The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-23

noon and saw there . block of gold
about as big as scent loaf of bread,
which was worth $22,0 1t had Just come
in from the Old Penobscot mine, which
has been lying idle for years. but which
has been reopened and is now paying well.
II is located about twenty miles north of
Helena and was discovered by an old
fellow by the name of Nathaniel Vestal
years ago. He sold it for 500, 900. took his
money to Wall street to teach the bulls
and bears how to speculate. Of course he
failed. The mine was again sold later on
for $500. Is the lead seemed to be played
out, and became the property of man
named Longmaid. He did nothing with
u. but his two sons urged him to work 1t.
He would not do it and they bought the
mine of him. This was about four months
ago and this week they have brought il
this -, 600 biscuit. Ii is the same with
other mines and though Montana turns
out millions upon millions of dollars
worth Of precious metals every year the
mountains are believed to be full of unde-
vcloped mines and prospectors by the
hundreds will start out this spring.
Right here about Helena some OF the
most famous placer mining OF the past
was done. Along about the close of the
war many men made fortunes, and one
nugget was taken out which was worth
$50, and another, so am told, was worth
more than $1,000. One Of the banks here
has half peck of gold nuggets, and q col
lection of them will be sent from hero to
the Worlds fair. The chief mining now
done IN Montana is quartz mining. and it
takes fortunes to get the metal out and to
reduce it There are between thirty and
forty great quartz mills in Montana, and
some OF the largest mills of the kind in the
world are found in this state. A great
deal Of the mining property and the mills
are owned by British capitalists. This is
the case of the Drumlummon mine, not
far from Helena, out of which more than
100000 worth Of ore has been taken.
This mine was discovered by Thomas
out from S. to 500 q day when he discov-
cred It. This was about 1876. He sold it
in 1883 to an English company for s., 5O0.-
COG. of which he got 81 .5O0. 600 in cash.
Card-playing and gambling are moro
open in Montana than in the East. This
country is full of spectators and miners
and the whole atmosphere of life hero has
Within the last decade great corporations
have sprung up. The cities of Butte and
Helena land very substantial cities they
are) have been built and there is now
as much business done here as anywhere
In the country. Still the old habits cling
openly in Montana today as it did when
the mines were first discovered. The cities
are honeycombed with gamblers and over
nearly every saloon you see the sign eli
censed Gambling." The games are author
lied by law. and there are q score of places
in Butte and Helena where you may drop
IN At any hour Of the day and see crowd
ting with white, red and blue
chips, and this goes on from morning
till night, week day and Sunday. There
is no place in the world where wages are
comparatively so great as here. and there
is no city that has so many unmarried
men in proportion to its population as
Butte. The lowest wages paid to any one
is $3.50 day, and it does not take
an extraordinary man to get S. . day
for his labor the month through.