The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-28
M|SS0ULA AND HELENA.
Should Work Together for . Rail-
road Up Into the Flathead
Country.
"A junction at the Mouth OF the
Clearwater Of Benefit to
Both.
Possibilities of the Country NJ = Freight
Producer, Both In Cereals and
Minerals.

Tho feasibility and the possibility OF
building a railroad from Avon to the Flat
head country was quite generally discussed
by Helena business men yesterday. Mr..
Blanohard's showing of the resources of the
country that will be tapped was quite q
revelation to the majority, because while 1t
was known the country was a rich one, y
was not known how productive it would be
with railroad communication. The dis
cussion brought out one thing that has re-
ceived but little attention heretofore. ana
that is that She people of Missoula and
those Of Helena might with great profit TO
both unite in the project. and combined
succeed where they might fail if they work
separately. As outlined in THE lNDEPEND-
EMIT yesterday, the route proposed from
Avon is from that town to Nevada creek
valley. to the Big Blackfoot. to the Clear
wates, crossing the divide between
the Clearwater and Swan river, down Swan
river to Flathead valley, thence to the lake.
The other line. and in which Missoula IL
most Interested, it is proposed to run from
Jocko, in the Flathead reserve, to the lake.
The proposition for the union Of
the forces Of Helena and Missoula
Ii ZOE Gu6 TphN 10 10 DullL lLOAA AVN ~ oAu
mouth Of Clearwater. Then for another
line to be built from Missoula to the same
point. From this junction, at the month
OF the Clearwater. Let the road run to Flat
head lake. The examination Of q map will
show that by this arrangement Missoula
will get from the Flathead country BY this
route al! she would By the one from Jocko,
and, in addition, abe will gain trade from the
Clearwater country she would otherwise
lose. Helena would lose nothing BY the
combination, il would be better for the
country opened up, and the two cities,
working together, would certainly have
more influence than if they worked indie
pendently.
In a general and partial way The INDIE
PENDENT showed yesterday the resources Of
the country a railroad from Avon to Flat
head would have to insure it a carrying
trade. Hiram S. Blanchard has furnished
q carefully prepared report. showing the
business u railroad would have via the Big
Blackfoot, Clearwater and swan River val
leys. as follows:
"Between Elk creek and the north fork
of the Big Blackfoot river, via the Black
foot valley, there was raised last year 30, UO0
bushels of oats, q large quantity Of pota-
toes and wheat a little barley and SO, 100, 900
pounds of hay. In the Upper Blackfoot
NullCJ dllu Xix q ANCsak kAC OACAC
was raised twice, if not three times as
much, with no market for il. Some home
consumption. This production would DO
trebled if it could be shipped ont of the
valley. At Camas Prairie. which would be
midway from the railroad at Clearwater
and Bonner, $4,000 bushels Of oats and e.
large amount Of wheat and potatoes were
raised last year. The acreage which is
being put into grain 10 larger this
spring than it was last yea. All of
the grain from this valley which would be
shipped east or north would come to Clear
water. A considerable portion of it comes
to Clearwater now for the logging camps
below the Blaokfoot.
THE Clemantha quartz mine, situated
on Elk creek, would be seven miles from
the proposed railroad at Clearwater. This
mine has been worked three yenrs. The
wide, and the ore assays from $50 to $12O
to the ton. But it is base with iron and
not half the gold is saved. Tailines are
being cribbed for shipment. if a
railroad is built to Clearwater, so
they can ship their ore to a smelter, either
Clemantha mine are the Valley aud Crystal
Spring mines, owned by Mr.. Fsatherman,
OF New Chicago. More work has been
lone upon these two claims in sinking g
shaft and running tunnels than upon the
Clemantha. There are three veins in these
TWO Cla1nh Oh ADout tuS sAIu0 ElZ0 nB SllE
IN the Clemantha and OF precisely the same
ore. These mines have an arastra con-
nected with them. while the Clemantha has
q stamp mill. but they do not save half the
gold by either process.
ION the opposite side of Elk creek Col.
G. w. Morse, j. j. Kennedy and Conrad
Uhles have a prospect. A contact vein fif-
teen feet wide. upon which they have sunk
two shafts which prospect we'll. They are
now running a tunnel in from the base of
the mountain and are in 200 feet. This
company owns tho lead for two miles and
have great confidence in it. three miles
from this property is located the Happier
anda. owned by DIR. Mitchell and DR.. Nus
sigbrod, of Deer Lodge. Extensive deyel-
opments have been made upon this prop
city. They have a two foot vein of good
gold ore. They have a large mill with en-
CINE and boilers of ffty-horse power.
There are twenty other prospects between
the properties named, upon which moro or
less development has been done, notably
the McI)ermott, from Which conside uble
ore has been aiken. The majority of these
prospects could and would be worked at a
profit if we had railroad transportation for
the ore.
.As to the timber on the Big Blackfoot
rivet within ten miles OF the proposed
route. The most of the available timber
has been put in. But the tributaries are
heavily timbered and are not nevigable for
logs. Ih1s Is true OF ELK creek, coming in
from the south. Logs have been put in by
teams for three miles from its mouth. 1t
is also true of Chamberlain creek, coming
in from the same side. The Upper Clear
water, coming in from the north, is not
navigable for logs; and this lower Clear
water, near its mouth, is only nuvlgable for
logs of small size during Il freshet. There
is a very large amount of timber in the
basin Of this valley-large timber. Shan
ley creek i'd heavily timbefed, logs are being
put in Ito Biackfoot rlver) by teams fof
four miles from it's mouth. Mountain crack
Is an underground stream until within four
miles of its mouth; from there it ia naviga-
Bile, and has been numbered. Dick craek is
not navigable, as has been found out by ex-
pc lment; neither is Warren creek. The
north fork of the Blackfoot is nayiQable.
One year considerable numbering waa done
here. The stream is small and ex.
pense of river driving great. No
numbering has been done on it for
three years past. Mills would be estab-
llshed on all those heavily tlmbered tfibu-
taries ii there was a railroad TO take the
lumber to market. Swan river, with It's
many heavily timbered tributaries, is not
navigable for logs above swan lake. The
estimated amount of timber in Clea water
and Swan valleys, through which the D @.
posed railroad would run, Is 1900 square
miles,"
J.. C. Marcum, OF Helmsville, in q report
on the mineral resources of the country
Buys.
9TH Ciorins mine, on Moose creek, is
nov ready to ship; 100 tons of ore are now
on the dump. They have Il hne prospect