The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-16
|SEVEN DEVILS COUNTRY
Very Rich Mining Section in Which
Helena Capital is Largely
Interested.
A Howling Wilderness and Diff
Quilt of ACCESS Till Quite
Recently.
Fabulous Vein of Copper. Gold and silver
Mention of Some of the Proper
ties and Their Prospects.

Geo. A. Rain furnishes an account of the
Seven Devils country which, perhaps, gives
a better idea of that region and its posi-
bilities than any heretofore made. Mr..
Rain says the subject is of peculiar inter
est to Helena, in particular, and Montana
in general. because Helena men have up to
date secured the largest interests there and
will certainly reap the greater portion OF
the profits. Seven Devils is situated in
Washington county, Idaho, ninety miles
north of Weiser and 5000 feet above, near
Snake river. It's name is derived from the
clumpof mountain peaks, there being seven,
which lie at the extreme north of the camp
and loo down upon it, as If they were the
guardians of this great wealth. As the
name implies, it is a veritable bowling will
derness. The top of the plateau is 5000 feet
above Snake rive, and only five miles from
it. It would seem as If it had been SO
created that man was to be barred Tor all
time from robbing it of its vast mineral
wealth. It's seclusion has permitted but
little knowledge of its hidden treasures.
When spoken of it was alluded to as some
far away planet, and but little was known
of it.. It's physical appearance resembles
CLOSELY UIl6 ptCUuIcS VI caS SAoUP
of mountains. The reason that these mines
have never been worked was the difficulty
of getting in and out of that district, but
now it will be only a short time ere the
world will possess these mines. 1t may
take a lifetime or only a few years to de-
velop them, all according to circumstances,
railroads. capital, etc. AS the season adj
yances the excitement over Seven Devils
increases, and the question is who will
secure control of this mighty camp.
The great Anaconda mines lave no
such ores as found here. When w. A.
Clark, of Montana, contracted to deliver
the French syndicate 50, O00,0 900 pounds of
copper and the ore to run fifty per cent.
copper, he first bonded all the mines he
could in Seven Devils. This district covers
a scope of country fifteen by twenty-four
miles and contains wonderful vertical veins
from thirty to $50 feet wide and thousands
of feet deep. The first discovery was made
oy Levi Allen twenty-five years ago, and he
located what il now known Ms the Old Pea
cock, the phenomenal surface mine of the
world. He held it through Indian wars
and massacres. going every year 200 miles
by wagon to do his 800 assessment work,
realizing it's value and greatness, until in
1883, after expanding $4,000. he had to
take in Montana parties. SO that now he
owns nearly three-sixteenths in a mine that
could not be bought for $l.00o,oW. This
mine has been ground sluiced off
down the gulch for one-half mile for
the free gold it contained alone, ex-
posing some twelve acres of copper that
runs 30 to so per cent. Three years ago
there was in sight at this mine $4,000 tons
of ore, value nothing; now ut 10 cents
per pound, SIS, 200, O00., 1t can be worked
at a net profit of So, 800, 900, vein fifty feet
wide. t@t
There seems to be copper everywhere.
South Peacock mine appears to be the
same, and Standard and State Issue proba-
bly, as good, but contains richer ore than
the Peacock, high grade quartz and more
free from garnet; more like White Monu-
ment and River Queen. The shaft is fifty
of marvellous wealth, the length, depth
and wide of vein unknown; it may
run to hundreds of thousands of
tons. This mine will show 100
yards square deposits of cop
Little Peacock Gore assays 81 per cent. cop
per, $50 gold and s%ilver), Copper Key, Con
fdence and Side Issue. Copper Key had
not struck the ledge last fail, but now has
found it, and it is big. Either one of these
may prove as good as Peacock or South
Peacock.
The Lockwood group consists of three
mines. Four tons of this ore makes one
ton of COPPER matte, with S32 per ton oil
latte in gold; carries its own flux, as il
has sufficient iron in and near it to make il
the best smelling ore in the United States
The River Queen, o%ne-fourth mile from
Snake river, is nearly identical to White
Monument ore, and is likely to merge
into silver, with come gold. Assays sc
per cent. copper, 1880 silver, five gold, II
carries its own dux beautifully and can be
worked like matte and is in every respect
DC n1pn 0r1 rnnI - 1oLn Gr,,nrIop tn,
Decora has an immense deposit of low
grade ore, II to 20 per cent, with a fine mil
site.
The Whale, HUMBOLDT, California, Climax
and Crown Point are all fine locations
White Monument, Helena, Blue Jacket,
the same vicinity, and owned by Levi Al
len, ex-Gov. Hauser, of Montana, and A,
Kleinschmidt, who will ship ore this season.
They have expended $175, 600 in develop
ment work. Since the discovery of the Bo-
nanza and SO much gold in White Monu-
ment the Montana parties have gone wild.
There are in all 1875 locations in this camp,
but there is territory sufficient to locate
LOCO good mines. Prospects are mines here
now: there is not q "scratch"' that could be
bought for 1880.
Three wears ago $4,000 would have con-
trolled the whole district, as the bulk of
prospectors and miners stampeded for new
helds, C9ur d'Alene and Owyhee War
Eagle mountain gold camp. The decline
in copper through the failure of the French
syndicate also helped to defer the opening
OF this camp. Now the Peacock is held for
s 100000 and the South Peacock for $780,
600.
seven Devils ore, assorted, will run 80
per cent; picked, go per cent, Copper can
be worked as cheap as iron, say $40 to Sl5
per ton, add $40 per ton freight, and we
have copper at two cents per pound, with
out allowing for gold or silver at all. There
is enough of that in the ore to pay for the
working, SO that whatever the copper brings
ls clear gain.
One of the first l~ocators of Leadyille who
has lived in western mining camps all HIS
life, says: THE forests and natural scenerv
OF the region is magnificent. Tho whole
country is ore. A thousand mines NAV he
located side by side and the talk of milliona
OF tons of ore is no exaggeratior. 'Tha
mineral is there in unlimited and iuexhana-
tible quantities. The recorder for III.
camp told me that: On both sides of tho
camp are found gold lodges and considerao
BILE gold Is found in the copper ores. We
really do not realize the possibilities of this
great mineral district. 1t ia the hi,,ast
and richest precious metal belt in tha
world. The one hundred or 30 mioas 20
corded are only a mite in comparison with
what is there. We will have a CITY in Saver
Devils that will equal Helena.'n
Mining Notes.
The Red Lion Mining company, of Doer
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