The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-22
SLATE CREEK ROAD OPEN.
WAGONS NOW REACH HEART or
GROWING MINING CAMP.
Ahssaos Completea ~ Saa vPsa.
cisco Mine Owaess--PsogSess of

Special Dispatch 20 the Post -Inteliigerfeer.
ANAcORTES. Aug. 2i.--wili A. Low
man, who In interested In mining prop
erty In the Slate creek district, and who
has men at work developing hts prop
erty, has received letter from r.. NJ.
Temper, In charge Of the work. that the
wagon road has been completed into the
heart OF the Slate creek camp. On the
morning that Templcr wrote his letter.
August II. he counted eight freight wag-
ons passing along the road below his
camp. These wagons were loaded with
machinery for the Eureka mine. which
- being developed by Lane Howard.
the California millionaire mine owners.
The Eureka mine was the first quarts
property located In the Slate creek coun-
try. II was discovered In 1888 by A, NJ
Barron and II. ii. souie. both OF Ana
cortes. who afterward sold interests IN
II to other Anacortes men. The discov-
cry was apparently good one. the
cropping being large and showing some
very rich gold ore. Nevertheless X was
difiicult to get capital Interested. ana the
Anacortes owners were confronted with
the problem OF utilizing n seemingly rich
property In an almost inaccessible re-
gion.
Blu, with true miners grit they cut
trail up 10 the property from the skaglt
river side OF the range. and for the nrst
two years packed on their backs all the
supplies necessary for the development OF
the property Then the property was
bonded 10 people whom Col. Hart repre-
sentcd. and Hart began the construction
OF wagon road up the Methow valley
toward the new camp. After forty or NJ
~ thousand dollars had been thus spent.
Harris hackers became frightened and
threw UP their bond. The road had been
completed to within fourteen miles OF the
mine. tools and supplies had been shipped
in and a camp establ shed at the mine.
even some work having been done on the
mine itself
But when the timid hackers OF Hart
withdrew they took all movable supplies
with them, and the Slate creek camp was
looked upon In the mining world AZ hav-
.rg received a serious setback. Ana so u
had. for while the owners OF the Eureka
continued 10 have faith IN the ultimate
outcome Of the district. they were not la
position to do much development work. ard
II was not until late last fall That capital
lists could again be induced to take hold
At that time ]. ]. Riley. OF Seattle. got
an option on the property and went 20
San Francisco where he induced Lane
Hayward 10 take hold OF the property.
Since then. they have vigorously prosccut-
ed work both winter and summer. ana
that last spring. when their supply Of goods
taken In the previous fall had run low.
they shipped In supplies over the snow az
a cost OF from SIS TO 500 hundred pounds
rather than suspend development work un-
III good weather made the transportation
OF supplies cheaper.
The work being done by Lane Hay
ward Is OF the most systematic ana sub
stantiai character All last winter their
forces were driving tunnels and sinking
shafts. As soon az weather permitted this
spring. an additional force was put 70
work extending the Hart wagon road from
Ventura. In Okanogan county. westerly
across the summit of the Cascade range. 10
the Eureka mine distance OF fourteen
miles The work was heavy and expensive.
hut IL was done 10 last. and regardless Of
cost.
The road builders did not go around any
thing II they encountered heavy timber.
they shot II out Of the way. IL rocky
en- they Blasted their way along on
good grade. When last winter the lcgisla-
ture was haggiing over expenditures for
so-callcd state roads. ara number OF
Seattle firms wired the King county dele
cation To assist in getting an approprin-
ton for the proposed road 10 the Slate
creek camp Manager Tcz'er. OF the Lane
n Hayward syndicate. said that the $1,000
the state proposed TO appropriate was not
half enough. but that " the amount was
appropriated his hackers would put UP
the balance. Later he said that he would
not wait for the state to build the road
that he would put men 10 work soon
as the weather permitted In the spring.
His road force has been al work for weeks
and has Just cut ~ away through ~ that
heavy freight can be shipped In. The ma
chincry taken In includes sawmll. as
we'll as stamp mills and other mining ma
chincry. One hundred men are employed
The Eureka mine Ia no. tho only Slate
creek mine that IN being developed. The
Mammoth ~ putting up mill. and W
\ lowman's group, near the Mammoth.
Is being worked, The Whistler IL said
90 have been recently bonded. The
stamp mill ht the Mountain Goat docs
not save the gold as e. ought. and other
machinery Is talked of for this property