Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-17
Operations Around Soap Gulch
and Camp Greek.
PROMISING MINES THERE
Cora aud Parnell in the Butte District
Are Showing Up Well
Mining Matters.

'"The Butte has been so prosperous
in recent years, that few of your mining
men have given any attention to the 90
ings of other important and promising
districts in this county, said a Well
known mining man from Melrose today.
Millions of dollars lave been invested by
Butte men in far away districts, the in
~vestors apparently thinking that dis
lance lends e~nchantment to the view
Some few of these investments have been
profitable. but the most of them nave
proven barren sp~eculatlons.
THE closing Down of the Camp Creek
mines by the Anaconda company dealt
our district a blow from which it still SUI
fers. The impression still prevails there
that the object of the company in sus-
pending work vas to keep other COM
panies from entering into competition and
it is believed tina it will be only a ques-
ton of time until the company owns all
the copper veins in that district.
1T is we'll known that cope VEINS
rarely pay on the surface and their
successful development is beyond the
reach of the ordinary prospector, who, to
exist. must do the larger part OF MS Work
on or near the surface in gold, silver, or
lead veins. The traveller, on the Oregon
Short Line may notice the piles Of silver
lead bullion stacked up like cordWood,
and the lines of ore sacks on the Meirose
platform, from the surrounding mining
camps, and beyond some casual remarks
takes no further interest in the matter,
the prevailing impression apparently be-
ing tina it is not far enough away from
Butte to be good. But never did a more
erroneous idea enter their minds, for
within view from the Melrose platform
. 20 ~ ba caa1 hills from whose 1pDthS nanv
millions of dollars worth of gold, silver,
and lead have been taken. and before the
purchase of the Clipper and Banner
mines on Camp creek by the Anaconda
company, they also were making a record
as copper producers. Meirose is only 81
miles from Butte, on the Oregon Short
Line. and it would we'll repay those inter-
ested in mining projects to take a few
DAYS trip over tbs districts lying east Of
there.
There are quite a number of mines in
Rochester, Camp Creek, and Soap Guich
now working under bond and lease by
practical Butte miners. At Rochester,,
the Natseka is being developed by a 400
foot shaft. Millions Of dollars worth of
high grade gold ore have been extracted
from this property down to the zoe foot
level. At this depth water seams were
encountered, and the volume of water
was so great. that all efforts to handle it
in the past proved futile, but last year
the claim passed into the ownership Of a
banking firm of this city and the heaviest
pumping machinery used in sinking
shafts in this state, has been forwarded
to Melrose to be used In handling the
enormous quantity of water found below
the 200 foot level. The history Of this
mine is we'll known in Butte, and it is pre-
dicted that future developments on the
Watseka. win bring Rochester to the
front with a gold production equal to that
of the Cripple Creek mines of Colorado.
Daily shipments of ore from other
mines around the Watseka are being
made by leasers from Butte, and this
camp now presents q scene of activity
such as has not been seen before in many
years. AT present very little work IS be-
ing done on the different copper PROPER
ties in Soap Gulch, as those properties are
at present owned by prospectors who
have not the means at their dlsposa
necessary to their successful development
The Crown is a property from which 8
very high grade Of ore was shipped from
the surface fifteen years ago but as thu
ore became of a lower grade about % fee
in depth, the work was abandoned unit
e February last, when Thomas White, {
Butte leaser,-one of those adventurot
snirits to whom much of the development
of the mines of the west is due-found hi
way to this district and secured a leas'
on the property. White simply extended
the lower leNeis' ana commenced stopln
the ore which was adJudsed OF lnsu11l
cient value to pay for shipment in tn
past. Recently assayed' to determine tn
value for shipment, the pile on the dunn
showed a value of % per cent in lead, 2
) ounces in silver, and $50 in gold to tn,
Il ton. This makes the crown a paying IN
vestment and Mr.. White IS now gong t.
{ Ietlmber ana SINK the smart TO a depth o
y 200 feet.
ms rope per- u Is 1ola rhio on IL, Inc east .;