The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03

o~>-an~As % the Mines the
oAssl KeeA-Producfsen sf the
snsatsrs Increases.
TIE people OF Warrington during tns
pasf year have become thoroughly alive
20 the fact that they are living In a BIN
erai country. and that mining IL destined
70 become one OF their chief sources OF
wealth. Their interest IN this subject De-
gan with the discoveries IN the Slocan sno
Trail Creek districts. In developing whlch
residents OF Spokane have taken the ieaa-
ing part The success achieved oy the
people Of the beautiful Eastern Washing-
ton metropolis sets those OF western
washington In motion, and they have over
run both SLOPES OF the Cascade mountains
in the search for good mineral properly
The interest In this industry graa1AhS
spread throughout ths population OF ne
state. and its effects are seen in activity
unequalsd IN any former year OF ths
states history.
Locations of the Year
T7,e best Indication OF a general inter-
est IN the mining industry Is 70 be found
in tho number Of mineral locations hlea
In the state The Post-intelligencer mas
obtained returns on this subject from the
auditors OF thirty OF the thirty-four coun-
ties In the state. and the four missing ones
would not greatly swell the total Ineso
figures show an aggregate OF n,48e loca-
tons That the great event or the year
among mining men was the opening OF
the northern half OF the Colville Indian
reservation TO mineral entry Is shown by
the fact tina; s4s5 OF these locations were
made I'm Stevens county. where the min
eral belt OF the reservation chieny Hes.
Oksnogan county which includes large
OF the eastern slope OF the Cascade range,
stands next with 205T locations. Next
comes Kittitas. adjoining Okanogan, with
ia. closely, followed by Snohomish with
Tie. King county stands fifth with 80.
skamania next with go then Lincoln win
I54. skagit with I0i and so on down the
list.
Extent of Mineral Belt.
The mineral-bsar.ng belt OF the Pacific
Northwest has now been traced from the
Rocky mountains on the east 10 the west
ern foothills Of the Cascades on the west,
and from the Columbia river on the south
20 the Arctic circle on the north. THIS
whole belt OF country ID broken iEto
mountains which are veined throughout
wsth mineral lodges containing gold, sil-
YER lead and copper. Until recent years
,heee ores were condemned by mining men
on tsle ground that they were go rebelEous
10 the ordinary processes OF reduction ana
were Of euch low grade as 10 have no con-
rnercial value. This generally accepted
opinion. together with the absorption OF
investors attention by other forms OF In
vexemsnt and the blunders committed by
pioneers sn the treatment of the ores, due
20 Ignorance OF their character. Is chiefly
responsible for the backwardness OF the
mining industry
But great strides have been made IN the
last two years, new processes OF reduction
have been discovered and old processes
have been greatly cheapened. The per-
s.stence OF the prcspectors and OF few
investors has proved that the universal
condemnation OF the ore bodies as too
broken and OF too low grade for profitable
mining was undeserved. Persistent work
in a few places has proved the strength.
permanence and great size OF the lodges
and thar the value OF the ore increases as
depth Is attained. Investors have earned
that n great body OF low grade ore gives
surer returns extending over a tong period
Of years than small bodies Of higher grade
ore which are liable 20 pinch ont or prove
pockety. Thus Il IS that capital IS begin
ming 20 now freely into the mining dis
tr1cts Of the Cascades and the gold range,
and the outlook FOR the new year r. that
the number OF producing mines viii be
several times multirHed.
Character of the Ores.
4
rare exceptions. the sold OF Washington
ores II free only on the surface and FOR
short distance below and that at any
considerable depth e IS only found In
combination with other minerals. An
other fact developed by the years dis
ooveries Is that the great belt Of pyrttic
ores capped with oxiGized iron. which f.
being developed with wonderful results IN
the Trail creek and Boundary creek dis
tricss extends southwark through the
Colvflle reservation, ana westward
through the Cascade mountains where Il
mingles with a mineral belt q A different
character. The pyrltic Lodges usually
carry high percentage OF copper in the
form % ehaicopyrtte and are often can
Ped with hematlte OF iron or magnetic.
This Gaping carries such a hivh percent
aEe OF metallic iron, Of sweh purity. thar
~ was often located FOR tts value as from
ore alone by persons who knew nothing
o. The far greater wealth hidden be-
meath H.
Copper. Not Iron. the Value.
This was the case With tho Chicago
group OF claims on Money creek. In King
county. and Il was only last season that
the broad ledge OF pyrites underlying ne
ineAp was uncovered. When these facts
were pointed out 10 r. (. StronE OF Ham
hton. an old Colorado aSSRyer and miner
waile on visit % that district he recalled
fhs TACT mat a similar body % magnetic,
Iren on one OF the mountains on the south
bank OF the SkaEit river, opposite his
home. had caused the location % large
number OF iron claims there some years
aso. sad had obtained Tor the peak TIE
name a. ths Iron mountain. 50 little work
had been done on these claims that TIE
Gaping bad not been pierced. but when
ne Gid ths assessment work on the Everett
claim IN October. he bore this fact in
mind. and sank q shaft 20 ASCERTAIN, MAJ
there az beneath. At depth of ten faa,
he ran tnte body Of cha ~apyrfte car
rying gosa ana silver. sad ghus c7narrneA
his tAseFy' ScntinGlug his lnvastlrAttsps.
he saitsaed himself thzt the wbolss se-sae
81 leiEss % magnetic &gaa from sfx ., &c.
~ feet wide. which veins the -,.,.s~s-f-,
was only the CAMPING q similar ne. -
pyritia ere IN chates from nn e., - 49,
long similar series Of ietxes - 49,
Red mountain % TIRE Cte-Elaas sfg.~s-,
vas taken gp A.r tae iron valea 49,
years acc. ard tAs discover Of Ia. So. =.
writes n cless ps<xsm.ty leass 60 ,sa -
-sassan thst similar conditions exssz thAr.
s.so,
Road. Are the Chief Need.
TIE NEST Important requisite for t1s g.
rtfcssE-zss q re al-nsrai resources O.
Wasa<agecn is row TIE s@rartnk ~ means
C. frRneeozta tton. Many - the s-aze
FTrfntssnE @.ssvscss s~e remote FROM rasl-
rNassts ASA even fv1us waEoa roaas. he.ng
NslFass. asEa fsarEs rass r..aaa.-s.