The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-04
A Great Northern Agent Pleased
With Their Showing.
COUNTY FULL OF RESOURCES
Progress Of Development Work In the
Monte Crisfo Disfrics-The Psshas-
tin Distriet-N ming Notes.


morning on the boat stage for st. Paul
ISTKrLIsKscER correspondent:
AZ was sent here by President ]. ]. Hill,
of the Great Northern railroad. TO examine
| and report on the Okanogan country and
all its resources. and on my report to q
certain extent will depend the policy of
the Great Northern in extending its line
TO this region. am a promoter. Ny last
previous work in this line WAS IN the Sio-
can camp, West kootenay district, u. G.,
tributary 70 Spokane.
sat Wenatchee I left the railroad and
took the steamer Eilensburg, Capt Dana
her, and after ride of several hours up
the majestic Columbia we landed at Vir-
ginia City. Here was handed over by
Capt. Griggs. proprietor of the steamboat
| line, to j. a. LOOMS, q prominent mer-
chant of LOOMS, who happened to be
travelling homeward. We took the stage
here In the morning, and after an ali-day
ride with several relays OF horses through
beautiful, fertile and well cultivated
country, arrived safely, before dark. at
Loomis. ! wish to say here that this stage
| line, owned by Senator Helm, of Eliens-
burg. equals the famous Burbank line
from La Crosse, Wis, to st. Paul, of old
time repuie. The first two days in LOOMS
/ was confined to my room with weak eyes,
/ recurrence of trouble contracted In the
kootenav country from snow blindness.
Il visited the various mining claims on
Gold Hall. the Rush group. on Mount
Chopaca; the Bunker Hill, Black Bear.
| Grand Summit and others on Palmer
mountain; the McConkey group, Horse
| Spring Coulee; the 0kanogan Smith
claims; Mount Ellemeham, on the Stmii-
kameon river. and the Triune, Jessie.
Spokane and other claims in the Golden
| district, and must say that / have never
seen the equal of 0kanogan for free gold
on the surface and To the depth OF 100
| feet. the greatest depth yet attained, and
/ cannot understand why the mining in
terests have been overlooked for so many
years. However, IS capital is now seek
ing gold mines, the OEanogan country
can expect an era of prosperity and devel-
opment unparalleled in its history. Ii
would seem to me as If the so-calied min
ing experts who have examined the coun-
try mineralogicaliy in the past have been
paid TO make derogatory reports.
.'The bench work IN piacers is unlimited
and in future will be of great extent.
Twenty-Five years ago the placer pros
pector went over the ground carelessly,
only looking for placer ground on the
water courses, as provisions and supplies
were so costly that he could not afford to
spend his time unless he PANIED out $i6
or so a day: but now it is only matter of
n short time W hen. with gold-saving ma
chinery. many of the benches will be
worked.
81 spent several days at the hospitable
ranch of q. w. LoudoD, on the okanogan
river, and made daily visits to different
portions of the Colville reservation, and
see that this part of the country will be
o valuable acquisition to the state as soon
ss surveyed and thrown open for settle
ment.
..As for grazing for cattle, horses and
sheep, the grass hills of Montana are not
in it. Four crops of alfalfa, with irriga-
ton, are easily harvested, and have seen
oats and wheat that cannot be exceiied.
Potatoes and small vegetables grow TO
perfection. Apples, peaches, apslcots.
etc, do remarkably we'll, and the flavor of
the peach grown cannot be excelled in
America. 1t is a well-known fact that
where the peach tree can be cultivated to
perfection any fruit will thrive. From the
mouth of the Okanogan to the British
| line. and for considerable distance above
| the line. peach trees and small fruits
with the East and Middle West at the
| same latitude.
From LOOMS west following the
| course of Toats coulee creek to the head
| waters of the Methow, are thousands of
| acres of grazing and grass lands unoccu-
| pied and millions of ieet of standing tim
| Der.
| "This is destined to be one of the great
est mining countries on the globe, and
| for its varied and self-sustaining resources
/ has no equal. 1t creeks are teemlng with
trout, hills and fats with chicken and
/ grouse and deer in abundance, and on the
higher elevations are mountain sheep and
| goat.
| ''0n the 0kanogan are falls with a drop
| of seventy-fiye ieet, which in the near fu-
| ture will be utilized for manufacturing.
| electric and lrrlgating purposes, bringing
thousands of acres of desert land into
cultivation, and on Toats coulee creek,
| contiguous to Loomis, is a water power
where fall OF several hundred feet can be
utilized. and plans are now being perfected
To put in an electric plant TO furnish
power and light for the various mining
and industrial purposes that Will soon be
active here. The roads in okanogan are
the best in the state, and prospector can
go anywhere on horseback
In my opinion the Great Northern will
be the hrst railroad into this section and
will run up the west bank of the Okano-
gan, connecting with the Canadian Pacific
st the line, and all the reservation and for
forty miles east will be tributary 10 the
mouth of the river. and LOOMS will re-
ceiSe It's railroad facilities by branch
from the main line through pass which
have named Adrian pass. As soon as |
reach Minneapolis | shall make a report in
detail, naming all the mines have visited.
the amount OF ore on the dumps and their
possibilities. the prospects of the country
ana ats varied resources, and | vii. saw
that am surprised aud pleased 10 find a
country heretofore overlooked that | can
SO thoroughly and eonscientioasly endorse.
Ii Is nearer self-sustaining than any sec
ton have ever seen.
| II have been given specimens of quartz
from the different properties, many OF
them showing free gold. that will convince
the most skeptlcal OF the value OF these
properties.
capt. Peter Curtz. of Nevada, has been
my guide most of the time while have
been examining the various mining claims
ana through his intelligent aid | have
been able 10 visit the most prominent
mining claims and get an exceedingly
Eood idea OF their prospective value in q
snort hme. expect 10 return here IN
about SIX weeks"
report from superintendent Patrick
OF the BleSett Gold Mining Compauy' $
properties IN the Peshastiu district. states
that the mail is running steadily and il
handing mtg tons Of ore day. and that
All WORK Is Progressing satisfactorily.
contract has been let by Crawford &
clayton for the extension of tgnReiinr on
the Beatrice aud Sunset mines. in the sil.
Yer Creek district. and il is being carried
on wish all energy.
The party which went 10 Monte Cris;o
in company with Manager Fiuney and hi.
party last week returned Saturday veil
pleased With the progress Of work NJ the
mines. There were: ]. NJ. wurans p
W. Wiimsns. Edward Rlewe,t. /. : J.