Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-02-22
LETTER FROM SPOKANE, WASH.
TCOutinued.l
The Monitor, Barton,

!
/ Spokane is the most prosperous
city in the state at the present time
Smaller than either Seattle or Ia
coma ESQ are it's mortgages). 1t is
400 miles east of them, yet being away
from water competition the railroads
charge about a third more for the
haul from Chicago to any of the coast
cities. They can local back and sell
our retail merchants as cheaply In
most cases as our own wholesalers.
But all that being considered the
mines from so to 800 miles around Spo
kane, particularly to the east and
west and to the north in British Co
/ lumbia, are doing more for than all
other things for any of the other cities.
There are probably $50 shipping
mines directly tributary and very
many others that are being develop
ed as the owners can interest capital
lists to help do it. Some are very
valuable and are attracting the atUen-
ton of the whole wonld. There are
mining experts registered at the no.
tells from many of the cities of our
Eastern States, Canada, London,
South Africa, Berlin and Paris, repre-
sentatives of Syndicates formed for
the purpose of developing the prop
critics or purchasing them outright.
The sale was closed last week for a
property just across the line for
$3.50, 900, nearly all of which came in
to Spokane. Another large deal is
pending now that will be consumated
this spring, but the owners are ask
ing ST, 900, 900, for their property. 1t is
said they have been offered 1000, 900,
ana are haggling over that paltry
difference. Three years ago not one
of the owners could raise 81 900. Last
week one of their number was elected
to the U. S. Senate from this state,
and the others are doing nicely.
They all live in Spokane, and funny
as it may appear they are nearly all
lawyers. Spokane has, [ think, got
the most we'll TODD lawyers of any
other town of it's size in the country,
but they did not make it practicing
law. There are gold and copper pro-
perities situated very near the
town of Rossland, B. c., in what is
known as the Trail Greek country,
north of us. The Occur d'AIene
country directly east of us in Idaho
has been called the richest silver and
lead mining country in the world, but
it bids fair to be rivalled by a new
section just coming into prominence
called the SLOGAN country. 1t is $50
miles north of here in British Column
bia. There are so mines now ship
ping from that district. The owners
of one of them was offered 81, 800, 600
for their property this winter, but it
is paying 100000 quarterly in divi-
dends and they don't know what to
do with their money, SO they thought
they would keep it. Not all mining
claims in the districts are of this fab
ulous richness, and there are many
wildcats put upon the market as
steals, which is but natural where
such other conditions abound, but it |
has proven pretty certain in most of
the camps, where there were claims
that had well defined ledge, that |
had an assay value in ore on the sur
face to pay for taking it out as well |
as the freight and treatment |
charges, that it would be well worth |
for as they go farther
into the ledge it's value generally in
creases.
The ores from the sections are re- |
fracuory and have to be shipped to |
smelters at a great cost for freight |
and treatment; anywhere from $12 to
$50 per ton. Some of the ore goes as
far as Omaha and San Francisco. AS
the camps become developed smelt-
tiers will be erected near them, then
much of that cost will be saved and
then properties that are now of little
value, for while they have large ore
bodies they are not rich enough to
keep the freight and treatment from
eating them up, will become of great
value to their owners.
There is another district 200 miles
west of here in Okanogan County,
Wash, where the ores are rich in
gold, and are free milling, SO that the
values can be separated from the
rock by inexpensive stamp mills on
the property and reduced to bullion,
thereby saving the heavy freight
charges.
Quite project is now on foot there.
A company has been formed to tunnel
under what is known as Palmer Noun
tain, and money has been raised to