New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-11

from a mere handful Of shacks two years ago.
into an incorporated city now, with fye or SIX
thousand inhabitants. broad streets and some
Ireditable buildings. including some brick oiochS'
The town or rather the city, Of Rossland' Is
by far the largest town in the Kootenay Dlstrict'
and Is the objective point toward which ALL OF
nearly ALL visitors in that mining district drect
their steps. 1t is the business and hnanclai
centre Of the Kootenay although Is Is by
no means the only. or even the prlnci-
pal, mining division Tho SLOGAN DIVISION
or as II is more commonly called. THE
SLOGAN Country" lying about seventy-fve miles
further north, leads in the number Of shipping
mines and amount Of product. and in some other
respects.
One reaches this Kootenay mining country by
railroads from the South. by rail and water
from tho North The principal travel thus far
has come from the South over the Northern
Pacific from the East or West to Spokane (or,
as It used to be called. Spokane Falls), and
thence north by the Spokane Falls and Northern
Railway. The Canadian Pacific has so fully
recognized the advantages OF this Southern route
via, the Northern Pacific that II Is about 10
build short cut extending from Mcleod directly
west. crossing the Rocky Mountains through the
Crows Nest Pass. and entering the Kootenay as
bear the United States border as IT can. AS 10
now Is, nearly all the traffic from Eastern
Canada, especially from points like Toronto.
Hamilton and other Southern Ontario points, go
over the Northern Pacific via Spokane. thence
north. Another reason for this is the fact that
Spokane Is and for years has been the real busi-
ness and money centre from which all the early
mining enterprises in the Kootenay were carried
on. Many Of the leading companies were formed
in Spokane with their principal offices there.
Spokane men took UP the Kootenay mining
prospects long before the Canadians themselves
dreamed what riches they had in their own
domains. In fact, 1t has only been recently that
Canadian enterprise and money have begun TO
take hold of the subject at all seriously But
since last summer and fall, and more especially
this year. many Canadians and Engllshmen are
becoming interested in tho Kootenay.
AMERICANS IN THE ASCENDANT.
There are at this time far mors Americans IN
terested In these mines than there are Can.
adians and that condition is likely to obtain for
some time, unless the Provincial Parliament
shall pass some hostile legislation AT present
an American can hold title to mining claims
equally with a Canadian Citizenship 10 not re-
Quisite; but every one must take out what Is
termed a,"free miners license" which costs 50.
and Is good for one year. in order 10 be able to
hold an interest in any mine or mineral claim.
This. however. does not apply to mere holder
Of shares Of stock in an incorporated company.
The Columbia and Kootenay rivers are the two
great waterways within this district They al
most entirely surround It, rising they both do
In the Rocky Mountains, and at one point flowing
within a mile Of each other, one TO the southeast
and the other to the northwest. thence separating
until they are nearly three hundred miles apart,
and then turning back and uniting at nearly the
southwest corner Of the district In their course
they each form by expansion long narrow lakes.
the Columbia forming the upper and lower
Arrow Lakes, and tho Kootenay forming the
Kootenay Lake. These rivers for nearly their
entire lengths are navigabe, and the lakes never
freeze over so that they are valuable lines Of
travel. and are well equipped with comfortable
and commodious steamers. Railroads in the
Kootenay are Of recent origin. Only @ few years
ago the rivers and lakes formed the sole means
Of transportation and travel; but with the dis
covery Of the rich mines came the necessity for
railroads. and shortly following the necessity
came the railroads: SO that now one can travel
almost anywhere by rail and steamer There
several short lines of railroad now In process of
construction. to open moro advantageously the
different portions Of the district for shipping
Much OF the ore Is now shipped across the border
70 spelters in the United States. some going to
Tacoma, some TO Everett some to Butte. Great
Falls and some as far east Omaha
THE ROssLAND ORE.
The ore mined in the vicinity Of Rossland Is
what is termed a low-grade gold copper ore. run
ming in value average Of about $50 to
80 ton. Much. Of course, Is much lower and
some runs higher. The ore shipped In 1890
averaged about S35 q ton. 1t is found in the
shape OF iron and copper pyrites suphdes and
arsenides. in q rebeliious rock. composed of
granite. porphyry anil diorits. There are two or
three properties that are partially free-milling;
but even In those they are obliged to save a por-
ton Of the gold by concentrating and smelling.
The ore bodies are large. sometimes seeming more
IKE great rock body impgegnated with gold than
Ike lodss Or veins, The two noted mines II this