The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-30
NEWS OF RAILROADS
THE KOOTENAI COUNTRY HAS A
RECORD OF WONDERFUL.
PROGRESS
FIGURES ON THE SUBJECT
General Passenger Agent Whitney
Receives an Interesting Letter
on That Region The Mining
Resources of the Country, Which
Are Being Rapidly Developed,
Are Something Wonderful.

General Passenger Agent Whitney,
of the Great Northern, yesterday re-
ceived from a correspondent at Spo-
kane an interesting letter regarding the
development of the Kootenai country
The full text of the letter is as fol,
lows:
Comparing conditions as they now exist in
the Kootenai country with what they were
in 1892, record Of wonderful progress is re-
yealed. In the latter year the mining in
oustFy was in its infancy and there was
sparse population, but with each succeeding
year new towns have sprung up, all are
growing rapidly and keeping pace with the
development Of the mining properties. In 1893
you could not find Rossland on the map; TO-
day Its population is estimated at 1900. Nell
son, B. c., has grown from about 300 in
1898 to an estimated population of 4.50O
Kaslo has between 1900 and 5000, and San
don, IN the heart Of the SLOGAN mining dis
trict, at least $500. The construction Of the
Spokane Falls & Northern railway com.
menced in the fall of 1885, and was finished
to Nelson in 1892. In 1890 there were not
more than 1000 people in all the country
north Of Spokane, including the state Of
Washington; now 10000 population would be
reasonable estimate.
From an ore tonnage which was nil in
1872, the SLOGAN camp will average for the
current year $1,000 tons; the Trail district
which embraces ROssland almost exclusively
did not ship any ore in 1894 but from Jan.
1st to October LIST, of current year the total
has been 1900 tons, and the present ship
ments average more than 1900 tons per
week
In addition to the progress which has been
made in mining industries in British Column
bia, the opening Of the Colville reservation
added new and valuable territory. The prin-
c1pal camp on the reservation is the Repub-
lie camp, and the principal mine the Re
public mine, from which the town takes its
name This town is eighty miles from trans
portation facilities but the Republic mine
on which the primary work was done not
eighteen months ago, has sold 300 tons of
ore, from which they received about $50 900;
has mflled 700 tons of bullion, worth $4S. 600;
mas expended In mining, milling development
and machinery about $208, 900. Four thou
sand tons of ore has been taken out in de .
velopment work, which has averaged as
shown by smelter returns, nine ounces gold
and eight ounces in silver an average value
OF over $3.50 to the ton. This ore is wagon
road at a cost of $25 per ton, but in spite of
large expenses incidental to new plants etc.,
a dividend OF 600 was declared payable on
the 10th of the current month, and this
amount the officers assert will be paid month
~ IN the future. The ore in sight is about
10000 TONS and conservative value Is 500
per ton. 1t is a peculiar looking rock, and
even the most experienced miners would be
deceived in its value. There Is nothing in
It's appearance to show that its value Is any
Inlng more than common quartz or porphyry.
Inc stock which could have been purchased
at less than 10 cents little more than a year
market.
The Republic mine is not the only one
Wnlcn makes this camp noted. The Mountain
Lion. the jim Blaine, the Sans Poll, the Ben
E1ur, the Tom Thumb, Golden Harvest all
have strong showings and give better results
in value as development progresses
There are mining camps local to the line
Of the Spokane Falls & Northern railway,
commencing at Loon lake, less than forty
miles from Spokane, and continuing through
mineral belt to the terminals at RossIand
and Nelson. Springdale drains the Cedar
canon district and the Hucklebsrry camp.
At Loon lake there are large copper deposits.
AT Ohewelah, gold, silver and lead properties
are in the course of development. Near VAL
ley. little station about s. miles north of
Spokane there are enormous deposits Of the
section of the world. Near Coiviile Is the
famous Old Dominion mine In sight of Mey-
ers Falls are mineral properties, several on
q paying basis Opposite Rossburg, on the
west slope Of the Columbia river, and In all
sections Of the reservation, are splendid pros
poets and Lodges showing the marked char
acteristics of the Trail creek ores, and IN
some instances yielding higher values, espe-
cially in copper and gold. Not far from Ryan
being rapidly developed, and shows remark
able gold and copper deposits. The same
might be said Of the territory tributary to
nearly every station along the line, but the
principal camps at present. aside from Ross
land and Nelson, are near Erie and Ymir,
grown from nothing in fourteen months to a
population in the town OF LOCO. There are
numbee OF properties now in operation spd
on @ shiIAing basis, VIII The Ynlir mine, the
Fern mine and the Porto Rico mine. These
are only few OF the properties tributary
TO this camp, which bids fair to rival the