Year: 1879

ExDeFts DsserADtlsn.


Lawrence A. Brown in Salt Lake Tribune.


The Mines-The ascent from Silver Bow
creek TO Walker Brothers, property, dis
tance Of one and half miles through Butte |
City, Il % gentle about 500 feet elevation
that one can drive . buggy over it and visit
any mining claim within the district. In the
mineral region there 10 no timber, save on the
extreme northeast part. Walker Brothers'
property is situated on the extreme top (not
q ridge nor gulch) of the ascent from Silver
Bow creek, facing with the slope Of the as
cent full to the south-Silver Bow creek
sweeping around the town Of Butte to the
east and running around to the east of Walk
er Brothers' about one mile. On the east
side Of the creek, about one or two miles,
rises a high range Of mountains, stretching
away both north and south out of view, and
probably 1900 feet above the city of Butte and
1900 feet above the Rainbow lead-at Walk
er Brothers. This ascent from Silver Bow
creek to Walker Brethers' property is cut by
half dozen or more gulches running down
the ascent to the creek and across fifteen or
twenty well defined quartz leads, varying
from eight to ten feet in width, and running
a few degrees east Of north and correspond
ingly west of south. These gulches are filled
with placer diggings, and the gold has been
carried down them and poured into this
creek, creating the rich placers of that stream
The gold evidently came from those leads or
lodes. Some of these gulches pass through
the city of Butte. Draw line from Walker
Brothers property south through the city of
Butte to this creek, distance Of mile and
halt, and one will probably traverse about
the center line of one of the richest mineral
regions yet discovered outside of the Com
stock. On the east side of this line the gold
and silver belt is about half mile wide.
After this copper takes the place of the for
mer, and when the leads reach Silver Bow
creek, going east about mile further on,
they sink, and so far, have not been discoy-
cred in the high range east heretofore spo-
ken Of.


Near the east end of this copper belt, e. T.
Meader, formerly of Salt Lake, is working
some very fine copper leads, assaying thirty
to forty pei cent. copper, and about 30 ozs. of
silver. u
On the west side of the above named axis
line the leads extend for about one mile, car
rying gold and silver; these leads bluff up
against prophyry dyke emitting the min
eral belt entirely in two. 1t runs nearly par
allel with this axis line. The north side of
the district disappears in this dyke, the south
side reappears after an absence of several
hundred yards in width and forms another
belt of rich veins.
A new mining district called Independence,
is about three miles from Butte west-Sum-
init district, is the one in which Butte is situ-
ated-this dyke forms butte about one mile
west of the city, hence the name "Butte
City," .-s


Butte City, am glad that I. have come
here. In few years this camp will be city,
and he who stays here must do well in the
end. Butte City contains about $500 per-
sons, we'll learned and good class of people.
do not think we want any more population
just yet. What we need is few more
Walker Brothers, who will put machinery
and sink as they are doing on their leads.
Except them, all the ores being worked come
from about and above water level. This is
going to make progress rather slow. If their
5OO-foot level hits it all right, then many 9TH
er mine owners and holders will put up the
proper machinery, and then things will bile
sure.


1t takes freight about a month from Salt
| Lake City here, twenty to twenty-five days
| from the terminus. A man here must be up
early and late. The whole country for 100
miles in all directions contains much mineral
that will pay for working, and as the railroad
comes ne arer Of course the chances of profit
| increase.


This is a new country, and far away from
the centres of trade and commerce, but when
once reached by rail, it will go up sure. All
my notions in this respect are more than
realized.