The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-30
NO PLACE FOR POOR MEN.
Col. Hart Tells People To stay Away
From slate Creek.
Spokane Spokesman.
x.h< 49,

Spokane Spokesman.
Col. W. Thomas Hart. whose name has
become familiar TO the public on account
of his extensive operations in the new
Slate creek mining district. came down
from Montana last night on his way to the
mines, and is registered at the Spokane.
Col. Hart is an exceedingly modest. I'M
assuming man. which may be judged from
the fact that he even requested the Spokes-
man-Review reporter to say nothing about
his presence I'm the city.
But, colonel" persisted the reporter,
your name is synonymous with the de-
veiopment of the Slate creek mines. and
you are therefore a subject or public in
terest"
YES. I have attained some prominence
on account of my operations there. and /
am sorry II is so. I went In there quietly
and hoped TO carry on the work without
attracting unusual attention. We have
been doing some work. il is true, bu: II is
not of nearly so much importance as the
public seems to think
1T is true. is Ii not. that you have bond
ed a dozen or more claims. ana ave sixty
or seventy men at work building q road
''Oh, yes, I bonded some claims. ant
have been building a trail, as there was Nc
way to get supplies In there. But the huIid-
ing of the trail was not sucn a stupendous
undertaking. AMI IL did MT cost such a
pile of money.
You are going to develop the claims, ere
you not?''
Yes. we are going to 10 development
work"
And build mills or reduction woiksP''
mo. no. nothing of that k1i-not this
summer at least. We don't really know
what we've got there yet. and that's what
were doing In there now-trying 10 fno
out"
ITS good camp. isn't IT, ,"
Yes. it's promising camp
After continued and persistent cues
tioning. during which Col. Hart insisted
that his operations were Of no conse-
quence, and that the camp had not yet
been sufficiently treated to determine
what II really amounted 10, ne said, in
substance:
Really. / think Il best that the papers
say as little as possible until IL is deter
mined what II amounts 10. You can
readily see the awkward position /
would be placed In in an Interview. II
say the camp doesn't amount TO any
thing people will think 1t is a good
thing and that I am trying 10 corral 1t
all for myself. II I represent Il as
good camp and people go In there on
my say so and the camp turns ont TO
bs OF no account. there you are again.
/ have always discouraged people from
nothing for them TO do when they got
there. as there was no work for them
and the snow was too deep for pros
pecting. Men would push TN over the
trail we were building al the imminent
peril Of their lives. and when we put up
notices warning them OF danger ahead
on account OF blasting and the condition
Of the trail. they only pressed on the
harder. because they thought there
must be something good in shere that
we were trying 10 deprive them OF.
We have completed the trail and the
men have been discharged. Perhaps a
third OF them have been set 10 work
developing the claims. We shall con-
tinue this development all summer We
have not yet done enough 10 really tell
what W have there We are going
ahead In an honest effort to find out.
The outlook is favorable. and the true
merits Of the camp will be known IN
time. The premature publication OF
fatteTfng reports of new camps before
their true merit ia known always do
harm. They often cause stampede.
and in the end prove a detriment to the
country and the mining industry"