The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1897-06-04
4 COLD GREEK MINI,
a Mining Enigneer Makes a Favorable
Report for Eastern Capitalists.
THE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN MINI,
Bri f History of the Gold Creek Dis
trict-lts Record as a Gold
Producer

What will Prove interesting reading,
especially to the residents OF the Gold
Greek district, is the report lately fur
nished By a ~ronliEcnt mining engi-
neer. at tLe solicitation Of Philadelphia
capitalists, who are considering the
purchase Of a group of mines in that
section. The report is originally pub
lished herewith, and to describe the
Lookout Mountain group of mines,
which are the ones under considera-
ton, the engineer makes a very com
plete explanation Of the Gold Creek
Mining district, in which he says:
The Gold Greek Mining district EN-
braces portions of both Granite and
Deer Lodge counties. it's business CEN
ter, the town of Pioneer, being stu
ated IN the latter county, about six
miles southerly from Gold Greek sta
ton, on the line of the Northern Pa
! citic railroad, aud accessible by daily
mail and stage line from that point.
This district covers the northwestern
slope Of the Rock Creek range of
mountains from base to apex 1t prin-
clpal water supply IS from Pioneer
and Gold creeks, which, with their
numerous tributaries, drain this ell
tire region.
The first discovery of gold ia what is
now the State Of Montana was made by
Francois Flnlay, a half breed Of Scotch
Indian parentage, in 1852, at point
On Gold creek about one mile uortherly
from where the town Of Pioneer now
stands, but systematic mining was not
commenced until 1862, and from that
time until now the work Of washing
the auriferous gravel has continued un-
interruptedly during the mining sea-
sons with the result that this district
alone has already poured 500, 600, 900
of placer gold into the channels of the
worlds commerce, with immense de-
posits of gravel untouched in reserve,
upon which work is steadily progress
ing with the aid of the most improved
appliances for hydraulic mining.
About midway between the base and
summit of the mountain range en-
braced in this district is line of con-
tact bewteen two distinct geological
formations: North of it the forma-
tions are slate, shale and quartzite,
while south of this line-incl1ding the
mountain range and extending down
its southern slope to about the same
elevation-the country rock is granite
This district presents view of
abrupt bluffs, PERCEPTIONS mountains,
deep canyons and undulatine Dtable
lands, due to the erupt.ve, erosive and
glacial forces, the action Of which is
readily discernable on all Sides Near
the summit the eruptive force is most
in evidence, being shown in numerous
detached peaks rising from compara-
tive level by perpendicular cliffs and
abrupt slopes, fanked by numerous
depressiOns forming small lakes of
great depth filled with ice cold water
at AL seasons OF the year.
The canyon Of Pioneer creek was ey-
identity formed by aqueous erosion,
while that of Gold creek bears unmis-
taxable evidence of glacial action-a
terminal moraine about one mile above
its junction with Pioneer creek being
about three miles long with an aver
age width of one-half mile These
mighty forces have all contributed
thier energies to wrest the precious
metal from tke numerous veins of
quartz which seam the mountain side
and form one of the most valuable
placer fields ever discovered in this
country. Taking into consideration
the great amount of gold already OBJ
tanned from such comparatively small
portion OF this district, through the
agency OF natures reduction works,
which. although operated upon scale
too vast for the ingenuity of man to
compass, makes no distinction between
the gold and the waste. the miles of
granite and the feet of quartz, who
can doubt that its richness will exceed
the widest dreams of avarice when,
through systematic and intelligent ex-
ploratiOn and development, the con-
tents Of its veins and fissures shall find
their wav into the worlds business
through the medium of the quartz
mills
The only veins that have received
any attention lie in the granite zone
in the higher portion of the district.
OF these, only two series have been
developed sufficiently to demonstrate
their full value-the Royal Gold and
the Bloomington-the former having
been for years a steady dividend payer
and the latter has nearly completed a
plant for the reduction of their ores,
which promises to yield handsome re-
turns.
The ore bodies occur in shoots, or
chimneys, in the true fissure veins,
and in lateral deposits between layers
fo the formation. In the Royal Gold
mine, where the veins have been ex-
plotted at different depths, the Chin
neys have become larger and of higher
assay value as greater depth was at
tained.
The greatest obstacle to the develop
ment of the veins is the water which
they contain, which is generally en-
countered near the surface, rendering
operation by shafts impossible to the
prospector without capital, as an ex-
pensive pumping plant becomes neces-
sary at the very inception of the enter
prise. For this reason. only such
mines as afford opportunity for practi
cal tunneling have been opened-the
tunnel not only draining the vein
above it's level, but affOrdinp the most