The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1894-09-21
GOLD CREEK MINES
ROLANDH2 VISITS THE CAMP AND
lNTELLiGENTLY REVIEWS 1T. ".
The Source of the Gold Supply of Pioneer
and Gold Crecl<-Sullivan s. Jsurrier's
Phenomenal Showing Co Operative
Mining at the Tiger.
"Gaily bedght, a gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Journey'd along singing song,
Lii scar. Of Ellnrafln >:

The pilgrimage Of your correspondent
to the headwaters of Gold and Rock
creeks was a revelation to him. There,
indeed, is a gold mining country that
perchance has not its equal in the United
States, so far as lode mining for gold is
concerned. How strange that the gold
product of the grave, claims about Pic
neer and lower Gold creek, which has
been continuous one for nearly a gen
Grafton and is still going on, did not ere
of means to the rough, rugged country at
the head Of the streams named, and how
plain it must appear to any one who will
roam through that region for few days
duced by the placers below have been
for countless ages slowly but surely find
ing their way into Deer Lodge valley,
the natural outlet for this vast mining
patch--for compared with the mining
area of the United States, it is a mere
"patch," but such q one as in a decade or
two is likely to attain national renoWn
on account of its gold product. The
hardy and fearless prospector, that ever
alert "advance guard Of the mining in
dustry, has done his duty we'll here; he
has "located" the enemy and cleared the
field for action to the more compact and
better organized bodies of our progress
sive civilization.
Sullivan and Burriers Ell Dorado claim
was the first one encountered after cross
ing the watershed. These gentlemanly
prospecting miners have opened up a
powerful gold bearing lode on their cen
tral (the Ell Dorado) claim, by means of a
siXty-foot shaft and a 210-foot we'll tim
bered, large tunnel of very creditable
Workmanship in every particular, besides
a crosscut Of thirty one feet which is CO.
extensive with the width of the lode at
that point. The lay Of the El Dorado
and its five contingent claims would al
most convince the intelligent Montanist
that the surface OF this compact body of
mining ground is more than likely the
covering of vast bodies of quartz, of
whose mineral bearing quality there is
now no doubt, for there are hundreds of
tons Of it upon the dump from which
samples can be selected that will ASSAY
all the way from slot $500 in gold and
one or two ounces in silver The quartz
of the FL Dorado, while to all intents and
purposes free-milling, yet carries small
percentage Of sulphurets that are emil
nently adapted for concentration; and in
the light OF recent experience had by the
Royal Gold mine, whose 200 tons of con-
centrates assay $50 gold and $40 silver,
may prove Of even much greater value
than the ee-milling portion of the lode;
for concentration and smelling, wherever
the character OF the ore permits Of it.,
will "take the cake in the future reduc-
ton of ores--at least that seems to be the
logic Of the experience of the last fifteen
years. The Ell Dorado is nine miles from
Pioneer, on the main fork Of Gold creek,
hence readily accessible from that point.
A practicable mountain road now runs to
within ~ miles Of it, terminating at the
Smith-Forsell Co.'S Tiger mine and mill,
but can readily be extended to Sullivan
and Burrier's claims-is indeed cut out
that far for winter use The economic
conditions for wood and water, for power
and all other purposes, surrounding these
claims--and this observation will equally
apply to the whole Of upper Gold creek
district-are as favorable as any "mining g
industry on large scale" could desire.
Much that has been said above CON
cerning the Ell Dorado will apply to the
Smith and Forsell Co.'s Tiger lode and
its consort, ~ Or miles from Pioneer
and just below Sullivan and Burrier's
claims, with this distinction: that while
the El Dorado admits Of development by
tunneling to some extent, the Tiger and
its mate forming a compact body of min
ing ground 1900 feet wide by 1900 feet
long, reaching from the level Of main
Gold creek to the very apex of Mount
Rose lowing to an event of local interest
sometimes called Battle Mountain), a
height of 1900 feet or so, these condi
tions almost compel its further exploita-
tions by adits and crosscuts from these.
The Tiger and mate ground carries two
large lodes of from AZ to feet wide,
besides dozen or more Of width Of
from to 70 inches near the surface,
some Of which are, however, just as like
ly to spread in the interior of the noun
tain as not. The two large lodes have
been entered for a distance of 200 feet in
the aggregate, and besides yielding fair
average assays Of $25 or so per ton in