The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-18
IN THE BITTER ROOT.
h Is Going On in the Mines Up In
Valley.

-
h Is Going On in the Mines Up the
Valley.
HAMILTON. July I6.-Heretofore there
has been very little said about mines
and mining i'm the Bitter Root valley,
and in fact there has been very little to
say, inasmuch as the Curlew mine at
Victor was the only mine i'm any meas
ure developed, and the only producer
In the valley.
1t is a galena mine. operated by the
Helena-Victor Mining company, and in
the palmy days for silver. yielded
handsome dividends to the stockhold-
ers. Since the slump in silver the mine
has been gradually going down, prin-
cipally in consequence of the low price
of its produce. but partially in conse-
quence OF the mine being 'pockety,"
N no true lead having yet been
struck. The property is, at present,
in the hands of a receiver, Percy Ken
nett, OF Helena, who is working a small
force of men, and from all indications
will soon pay off all Indebtedness of the
mine and put it on a dividend-paying
basis.
For years the upper or south end of
the valley has been known to contain
immense deposits of low-grade ore,
copper seeming to predominate, but
the facilities for transportation being
so very poor, no extensive develop
ment of any of these deposits has vet
been made.
Many of the old-timers who were ac-
quainted with the Butte deposits, be-
fore any extensive development had
been made thereon, declare that the
surface groupings of the leads around
Mineral Dir and Mineral Hill far sur
pass those of Butte. In fact, Mineral
Hill Is n net work of leads of low
grade ore. The Monitor. on Owl creek.
I'm this district, located by George Orr.
one OF Montana's pioneers, and one of
the of placer gold i'm Alder
gulch, Is the only prospect in that local
ity developed in any measure. This
Is a 13-foot vein of galena ore. carry
ing some gold. 1t is very rich in
silver, and at the present prise of silver
Woul almost pay to pack out. There
Is being some wagon road development
done in that direction lately, and il is
hoped that I'm a short time more devel-
opment on quartz lodges will be done.
The Copper Queen, at Mineral Point,
assays well, and some work is being
done on ID this summer.
About 20 miles this side Of Mineral
Hill, and about II miles north of Min
eral Point, are the Hughes creek placer
diggings. Comparatively little work
has been done yet, but considerable
money has been taken out. The creek is
All tdhen up now, anu every clalm tnat
has been sunk On to bedrock has shown
good pay. A good many thousand dol
lars will he washed out of there this
season. The rich diggings on Hughes
creek have stimulated prospecting i'm
other directions, and at other points,
and the result is that many apparently
good quartz veins have been struck in
the vicinity and a number OF other
creeks around there have prospected
well, but not enough work has been
done yet to determine whether they are
as rich as Hughes creek. OF the streams
being ~prospected now might be men
toned Blu Joint. Woods creek, Chicken
creek. Coal creek, Dutch Fred creek
and the Main South Fork of the Bit
ter Root. These all seem to be improv-
ing with depth. and il is believed by
many that Upper Bitter Root will he
one of the richest mining camps In the
state before a years. On Coal creek
have been found some heavy deposits OF
very fair grade coal.
Colors of gold have been found on
Skalkaho creek and Girds creek, but no
prospecting on these streams has been
done so far.