, 1890-09-18
THE CASCADE MINES.
Mr.. J. r. Reavis Visits a.
New District.
RICH LEDGES NEAR CODY PASS.
The First Authentic Account Yet
Published of These Remark
able Discoveries.
WRITTEN FOR THE REVIEW. 4

During n visit to the Sound last
week, ] ran up to the new Monte
Crislo and Silver creek mining dis
tricts near the Cody pass of tho
Cascade mountains. These miues
are but u little ever sixty miles in
direct liue from Seattle, but at
present they are reached I'm very
roundabout way by going down to
the mouth of the Skagit river, and
following that stream up TO the
Sauk, then following the Sauk
up to its source, which is near the
summit of the Cascade range.
The trail leading in from the
Skagit river passes over some very
rough country, but when one ar
rives ut the mines he feels
amply repaid for all tho an
noyances and dlscomforts of
the Journey. In the first place,
the scenery Is indescribably magnif-
iccnt. Here we reach the limits of
eternal snow and ice and finds moro
than one great glacier gradually
blowing its way down the mount
| ain side and through rocky gorges.
| When | was there the weather was
delightful. The air WIS cool and
invigorating and yet the snow and
ice were netting in every direction,
and the waters were pouring down
from n hundred different sources
and running Off into raging torrents
below.
TIE MINES
The first discoveries here were
made in the Monte Cristo district,
which Is adjoined in the west by the
Silver Creek district. The Monte
Cristo district embraces the divide
of the Cascade range Mt this place,
and the divide is cut oil into three
sections by three deep gulches
or canyons which run In northerly
and southerly directions. The ledges
cross-cut these canyons IN north
west aud southeast directions, and
in some places there is an exposure
of the ledges on the face of the cliff
for thousands of feet. 1t can be seen
as plainly by the eye as AN ordinary
stratiication of rock. Il is the first
| formation of the kind | have ever
seen. The ledges are from ten to
/ forty feet wide and the pay strcaks
in them vary from one foot to ten
| feet in width. Owing to the eX-
posed condition of the ledges they
can be easily worked by the driving
of tunnels ut the base line. The
wall rock is granite and porphyry,
and the mineral is carried In quartz.
The assays show IA large percentage
of lead, with silver and gold.
| The average value of the ore Is
| 500 per ton. The average value of
the gold yield Is $40 per ton. 1t is u
/ smelling ore aud can be worked ut
comparatively small expense.
MIR. +. w. Wilmans, of San Fran-
cisco, has, along with his brother
and some others, secured u number
of claims In the Monte Cristo dis
trict and will push development
work with vigor. Mr.. Wilmans has
IA fine reputation as u mining man,
having made large fortune ut tho
business and his Judgment as to the
value of these productions is OF
much Importance. The Silver
Queen Mining and Smelling Com
pany, of seattle, has been organized
To operate in the silver Creek dis
trict. MIR. A. >. Durham, manag-
ing trustee of the Seattle, Lake
Shore Il Eastern railroad lis president
OF the company aud Mr. John Craig,
auditor of the Seattle X Lake Shore
road, Is secretary and treasurer. Mr.
Dunham made visit to the district
last week and was greatly pleased.
MIR. Wilmans hopes to bring out
some samples of the ore from his
principal claims for the Northwest
ern Exposition here.
RAILROADS.
a strong move will he made to
get II road into these mines next
spring. At present the Fairhaven
~ Southern and Seattle Il Northern
are being constructed up the Skaglt
river. The Fairhaven ~ Southern
is now Il part of the Great Northern,
which is expected to cross the Cas-
cadc range mt Cody pass.
Should either the Fairhaven "
Southern or the Seattle "
Northern be continued up the
Skagit river, IL would 20 to within
forty miles of the Monte Cristo and
Silver creek districts. A branch
line could easily he built from
the SRagit along the Sauk. The grade
would be an easy one the entire dis
tance. A railroad Is indispensable
to the success of those mines, as the
ore is essentially shipping ore. IL
Is not unreasonable that u large por-
tion OF it should come to the sInelter
works here. believe good ore Will
be found there In very large guam
titles. In fact, 1t can be seen there
to-day Just rs nature herself has
left it. Very little has been said
about these discoveries because the
place Is remote and difficult OF ac-
cess, and because few people have
gone there, but unless all signs fall,
there Is here one of the richest de-
posits of ore in the country. MT.
Wilmans and his associates have
cut out trail ut an expense of sew
eIal thousand dollars and we may
expect II large movement in that dl'
rection next spring.
JOHN II. REAvIs.
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IT Is not probable that President liar-
rison would call an extra session in the
event of the failure of congress to pass
certain bills in which he Is interested