Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-03-16
A GLANCE At THE MINES
PROSPECTS AND DEVELOPMENT.
The Old klOndikera Have Not Yet
Started for Alaska--FrOm the He
Port of the Manager OF the Alice
Mine-BiG Project ON the Salmon
River tR IdRho-Ore shipments
From Nelson.

From Nelson.
None OF the old Klondikers and Alaska
pioneers have started on their return trip.
They will begin to leave from about the
middle Of this month until the middle Of
April, and will then be in ample time to
get into the country and get everything
ready for the spring breakup. Many OF
them are having their outfits prepared
now and when they get their "stuff" to-
gether it is quite different equipment to
that of the average tenderfoot. The old
timer will take along good pair of rub
bcr boots and pair Of leather shoes
adapted to that climate. But his main
footwear is heavy moose hide moccasins
with heavy felt insoles and medium
weight wooden socks. His underwear will
consist of close woven suit Of silk or
mixed cotton and silk. to be worn next
to the skin. Next to that he will have
the best quality of medium weight woolen
underwear and over that he will put a
heavy suit Of woolen or mackinaw; over
all he will put well made suit of asbes
los tanned sheep hide trousers impervious
to water and wind. This Is his cold
weather rigging As spring approaches
his apparel will be removed, suit at a
time, until he only wears his summer
will take.
In the place Of blankets for winter use
and for use on the trail, they will take
fur robes made from the skins of the
Arctic fox or wolf. These robes can be
purchased at from $50 to 800, and weigh
from ls to 20 pounds and contain more
warmth than dozen heavy blankets. In
extremely cold weather, while on the
march, il is impossible TO keep warm
with only blankets. The perspirstion
passes into the folds and they freeze stiff
and no amount of them will keep one
warm. In the summer, or when in per.
manent camp or cabin, they are useful
and almost Indispensable.
The ld-timers do not use sleeping bags,
as they say they can't Jack knife" in
them, and th,t in one Of the essentials OF
keeping warm in that country.
ihG VI CtItbto
ingitis is due TO the extreme cola weather
ard careless exposure Of the body. The
body becomes heated and pcrspires while
travelling, and hen camp is struck and
fire IL made the tenderfoot, instead Of at
once changing his apparel, stands bef re
the fire, his face is heated while his back
freezes in the Arctic wind, and his clothes,
damp and cold, chill his back and brings
on the fateful disease, and in few hours
In many eases the tolls and troubles Of the
sufferer cease forever.
The Alice Mine.
Notwithstanding the low price Of silver
Manager T. w. Buzzo has been able TO
make the Alice mine in Butte, Mont, pay
dividends. The president Of the company
Mr.. J. V. Walker, in the annual report
issued few days since, says: The year,
considering everything, was a fairly pros.
porous one for the company. We had to
deal with very low price on silver bull
lion; the average price at which silver
bars sold on the market was .59.l04 per
fine ounce. being O0l437 per fine ounce
lower than the average price in 1895. The
receipts for the sale Of bullion and ore
amounted TO &55947447. ! am pleased
TO state that the commny's mines and
mills are in good condition. A great deal
Of work was done in the mines to keep the
same in good condition, and the Cornish
pump was kept running continuously in
srder TO keep the water down to the 1000
foot level The 6O-stsmp mill was run
throughout the year, except for stoppage
for necessary repairs, etc. The hoisting
works Of the Alice mine, also the Magna
Charta and Blue Wing, were kept In oper.
alton nearly the entire year. The Magma
Charta, Magnolia and Paymaster mines
were run only part Of the time. For the
information Of stock holders ! have at
tached TO this report statement OF divi.
dends paid from the commencement,
amounting 10 81 ,055. 900; also statement
showing the discount on silver, amount.
ing to S3,730,7s7.4s, covering the same
period. In this connection ] would state
that the discount on silver for the year
1897 is the largest for any one year In
the history of the company. The COM
pany has balance Of cash on hand Jann-
ary I, 1893, Of &25,ll6.H.
A Mammoth Undertakfng.
The latest news from the great horseshoe
on Salmon river, Idaho, where the Horse
shoe Placer Mining company Is working,
is that they are in l60 feet with their
ditch TO turn the channel Of the river, and
the work is progressing to their entire
satisfaction. This IL a mammoth under
taking, being no less than a proposition
to cut 1920 feet through the neck Of the
horse shoe, turn the river through the cut
and mine not only the gravel taken from
and along side of the cut, but also the
two miles Of river bed that the changing
OF the channel will lay bare. The time was
when the river took the direct route,
afterward changing TO go around the
horse shoe, and filing the neck with gold.
bearing gravel. So rapid is the strcsas
that the cut will strike the stream 10 feet
below its present level, thus furnishing
an abundance Of fall for mining. The
hill across the neck Is high, being 20
steep that only 80 feet was run before the
cut became tunnel, and Il will continue
to be tunneling until the work Is almost
completed. The water will be introduced
gradually, fume being put in. and all
the available gravel Of the neck washed
through 1t. When that is no longer prac-
ticable the whole river will be turned
through the tunnel-or cut it win then be
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