The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-26
MINERAL, RESOURCES.
Proposed Chamber Of Commerce
Exhibit Of Mines.
VIEWS or The coMMrrreeMEn.


Since the appointment ~ tne IoaEsoef
Of Commerce OF the special COMMITTEES On
mining and minerals the subject OF the
mineral resources Of the state has been
more than evsr discussed, and II the scheme
which the COMMITTEES has conceived 10 car
riesi out successfully Seattle and the state
Of large viii be wonderfully benefited.
Lying east. north and south OF Seattle
are ssch coal and iron fields OF vast extent
still nndeveioped. The thousands upon
thousands Of tons of coal already mined
are hut ~ . leaf In . forest compared TO
the amount which still lies concealed In the
bosom OF the earth. or crops out in rich
veins innocent Oh the touch OF the miner >
pick. The iron mines are even less devel-
oped than the coal mines, bat il IL known.
hevond doubt. that In the green clad
hills il now siumbering the material which
one lay will be forged into steel ships,
locomotives, rails. machinery and count
less other forms.
All OF this material will come TO Seattle
10 be worked up and 10 be shipped to every
quarter oil the globe. 1t In already coming
daily 10 the city In train loads and ship
loads, bringing wealth and strength and
furnishing work to men in score OF pur-
suits.
But hack OF this vast store OF coal and
iron. beyond even the snow-crowned Cas-
cades, Is q region rich in gold. silver and
other precious metals. New railroads are
every day reaching toward this region of
wealth, and before many years thousands
Of busy miners with pick and shovel. drill
ana crusher. will be he~ing fortunes from
tie solid earth. 1t Is seattle's business
to see that these mines are opened up rs
well as the coal and iron mines, and to see
that, like the coal and iron. the more
precious metals are brought to this city to
he worked up and turned into other forms
Of wealth.
The Chamber Of Commerce committee
on mines, which consists OF Messrs. G. l..
Webb. Andrew Knox. John X. Wooicott.
q. w. Yancy and w. w. Beck. will at the
next meeting OF that body. offer plan.
which for the present they do not wish 10
divuIge, that has for its object not only the
opening up of these mines but also the
create in Seattle.
committee. who has had large experience
in Denver and other Colorado cities, as
smeiter, mine owner and mining expert.
said to Posr-1SrELLisEscEg reporter yes
terday:
The Great Northern and other railways
will open up for US an immense mining
section that will, II we take advantage of
it. be 10 Seattle what the mining country
OF Colorado Is to Denver. The city that
gets this ore business will get large
amount Ut other business. In the first
place. a camp Of mining men will consume
more provisions and luxuries than an agri-
cultural town Of five times the size. Its
trade In hardware and groceries is most
valuable 10 any city. Besides that the
shipping city which Is tributary to the
mines always attracts capital, mine owners
and miners. and the field back OF Seattle Is
enough alone to make ely as large as
Seattle"
Mr.. Webb Is familiar with the manner of
working up the different ores. and thinks
that II lead and copper Is found in suf-
ficient quantities all OF the other metals are
here.
ITO make a smelling proposition q sue
cess. he said. ''there must be- ores from
different places In order to carry on the
process OF fiuxing There should be lead
and copper ores. dry ores or those which
have no lead or copper. plenty OF iron and
lime, coal. coke and charcoal. All of these
should be shipped to q common point. not
necessarily adjoining the mines. but where
good shipping facilities could be had"
Mr. Andrew Knox. speaking on the same
subject, said: The first thing for US to do
IL 10 encourage the development OF the
mines tributary to us. II We could get
only one good mine in the hands OF Seattle
men il would bring in enough business to
double the size OF the city. Denver was
built by the I.eaaville mining district, and
there is no reason why we should no, make
Seattle the same to the northwestern terri
tory that San Francisco is to the mining
country Of the Sierra Nevadas. We have
the same advantages in shipping and as
rich country to draw from"
THE deposits of the First National Bank
of Helena" concluded Mr. Knox, "a year
ago were equal 10 the deposits of all Seat
ties banks, when We were doing four times
the mercantile business and had twice the
population of Helena"