The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-10

Of g%listening galena. This has been
assayed and proves very rich. IL IL a
part of the Bulls Head lead which
stretches across the mountains for miles
and may be traced by the eye in many
places. In some spots ore has been
taken out which sssayed 70 per cent. In
copper and was rich In silver, besides,
while some new discoveries show grey
copper. which has not yet been assayed,
but is undoubtedly rich enough to pay
for working. II may be said that at
this time there are no sure mines in
the strip. but claims have been located
which are promising and assessment
work that has been done does not de-
crease the promises. No considerable
amount of money has been spent on
any claim, although there are rumors
that a New York and London syndi-
cate with a capital of $1,000. 900 Is get
ting ready to investigate some proper
ties and may invest in and work some
claims later. Joe Wittmeir. h Is part
owner of the Josephine. is now trying
to interest capital in the claim and 9TH
ers owned by the same men. and IL sue
cessful. work will be concentrated on
the Josephine and enough development
done to show up the property and fur
nish ore for shipment. The trouble
with the camp is that many OF the peo-
pie there came In the spring when the
kIOuIu vas AONtIth Will NIONs ~ IStl
deep i'm places. They could not get into
the mountains to do work under such
conditions and they stayed around st.
Mary's, eating up their grub and spend
ing their money. Then when a late
spring finally allowed them to go into
the mountains they could not get far
with their scanty stores OF provisions
and they were discouraged and turned
back without having seen a t~housandth
part of the mineral belt. Some mad
locations, posting their notices on top
of s~nowbanks and making a rash guess
as to what might be underneath. 9th
ers dug down through the snow, and
having completed their necessary work,
filed on the claims IND went home,
leaving development until later in the
season.
The lack of decent roads Is another
Crawback. There is an Indian trail run-
ming up Swift Current, where some
good discoveries have been made. but
his is I'm Just the condition in which IL
was left by the K%ootenais years ago.
The people are trying TO have the
money collected for licenses for Teton
county left with them TO be devoted
to the improvement of this and other
trails. and the boys are ready to give
several days labor to the same end.
An obstacle which may be overcome
later by arrangement, is the fact that
many of the roads necessarily cross in
10 the reservation and the Indians
might at any time after they were
improved order them closed and destroy
all the work that had been lone.
The best locations made up TO date
are on Swift Current. Boulder, Ken
medley. Canyon creeks and REQ Eagle
and Rose creeks are also promising.
There has been some talk of locating
a new town at the Narrows, but II is
hardly probable that st. Mary will ever
lose its prominence as a commercial
center. At the present time Kalispell
seems TO be getting the bulk of the
trade of that country, but Great Falls
merchants. by a little effort, might Sc
cure It easily. The town of st. Mary
is built on the old Jack Norris ranch
in part and the story of his efforts to
retain possession of the land has been
told. He is now freighting between
Blackfoot and his old home, but has not
given up all hopes OF r%egaining his
property.
The excitement caused earlier by the
stampede to Badger creek has subsid-
ed. Those who ~prospected there were
unable to find placer gold In paying
quantities and have again turned their
attention to the mountains, where there
are greater Inducements. There may be
no placer ground discovered in the
strip, but that mineral exists on IL
and in paying quantities, Mr.. Casey Is
positive. He has been in nearly every
mining unit in the West and he
states that he has never before seen
as good indications. He is firmly con-
WINGED that it will prove to he q greater
Butte, n certainly no one will wish
20 see him disappointed.