The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1894-06-09
"Let Us Build Good County Roads" Says
the Slge of Boulder.

Let Us Build Good County Roads, says
the Sage of Boulder.
PrINcE'oN, MONT, May 20, 1894.
"And enterprises OF great pth and moment,
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name OF action.
When the "melancholy Dane" solilo-
quized as above, it is not likely he had
miserable country or county roads in his
minds eye--which, alas, are rather the
rule than the exception with u.s. Yet it
requires no great stretch Of imagination
to apply the quotation to our chief,
the mining industry and to conclude
that good mountain roads may become a
powerful factor in calling into life
enterprises of great pith and moment,
with this regard"
From a mining point of view, Deer
Lodge and Granite counties are practi-
cally one and the same, Notwithstanding
the arbitrary boundary erected for admin
istrative purposes (allow ME to say, for I
am "plain spoken" at an nimportunet time).
That gold belt, whose best known south
west mile stone is in the Cable mountain,
extends thence northeastwardly through
Granite with its Royal Gold mine as
another landmark) and Deer Lodge
counties to Marysville, where the Drum
Lummon looms up as another of its con-
spicuous monuments. 1t probably ex-
here indicated. This belt is two or more
miles wide and as plainly traced over 100
miles long. On its either side, to the
south, to the north, it is tlanked by silver,
copper and si1ver-lead bearing lodes
which traverse the mountain spurs, pro-
jecting from the range, while the foot
hills, abutting into it's many valleys, are
largely made up of goldbearing gravels.
It would be difficult to find finer, larger
complex OF gold mining ground in the
United States.
When your contributor lately visited
you in the "Athens of the West" con
siderable was heard concerning the build
ing of road to the upper Gold creek
country, with possibly connection tc
the Royal. AS to the latter part, itseems
quite serious problem in road making
and should be thoroughly examined into
by competent engineer; indeed, no road
should be laid ont and built without the
supervision OF such a trained mind. The
average "viewer" is just as likely te
'blaze" his way over 20 or 30 per cent
grade as not; whereas 10 per cent. grade
is as steep as any mountain road destined
for heavy traffic should be. The Granite
Mountain mine grade from Philipsbnre
was laid out on these last lines by the late
talented g. B. Kellogg, NJ. e. It's gooG
grade, graceful curves and excellent
drainage will for a long time to come
form creditable monument to his skill
and good Judgment as an engineer.
But to return to the proposed upper
Gold creek road: that should by all means
be built. Those rugged mountains that
abutt into Gold creek, Rock creek anG
Deer Lodge valleys, will be mined fol
generations to come. Let US build good
country roads first-railroads next. Car
q community do better financially than tt
increase its taxable valuation? A gooc
road is a lasting betterment.
DR.. Mitchell and John BieIenberg were
in camp last week. Ye prospector il
becoming restive and he strlketh out il j
the hills. So will ROLAND.