The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-26
OFF FOR BUFFALO HUMP
That's the Newest Mecca for
Hunters After Gold.
SAID TO BE VERY RICH
Snow Locations That Are Liable to
Make a Heap OF Trouble-How
the New Diggings Happened
to Be Found Out.

AS the evidences of spring appear,
the desire of the prospcctor to strike
out for the newly-discovered Buffalo
Hump country increases, and before
long the exodus from these parts will
assume the proportion of a stampede.
There is no Disgusting the fact that re-
ports from the Idaho e. Dorado have
had their effect on hundreds of Butte
men of roaming disposition. Of course
it is pretty we'll known that it is yet far
too early to start for thu Hump-it is
not possible to do anything now because
of the great depth of snow. There have
been many snow locations" made there
this winter in fact too many. When
the ground was bare there were nearly
300 locations made and since the sno "
fell more than 1,10O have been added.
For miles around the country is staked
off, many of the locations overlapping
| each other There will b" an exciting
realization after the snow goes off and
| the people see how badly they are
| mixed up. Already there have been
| fights over these locations on the snow
and there will doubtless be others.
Those who contemplate going into the
IIullp country Will llp uOubl care 10
read something about the original dis
| covery of the famous big Buffalo
Hump. The trail between Warren and
Dixie has been Travelled for more than a
quarter of a century by prOspeCtors and
Others There is on that trail an old
camping ground used for years by pack
ers and prospectors. Within 90 feet of
this spot the first location of the big
group was made last August. The dis
covery was accidental. a characteristic
of many other great discoveries. Two
men named Ridgeley and Robbins had
been prospecting on the Salmon river.
One night they camped on the old trail
between Dixie and Warren. They were
sitting by the campfire telling fairy
stories and blowing huge rings of to-
| bacco smoke up into the moonlight.
| Ridgley shifted about trying to find a
soft spot on which to sit, remarking' to
| his companion that this is the sharp
est cushion l ever sat on" At the same
| time he picked up a piece of the rock
| which had reminded him of his school
| boy days when he used to sit on crook
| ed pins.
Say, Jim, this looks like good stuff
| don't it?" said Ridgley, handing the
| rock to his partner.
1T does that" Robbins reflied. Say,
| she is all right, by George Let's take
| a grind at a piece of it, and then they
| pounded it into pulp and PANIED it.
That settled 1.-THE big Buffalo Hump
mines were then and there introduced
| to the world. These men located the
| Big Buffalo. Merrimac and the ORC Fine
| lode claims. AS soon as the find was
| reported a stampede was started into
| the Hump country. The big Buffalo
| lead is about three miles long and is
| from 20 to % feet wide. About 80 per
| cent of the ore is free milling and it is
| said can be treated at small cost
| 1t is believed by men who have been
| in there that 95 per cent of the gold in
| the Hump ore can be saved by the free
milling process Recently three claims
were bonded to Washington parties
| One comforting feature of the new F.
| Dorado is the fact that. if the Butte
| contingent runs into a brace game, II
| will not have to climb ChilcOot passes
| and scale glaciers in order to get bach
| into this section of Gods country.