The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-18

a ready home market for the products
of the great agricultural portion of
the valley is the mining industry,
which today, as far as it's development
is concerned, is but in it's infancy.
One oil the districts upon which the
people Of the agricultural section of
the county are looking with confident
hopes is the great Cabinet mineral
zone, embracing the Libby and West
Fisher mining districts. The fol
in the above mentioned districts is
derived from reliable sources and
can be relied on to be practically cor
rect in every respect.
An inspection of the books of the
county clerk and recorder of this
county will show thot over six thous-
and mining claims have been filed in
that office. This can be proven and,
perhaps, while not showing the value
of the mines filed upon, it does go to
prove that the immense mineraliza-
ton in the county is worthy of inves-
tigation by every mining man. While
there are numerous mining dis
tricts scattered in all portions of the
county, the amount of development
work done in the West Fisher dis
trict has resulted in bringing that
section more prominently to the fore
than any other portion of the county.
Consequently little is known outside
10 ~ hn fY,n
showings that appear in other parts
of the county, and especially in places
tributary to towns along the Great
Northern railway line.
At some of the places there is an
abundance of chalcopyrite on the
surface, accompanied with gray cop
per and other signs that indicate
plainly that ii development work was
actually pushed to any depth copper
would be found. This has been proven
in many cases in other portions of
the state where the association Of
the same minerals have been found,
and there is no reason why the same
result should not be had in Flathead
county. 1t is safe to say that were
the same showings of copper in Silver
Bow county instead of Flathead
county there would be some paying
mines in operation at this time. In
spite of the many fine showings, how
ever, there is less development
work done here than in any other
county in the state. OF course it must
be taken into consideration that the
districts here are much newer than
elsewhere, as most Of the discoveries
were made since 1891.
During the past summer Sidney M.
Logan Of this city opened up an ev-
ceptionally fine vein Of gray copper
ore on the Jewell group near Java,
about 100 miles east of Kalispell, on
the Great Northern railway. A 40
foot tunnel has been sunk and ore
that sampled $3.50 in gold, silver and
copper was struck. Some of the cop
per ore assayed as high as $S0.55 i'll
gold.
The Jumbo group of mines, owned
by County Treasurer Sam Hilburn of
this city. is situated on Dayton creek,
about 20 miles south of Kalispell.
Considerable development work has
been done and some nice oXidized
copper ore, running from to 25 per
cent, has been discovered. The lead
is about four feet wide and has been
opened up to a depth of so feet by a
shaft and drift.
The Tobacco Plains mining district
lies in the northern portion of the
county and adjoins the Canadian
boundary line. It is about IS miles
from Kalispell and about so miles
from Jennings. The Crows Nest Pass
railway, now being built from Jen-
nings to the coal fields in Canada,
penetrates this district and will un-
doubtedly result in much more de-
velopment work being done. The ma
jority Of the work in that district has
been done on the independence group
owned by Boyle & Ramsdell. The
lead is about IS feet wide and shows
up fine in copper and lead, the cop.
per pyrites going as high as $40 in
gold. This property has several
times been examined by experts for
large mining concerns and is consid
cred most desirable property. An
other good prospect in the same dis
trict is the Blue Bird. owned by Dep
uty Sheriff Charles Therriault of this
city. Cross-cutting has been done, re
sulting in the discovery of a sever
foot lead of low grade copper ore
The Copper King owned by the Their
riault brothers, has been cross-cut or
the 150-foot level with gratifying re
suits.
On the South Fork of the Still
water river about IS miles north o.
Kalispell, is the Sullivan group O.
mines, owned by the Sullivan broth
ers Of this city. It is new proper
ty, hut a large amount of develop
mcnt work has been done and thu
prospects are most encouraging t
the owners. A shaft has been SUM
so feet, showing two feet of oxidizet
ore in a three foot lead, with larg'
amount of bOrnite scattered al