The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-08-06

idlls NolSes. tie mas several eNcelleIt 1ifnlS III
the Belt river valley for stock hushandry and gen.
era agriculture. and extensive sheep ranches in
the Nason's creek district. With him is associat-
ed Peter Smms OF ST. Paul
We drove from Arn,ington's hospitable manor
up Belt valley, past the mouth Of Cora creek and
branched of into the Otter creek valley, IL tribr-
tary to the Belt. Everywhere We could see great
outcropptngs of coal OH the hillsides, until the
darkness shrouded the face of the earth in gloom
As the evening wore on. even III the cleaning at
the roadside, we could scores Of cattle lying
asleep in their pastures. Surely where the cattle
sleep nightly out in the fields with such evident
sense Of perfect security, civilized man may go
and res: his head In slu,nber with the assurance
that it will not ie disturbed till he is ready to rise
In the morning. Arriving u. Mann's an hour or
so before midnight, we slept there overnight
Next morning nature seemed to have prepared
the way for w. They have not acquired classical
names yet, but they have appropriated good,
wholesome explicable titles for the stopping
places.
Early Friday morning We went across country to
Martins via kibby's. Johnson's and Th0mpsons.
1t was region of prosperous farms, fat cattle
and sheep and vigorous grain, beautiful and er-
liyened by wildernesses Of wild roses. wild pan
sizes and anemones. ana forests OF pine and fir.
From Martins we drove to Neihart, the mining
camp which has excited so much enthusiasm,
among the '49ers and '5oers and which soon Is
likely to enticc the interest OF Old-establisheti
financial circles
What have they at Neihart: Well that is hard
to answer just ut present. Let me Civ a sort Of
| cursory presentation Of honest conjectures. A
man Of apparent trlstworthiness and undoubteti
faith told lie there were 400 claims within seven
and a half miles Of the town. ten of which COM
bined would produce 1000 tons daily, averaging
AZ ounces to the ton in silver. Up on the noun
tain side the London has tunnel driven 70O feet
into the subcutaneous tissues of the earth. The
Florence and the Queen Of the Hills are doing
we'll, with ambitious holes in the ground each and
| promising exhibit Of ore. The Gait has Il tull-
ncl only 50 feet into the hillside, but shows four
feet of ore, averaging 40 ounces. The Nevada
has shaft sunk over Il hundred feet in good ore
| Of high grade. Adjoining is the Mountain Chief,
| with adiihicts Of smelter and cOncentrator which
| have cost more than $2OOO0O.
! The Dakota has already had $4,000 expended
| on 1t, and apparently we'll spent. OF the lnger-
look like bullion producers. The Oneida and
Hartley adjoin the Broadwater group Of mines.
Tho latter consists Of the Montana Bell, the St.
Julien. the Minnehaha, the Dickens and the Maud
S., situated on the mountains north of Neihart
Dozens of other prospects are III the neighbOr.
hood, and about fifty people sojourn in the town.
holding on to their claims like grim death to 4
dead nigger,' waiting for the railroad to come, OF
some other evangel Of civilization.
Over on Snow creek the local argonauts have
struck free milling gold ore and III the Carpenter
creek district lead ore exists In enormous q,lan.
| titles
What about the rest Of it! return to Martins
and next morning Il trip up the dry fork Of Belt
creek. which, by the way, is not a dry fork ut all
except for Il very short distance. A brief and
therefore Intellectual effort to become acquainted
with the 100 mot the 4OO) people of Barker II cas-
uni look at Dr.. Armillgton's mine, the Pride oi
the West, II glance at the sMelter, and Just adni
ration at the glorious canyons, the bountful graz
ing and agricultural lands OH our twelve miles o1
return Journey ana We are at Martins once more
| Let us stop here among the thousand charms Ol
this favored valley There is too much along the
Belt river to tell all at once without sighting
something worthy. And as for Rice's Tiger
butte, the suce boxes, the mineral springs and
the miniature ''Natlonal Park' situated near BY
1t would take a volume to properly bring theil
charms to public notice.