged TO keep from freezing. In February
tie welcome chinook" came and they
started TO work upon their claims, and at
once began TO take out quartz showing
| free gold in abundance The news OF the
strike reaching Salmon City and Ruby
the country was soon full OF pros
pectors, and around the solitary cabin
tho town named Golden City, Of which
| Messrs Cole and Schepuster can claim the
honor and distinct ion of being the first
pioneers, The city now numbers about
thirty buildings with over fifty inhabi'
tants.
Asked az TO the size Of the district, to-
Biography, formations, ETC., Mr.. Schepus-
ter said: "Our district is about 10 miles
north and south and six miles east and
west, bounded on the north by the British
boundary line, on the south by gap or
couiee from Okanogan river to Loomis'
store, on the east by the Okanogan river
and on the west by Toats cOulee and
Palmer's Lake. 1t is about 30 miles north
of Conconnully, reached by trail through
Toat's coulee and by wagon road via the
| the Okanogan river. The county commits.
missioners have surveyed a wagon road
via Toats coulee. which will be made
next summer and give an easier and
| shorter route to the county seat. As to
topography, there is range of hills lying
along and east of Toat's cOulee and Palm.
| er's lake, known as Wild Horse, Palmer
and Elemehen mountains and along and
west of the Okanogan river is another
range of hills. Between these ranges OF
hills is narrow valley, in which
lies Wannacut Lake, at the north extrem-
ity of which Is the thriving town OF Gold
en- City. The lake is about two miles long
and from one.eighth to one.quarter of q
i mltc III Wlutu, ~ uh5 uO OutiCts aht
the water is not fresh but strongly impreR-
mated with minerals, sulphur, magnesia,
borax and soda, its taste and action being
somewhat similar to epson salts and
Hunyadi water, it Is pleasant to bathe in,
1t heals cuts and sores quickly. and re-
mo yes the soreness at once. IL has made
some remarkable cures of dyspepsia and
liver troubles. and the lake will probably
become in the future Sanitary resort for
persons suffering from diseases Of the
stomach and liver or from skin diseases |;
indeed it would be pleasant resort for
any person who enjoys the beauties of ma.
ture, "A fine climate, hunting and boating;
| there are no fish in the lake but good fish.
ing can be had in the Similkineen and
0kanogan rivers and in Palmers lake only
three miles distant.
As to formation. lying west of Palmer's
lake is Mount Chopaca, the highest peak
In that section. rising nearly 10000 feet
above the sea, it is of granite. Then east
Of Toat's Coulee and Farmers Lake
comes a slate formation, then ON the
summit of the range between Palmer and
Wannacut lakes a magnetism limestone
formation, then slate, and at the foot of
the hill, near Golden City, narrow strip
Of granite. East of Warmacut lake the
formations cut the range diaeonally, at
the south end Of the lake a mountain of
trachyte, north of that slate and then blue
limestone. To the northeast of the lake
the country appears to be a vast field Of
conglvmerates, bounded on the east by
slate and granite formations.
The slate formation contains a great
deal of iron, the oxidization of which
gives a reddish coloring to the hills, at.
tording, with the almost snow white Of
the limestone and the different shades of
green IN the foliage of the trees and under.
growth, an effect that is really beautiful.
Asked as to the character Of the ores.
he stated that so far AZ developed the
veins showed ores in which gold held the
predominant value, generally carrying
some silver, and lead with but little cop
per, but that it was impossible to describe
the ores of the district, for they were as
diverse in character as the formations;
there were some veins that were free mill
ing gold quartz others that had some free
milling quartz mixed with iron pyrites
and arsenate of lead, each carrying con-
siderable gold; veins of free milling silver
| quartz, Others mixed with antsmony and
iron pyrites, but generally the ores of the
district were richer in gold than any other
mineral. The question of the proper
treatment for the ores of the district re-
mains to be determined when develop
ment shall have disclosed the true charac-
ter of the ores at some depth from the
| surface, the work now in progress, and
that to be performed as soon as the season
opens, will solve the problem as to the
class of works required to treat the ores
| of the distri,t; as to the abundance and
richness of the ore there is no doubt, and
there is surprise in store for the mining
world when we get transportation by rail,
capital interested. and mills at work upon
our ores, all Of which we will have within
two years.