The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-19
OBSERVATIONS OF A VISITOR.
Larger Ore Bodies Than on the Com
stock Lode.
Region in the Cascade Mountains That
Rivals the Mining Fields OF Nevada,
Utah and Colorado - The Facts
Plainly Stated.
SEA1rLE August II. 1901.

in the Cascade mountains east and north
OF Seattle. So extraordinary have been
these stories that persons of conservative
temper have been disposed to regard them
as exaggerations, either growing out of
ignorant enthusiasm or covering schemes
to make mining boom for purposes of
speculation. This has been the. feeling
with numbers of people, and | am
frank to say that it is one in which have
more or less shared. To see these mines
for myself and to find out by personal in
spection how much of truth and how
much of error was in the current reports,
| went, two weeks since, into the princi-
pal of the several mineral districts and
spent four days there, visiting the differ
ent Lodges thar have been located. cropping
through and examining the tunnels that
have been run into the mountains, follow
ing the lines OF mineral as they may be
traced along the mountain sides. and hear
ing the testimony of scores of practical
men who are already IN the country. The
purpose of this letter is to present the re-
suits of observations during this visit, and
in so doing have the single purpose of
stating the facts as they appeared to me.
1t should be understood that | write from
the standpoint of an observer only and
not as mining or geological expert.
The location of the Monte Cristo min
ing district to which my observations were
confined, is in the Cascade mountains
amid the spurs forming their western slope
he aSfa nf Sh
county. The distance east from Seattle
in a direct line, is a little less than fifty
miles, and the distance north a little less
than forty. The routes of approach are
three in number-east from Snohornish up
the Skykomish river and its tributary,
Silver creek; east from Arlington up the
valley of the Stillaguamish, and east from
Sedro up the valley of the Skagit and its
tributary the Sauk. Not uncommonly the
Monte Cristo district is called the "Sauk
Mines, from the fact that the Sauk river
with its tributary streams drains the noun
tain region in which the district is located.
The mineral Iedges are found running II
continuous and almost parallel lines
through tumble of mighty peaks that
have been carved out of the bosom of the
mountain by glaciers in unmeasured pc
RODS of antiquity. The bottoms of the
gorges of the Monte Cristo district lie at
an elevation of 2,100 feet above
the sea level, while the mountains,
which lift themselves on either side pre-
cipitously, pierce the clouds 5000 feet
higher. The general trend and downward
slope of these gorges is from the
north to the south, parallel with the sum-
NIT line of the Cascade range only half a
dozen miles to the east. They have been
formed by the northward and downward
movement at some remote time of vast
masses of ice which have literally cut fur
rows 5000 feet deep in the breasts of the
mountain range. To compare these great
gorges with the passage which the Colum-
bia river has torn through the heart of the
Cascade mountains far to the south of us
is to Illustrate great things by thing in
comparison small, but the resemblance is
close enough TO give some idea of the
broken and majestic aspect of the Monte
Cristo region. The behoder IS confused
by what at first appears to be disordered
collection of giant mountain piles, but
study OF the situation soon shows him
that the district Is a huge basin, about
three miles across from summit TO summit
which has been scOoped ont by two giac-
iers starting from the south and travelling
nOrthward To junction perhaps TWO miles
from the original point OF departure, and
proceeding together in a broadeued and
deepened stream 10 the levels further
northward. Between the points where
these glaciers started, and dividing them
until the point OF union was reached is a
vast mountain spur reaching out like a
tongue between the glacial gorges.
To comprehend the physical aspect of
the country which | am attempting to de-
scribe, the reader must study the accom-
pauying map, which was kindly drawn
for me by Mr.. 4. H. Stretch, the we'll
known mining engineer, who is now pro-
fessionally engaged in the district. From
this map the glacial gorges which have
referred 10 may be easily traced from their
point of starting TO where they unite and
proceed in a deepened channel to the
north The darker portions OF the map
represent the rock surface of the mountain
sides. which stand barred 10 view, and
through which the different characters of
rock NAV be readily distinguished II is
An interesting fact that the original dis
covery of mineral ore was made from a
point many miles distant with the aid Of a
field glass. and IL is & fact which furnishes
an idea OF how the mineral veins may be
traced. They run IN parallel lines east
and west from both sides of the glacial
channels across and through the mountain
tongue which stands between them, in
many instances in continuous line from
five 20 fifteen miles. The lines OF mineral
may be traced almost as readily as an
ornamental LAYER Of stone may be traced
through brick building. One does not
need 10 be q geologist or miner 20 see
that the several veins as they appear upon
the surfaces Of opposite mountains cores
poud perfectly 70 each other; that they are
unauestionably separated sections of
continuous vein which has been broken
through BY the plowshare Of the glacier.
The lines showing in the map stand for
locations of different mines. the distances
from dot To dot, a little less than an inch,
shyyCTinr single location Of $50 feet.
They serve also TO illustrate the parallel
ism OF the several veins. The darker dots
indicate the points where development
work has been more or less performed.
The numbers refer 10 the names OF the
mines. which appear below the map.
II is. on the whole, an exceptional situa-
ton. where nature with her glacial plow-
share has cut the mountain with deep fur