The Helena independent., 1892-10-04
CAMAS PRAIRIE MINES.
A Section Of Missoula County That
Promises to Be Rich
Producer.
The Gowrie. the First Discovery,
Not Yet Up to Expec-
tations.
Lucky Discovery Of the Alkaline ana ohar'
coal-The Camas Belle Bonded
for $4,000.

MrssouLA, Oct. 81 Special. Daring
the past summer there has been consider
able excitement IN Camas Prairie. Ths
history of the camp 10 rather peculiar.
The formation is largely lime and quartzite
with some granite. Rich float has been
found frequently in large masses. but there
appears to have been great difficulty IN
finding the mineral in place solid between
the walls. The Gowrie mine. the diseoye
OF which occaeioned some excitsment two
years ago has never yet fulfilled the early
expectations of its discoverers. Several
other claims have shown considerable hoat
and irregular masses of ore in the clay and
tale, which would indicate that large masses
OF high grade ore exist In the lime ana
dolimite formations. The disceverers or
these claims have not been able to do very
much development, and in most cases the
assessment work sums the total amount
done. The Adalina and Charcoal mines,
whloh were discovered last June, arc
attracting considerable attention. They
are located on the south side of the valley,
about three miles east of the Gowrie, ana
are In granite. The ore is high
grade averaging, it ls SAID over
100 ounces in silver, twenty-five per cent IN
lead and several dollars in gold to the tons
while some of the ore assays up in the
thousands. The Adalins was the first one
discovered. and after the loeators had COM
menced work on it they went up the guleh
few hundred yards TO burn pit OF char
coal. While digging out for this they dis
covered another ledge which, If anything,
is richer than the Adaline. This they
named The Charcoal and development has
proved it to be bonanza from the surface
down. The ore contains galena, lead and
copper carbonates manganese, oxide and
black sulphurets of silver. and is high grade
throughout. The owners are at present en-
gagged in packing car load of ore out for
shipment.
The Camas Belle, which is located not
far from the Charcoal and Adallne, was
bonded last week to II. P. Heacock and e.
A., Winstanley by the owners. Messrs. Par
ker and Shaughnessy. A portion OF the
purchase price was paid down. Mr.. Hea,
cock has placed force of men at work and
has sacked twenty tons of ore for shipment
wagon road is being built to the same,
and will be completed this month. The
ore is principally carbonate of lead,
and lays in a mass of clay in limestone
formation. Several other properties in the
vicinity are looking we'll, and the shipment
of ore from the camp will undoubtedly soon
become an important portion of Missoula
county p oducts.
At the head of the valley, some ten miles
from the camp just mentioned. is the Cop
per Cliff mine, new location this summer.
This claim has immense groupings of
quartz, which stick out above the sur
roundings several feet. and is 100 feet or
more in width. The whole is stained green
and blue with copper, and ia full of strata
of ore running high in both gold and cop
per. some of the ore showing considerable
free gold to the eye. There are at present
in Camas Prairie and vicinity probably 100
prospectors.