The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-10-09

our estimation, outrival all the Others
combined is her immense
MINERAL DEPOSITS.
While it can truthfully be said tina,
this county has hardly been prospected
there are at this time known to be q
number of mines which are producing
gold, silver, lead and copper. Among
the gold producing districts the Yves,
Fisher is the most prominent, while
there are several places in the count,
where gold is found in paying quantities
The Libby district is the greatest pro-
Queer OF silver and lead. The copper
mining in this section may be said to
have hardly commenced, some of the
properties having been in litigation
which, however, have just been settled
and work is expected to commence in
earnest in the near future.
At Tobacco plains Braden Brothers. OF
Helena, are developing the Independence
group of copper mines, and the Sullivan
Gold and Copper Mining company are
doing considerable work on their prop
erty and, we are informed, have every
assurance OF making Of 1T in short
time dividend payer. One thing that
has been drawback to the mining in
terests Of this section is the want Of a
smelter which would do away with the
transportation charges for shipping the
ore to have it treated and materially
lessen the cost Of production. There is
no question but that at some time in the
near future there will be built this much
needed enterprise, and when this is &C
complished we predict for this county a
mining boom that will surprise even the
Oldest and best posted inhabitants.
There is also known to be large de-
posits of coal, as well as
PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
In the northern part of the county, and
as there has been but little development
OF these great products it might be we'll
to give short description of the great
coal, patrolum and natural gas districts
of which the northern part Of Flathead
county forms part.
Starting in Flathead county, where
the coal begins to crop out, and gradually
sloping to lower elevation from the
boundary line, north to Athabosca,
ending on the Athabosca river which is
80 miles north of Edmonton Alberta,
Canada, is one solid coal field. At any
point covering this whole erea where the
streams cut into the earths surface to
any considerable depth, coal will be
found to crop out in veins from 4 to l6
feet in depth, and that petroleum exists
in this entire erea is also assured from
the fact that there are oil springs that
are known to exist in Flathead county
and in many places the water in the
streams is constantly covered with oil.
Wherever petroleum is found there also
will be natural gas. At Medicine Hat,
in Alberta, some go miles north, in bore
ing for artesian water, a flow of natural
gas was struck few hundred feet from
the surface, which is escaping to this
day, and few miles east of there, is
another place where the escaping gas
has been set on fire and can be seen
sending high into the air it's huge column
OF lire and lighting the country for miles
around. This same experience was
repeated north of this place, and while
it is the writer's intention to contine
himself to this county in this article
we mention the above to show the in
quantity of coal, petroleum
and natural gas in this large belt of
which Flathead county forms portion.
That this industry, long neglected, is
now to be brought to the front, is
by the fact that company
to be auxiliary to the Standard
Oil company are now busy making
to operate the fields north
Of the Cut Bank creek country, The
survey was completed two
weeks ago, and road is now being con-
from Bolton to the oil fields
over which to transport the necessary
machinery. The company which is
pushing the work has already ordered
,hree turbine wheels. and as the fields
Ire on the north fork of the Flathead
liver. all the drilling will be done by |
water power. This company has taken |
Up some 5000 acres of land, and the |
'amples of oil already received shows it |
o be of an excellent quality.
There is also in the southern portion
# this county, about one third of the
Indian reserve, which if ever
brown open to settlement, will be
tributary to Kalispell. Another ad
'antage of this portion of the state is its
CLIMATE.
Nature in forming this locality, seemed
o have had the purpose in view of
making garden spot of this particular
art of the far north. East, west, north