The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-17
The Famous Placers Produced Near
Iva Quarter Of a Million
Last Year.
Twenty Millions Yet Remain for
the Enterprising Capitalist
to Take Out
An Idea Looking to the Utilization Of the
Madison River for Mining and Irri-
cation Purposes.
Special to the Independent.

W may be termed q community OF Nicaw-
bsrs; n~on-proRressivs 10 the extent OF false
economy; extravaGant only in orudsness;
entertaining u mine promotion like IN old
fashioned horse trade, yet Il 10 satisfactory
10 note a gradual change for the better and
the encouragement of a new impetus In the
mining indust,y-brought about In some
cases by imported brains and local capital
and In other instances vice versa
The placer season 10 short; 10 10 the
water, az in days Of yors. but. otwit
ing, last season Alder aulch~ produced $780,
GOO in ST. per ounce gold dust from gravel
worked the second and third time. VI
what remains (about $50. 000,ooO) has been
Faithfully stated. The limited water II
utilized through reservoirs, and when one
operator turns il loose the one below him
must scratch gravel with q vengeancs; bu
No. 2 gets even by giving the next. No. .,
hail, Columbia, and 80 on down the golden
stream. II il to be deplorsd that China
mon arc largely employed. These cunning
paeans. 30 apparently honest and faithful,
have great picnic. A little crew
loo in The bed rock or a nail hole
In the sluioe box filled with gold
dust IL viewed with interest
By the almond sye. and II there is not q
presto change act then IL 10 certain the boss
IL near at hand. A small section Of ground
in the lower end Of the Ruloh 10 owned BY
Cinnamon. They have frequently dEifted
far under the stage road Il into the rich
bars Of an adjoining property and as often
been detected BY the rightful owner. but
without much avail. for who could inspect
the wessel-liks hole to find whore they went
OF what they got? The other day some OF
these innocents leased a piecs of ground In
the Reed diggings. They gladly made lib
eral terms, but insisted on having some old
aume lumber 1t was discovered that these
old boxes contained from $40 to $12 apiece
In neglected dust.
In years gone by = second bed rock
formation was demonstrated. butthe theory
of any Day thereon Ia doubtful, except per-
haps in a few pot holes or In the lava &C
ton. One successful owner proposes TO
hold his property until the hinges Of Para
disc oxidize, pending an investigation
under the thrice worked over first bedrock.
What scheme oan be devised for drainage
remains to be seen.
The gulch will undoubtedly continue to
yield q handsome revenue for another gen.
6IA0ioA i l WOAhSu W - SauAo
methods. but the time is not far distant
when either the Cinnamon will take the
Geld or through the harmony and enter
prise Of the owners a consolidation Ia
formed In q to induce capital to
promote the whole business under one head.
sense. will accomplish what will
prove . 40 per . investment
for said capital and q quick realization of
the full value of each claim TO the owner;
figured on . basis of what it is worth as
the owner is obliged now to work it. There
must be nc haQRling to bleed capital for q
little more or discourage a moro enterprts-
ing neighbor. Those m of narrow cen
tzacted ideas are so far relegated to the
past that an attempt of any sort will kill a
community, anxious for Advancement.
quicker than the New York eleotrocution
act. Nobody was ever coaxed much in q
proposition wherein he ia equally benefited.
toll. With a little diplomacy and q careful
presentation of cold hard facts, old Alder
Culch could be made to come forth-even
il better condition than Lazarus of old.
for It's CORPSE stinketh not as yet.
There is room enough for dumps by util-
izing the ground that has been thoroughly
cleaned, or known to be barren, and the
hydraulic elevator would easily dispose of
the gravel. Several projects for introduce
ing a better water supply could be de-
vised, but the grandest. scheme of all would
be a big supply from Madison river. Madi-
son river at its confluence with tho Jetfer-
son and Gallatin, discharges 16O. 2T cubic
feet per minute. At a point less than forty
1ailes from Alder Rulch, near the confluence
Of the east and west forks, the volume Of
water ia over 9 10000 miners inches. Here q
ditohing machine could be utilized to bring
In say, about 5000 inches of water and de-
livered near the head of Alder Rulch at a
cost of about 1920, 600. OF course, q much
larger supply could DO handled according
to the demand or means permitting. This
would enter a pass at an elevation OF 1,40O
fSat above Virginia City. But lit
tie fuming would be required in
crosaing ravines. The line 10 through
exceiiont ditchinR ground n also passes
large tracts OF timber suitable for both
wood and lumber. This water after leav-
ing she dipgings would be In great demand
for irrigatinR an area Of tho Richest agri-
cultural land in Ruby valley.
If the foregoing savors OF o report for
private enterprise, no apology is offered for
the reason our entire local public are in
terestsd. II any pointed shafts should
apparently at ike = tender spot the
sole object Is only an incentive TO stir
up . progressive spirit; = broad and liberal
view OF what IL best individually or ool-
lectively, and promote u better digestion
lays the auriferous egg. While Alder Rulch
10 not ~exaotly the richest digRins known,
it ia the most uniform and the largest In
extent of all placers on the face of the
earth.
Boys knee pants and boys waists in all ages
as low as 70 cents, at The Zee Hive this week.