The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-01

IAN the mineraI-bearing ore that will be
mined In that country in the next fifty
years can be brought out in a wheelbar-
row."
That was the answer OF former high
official Of the Northern Pacific railway
to a party of Spokane gentlemen In 1857.
who has made a preliminary survey for a
railroad from near Sand Point Idaho, to
Afnsworth, b. c.. and were urging the
building OF the road. claiming the mineral
resources of the country justified the out
lay OF capital necessary. The answer
quoted was returned after expert mining
engineers had been sent into the country
by the Northern Pacific company. No
doubt the experts gave the official their
candid opinion OF the country and he in
turn expressed his view, Of the country
formed by reading their report Suisse
auent events, however. proved an error
OF Judgment on the part OF the experts.
-Four years later. October l, 1891 s. 8.
Bailey, better known as Steve" now
proprietor OF the Hotel Northern, of Sc
attic, who then lived in Spokane, went
to Ainsworth with party OF five en-
ployes for the purpose of prospecting back
of Ainsworth. but stay of ten days re-
suited in his purchasing three claims
known as the Payne group. consisting of
the Payne, Mountain Chief and Maid OF
Erin. upon which a corporation was or
Bhiuzeu Win capltal OF A,oW.ebV, ana
later on the stock was sold In Montreal
for 100000. The following year Of 1892
excitement ran high and all the big mines
In the SLOGAN district were located as
well as hundreds OF claims that have
never been heard from. as is usual in all
mining excitements. but since that Oc-
tober day when Steve Bailey made the
purchase of the Payne group there has
been shipped from the SLOGAN mining dis
trict over SIS 100000 worth of mineral
bearing ore. The country enjoys rail-
road and steamboat facilities unsurpa ssed
In any section of like area IN the world,
contains populous cities with all modern
conveniences and IL will have added In
the neighborhood of s5.000.0co to the
worlds wealth during the year. soon to
close.
From this beginning by Steve Bailey
has come the most wonderful mining de-
yelopment In nine years the world has
even seen Rossiand followed next with
the lie Roi. War Eagle. Center Star all
sold to English capitalists for an aggre-
gate of T,0D.0D then Greenwood with
its wonderful copper showings not equaled
on Lake Superior; then the Fort Steele
district with the North Star. Sullivan and
the greatest lead-silver shipper in British
Columbia. the St Eugene; then Republic.
In the state OF Washington. Camp Nc
Kinney, In British Columbia. and In the
last two years revival In the immense
Washington. In which are the Tornado aud
Myers creek district. the Palmer noun
tain district, where nearly 81 .00a 600 has
gone into developing great properties; she
Methow and Slate creek districts, unusual
ly rich in gold ores. They are hard to get
into and the country has long winters and
short summers, but once started under
ground mining becomes easy there as
IN more accessible sections, with perhaps
greater rewards
Western Washington. Howe sound,
British Columbia. and Vancouver island
also claim with good reason to he taken
into consideration, for their showings In
copper especially have been phenomenal
I'm the past year With all this vast min
ing region. To say nothing OF the astound-
ing discoveries aud development Ia
Alaska, the possibilities of mining In thc
Pacific Northwest seem beyond the COM
prehension 0f the ordinary man for
twenty years 20 come. In this day ~
large aggregRtions OF capital the i'm
menso way Of carrying cut ventures, new
and cheap methods Of treating ores make
properties valuable today that ten years
ago seemed worthless. and uotwtthstand-
ing the great strides made IN to this time
the mining industry now seems only in
its infancy,