The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-10
DOWN IN OLD MADISON.
It's Placors This Year Will Yield
100000 in the Yellow
Metal.
Quartz Development That Was
Retarded by the Slump
in Silver.
Rsportod Discovery OF Rich and Exten-
sivo Placer Fields In Mlssouin County
In the Butte District.
apecial to The Independent.

Special to The Independent.
VIRGINIA Crry, Aug. THE situation II
Madison, tho side-tsacked county OF Mon
tana, probably does not differ materially
from other points prolific in natural re-
sou oes. rich in the extravaganza past and
withal solid in the sliding scale from tht
early sixties to the present nineties. y
the 800, 600, 900 yield of placer gold In
Alder eu.oh, Lesidss other places outputs
OF lesser fame and from innumerahle high
grade a uartz chuses. but very little wae
ever invested in local enterprise. 1t was
scattered broadcast-much Of which can be
traced to the the grand blocks erected only
At railroad csnters. Then came the transi-
tion, the evolution that marks To- day IN
California, Nevada and Arizona not much
moro thar lonely mounds of gravel. a few
Tin cans, splinters and adobe bricks f.om
which the very coyote has fed in dismay.
Yet here q notable exception to the raie is
noted in nearly all Of the old placers,
Gravel s%cratchers are. busy in the gulohes
OF Barton, Wigwaum. Biiven. California
Harrison. Warm Spring aud a SCORE Of
others, while the yield in Alder gulch this
season can be estimated at nearly $500, 600.
IL ANbEI Nbr . ASpoAS HSS
rich deposits Of bar gold dust in the gravel
range (situated on the divide between the
Madison and Ruby rivers) was essentially
correct. The average is from one to two
cents per pan through the gravel. Two bits
PEI pan are not exceptional. although not
considered in this average estimate. But
little is known of the bedrock. The locR-
tons are geographically unfortunate since
q Wall street fortune would be required to
Introduce the water at that altitude. II
would be higher than necessary to bring a
ditch to Alder gulch. At present some en-
terprisinR Yankees from Town are expert
msnting on this ground with dry washers
When the dirt is not sufficiently dry they
propose to work u d ying nppa atus. This
patented windmill is claimed q success in
Arizona. Montana can do better in guam
tity and quality of ozone required.
The quartz outlook Is quito favorable.
Ever since the pioneer DAYS the annual
chestnut, Just wait for the quartz boom"
has been cracked and reo,aoked. AT last,
however, important prope ties were de-
velo ped, outside influences became apparent
and mossbacks shook off the !etharQy. A
grand season was being rshertd in and at
Last two more mill plants, besides the reno
Walton of some old ones, would have been
the result but for the silver slump. As in
other parts, over b5 per cont of gold pro-
duced from quartz Is associated with silver
which means that the gold product will
be short 55 pes cent on account of the ways
that are peculiar with the schemers against
the white metal. Here ID a question. by the
way, for the gold disciples. who do not be-
lievs there was and is q conspiracy in the
single standard ring, to consider we'll IA
figure the results.
A ten-inch gold vein sssayinQ $500 per
ton Is re- orted in RAMS horn district in
the Tobacco Root range. MI. Letter. Of
the McCranor properties, has u bond on the
discovery and is said also to have bonde
all of the adjacent claims. Rams HON has
long been noted for large aalena deposits.
and the discovery of free gold Is quite a
surprise to projectors.
A San Francisco and Tacoma syndicate
has bonded a group of gold mines from
Nelson Ptomey, Jos. Hyde and others at the
head of Alder gulch. and are actively en-
gagged in developing the same. The pros-
,ects are very hatterinR and Rubstantiates
the theory of the source Of Alder gulch
placer gold.
The Fine q Pankey mill is still running
regularly on Eagton ores. the product being
q bur of silver, 1,2OO ozs.. and from seven to
eight tons of concentrate or week. The
concentrates average about $50 ozs. silver
and $50 gold per ton. The monkey work
with silver makes q difference of about $3.50
PEI day in this assets OF this property.
1u6 OiA hoAuGbb GDlu ulu9 ~ tu'ulDV OUT
ore and test runs are being made
in a ,astras. This as we'll as the other prop
cities mentioned are soon destined for the
establishment of new and extensive Plants.
AS an illustration of what was expected
from the 81. vei-gold mines west OF the Mad
ison divide, statistics compiled last season
In the interests OF this railroad project show
q list of mines neag Sheridan, and including
Ram's Horn. capable of producing 1900
tons pa month of concentrates and ore,
and 2, 345 tons per month in the vicinity of
Virginia City. This Is not exactly what
they would guarantee a :allroad-as some
have mills already established and In others
the grade of rock is not fully determined
bu: it represents their aggregate eepaciti q
when said properties were examined.
In the aprlcultu al portion of Ruby val
10y. from Georgia gulch up, (~southward)
there will be q shortage of wheat, oats and
hay az compared with last yogr's Weld.
There are in said dist let 1G. 7f5 aeres cult
ynted. 1928 acres hay and IL, 6S4 acres of
J%asture. The acres undo the head of onl-
tivated are planted in alternate years in
many cases on account Of water supply.
This comprises a length of about forty
miles. Seven threshing machines reported
al aggregate OF $3.50. 900 bushels of wheat
and oats in 1892. Hay. mostly tame, WAS
estimated at about II $3.50 tons.
Virginia City is stIiI pretty healthy for a
"defunct mining own" Merchandise
tonnage foots up $50 tons in this town and
local freight, such as -four. gram, hay, etc,
shows 1,GOl tons pe: year. The trade of
one firm, that of S. Il. Buford d Co., CON
sumes a oar load of sugar every sixty DAYS,
Interior points like his feel the eff ects of
the banking ghost dance, but are unusu-
ally strong under the pressure. One bank
contributed 4 large amount to Butte which
was borrowed Of local depositorg, A bunk
in an adjoining town sent drafts amounting
to several thousand to New York where,
according TO the eastern mandates set forth
at the beginning of the criGis, they vero
only accepted for collection. Then cnme a
bill of ven dollars on the thousand for
collection. till the bold, bad man of the
west furnishes n text fos Bnntline stories.
III this thing Is 10 continue much LONGER
what IL the matter with our Montana bank.
ers and business men clubbing together
and establishing u little clearing house ana
branch bank IN New York of their own?
Then when times improved this little side
issue will have become 80 strong and
healthy 1t will continue to grow until 1t
becomes u tig institution with cash aud
principle at vel.
MfssoULA PLACERJ.