DEER LODGE COUNTY. The gold product of this county during 1870 is estimated by the New Northwest, a well-known local paper, at $4,000,000. Though this estimate is possibly slightly exaggerated, it cannot be very far from the real product. Placer-mining and hydraulic mining have both been very successful, though actively carried on only a part of the year. To the two hundred and eighty miles of ditches, carrying 20,000 inches of water, many more have been added; and some of the new ditches, as the Upper and Lower Race track, Cable and Butte, will, when completed, open up extensive and rich new mines. The census reports, giving data for the year ending June 1, 1870, enumerate one hundred and ninety-five placer-claims, but this number does not cover nearly all of them. In these claims, however, nine hundred and ninety men found employment during an average of about four months, receiving average wages of $115 per month. The placers reported are located in Washington and Lincoln Gulches; Silver Bow, Butte, Rocker, Jefferson, Blackfoot, Beartown, Bear, Elk, and Deep Gulches; French and German Gulches; Henderson, Cariboo, Modesty, and Dry Gulches. The total yield of all these claims is reported at $1,170,865, and the average yield per day per hand was $12 09. The more prominent claims, as far as the product is concerned, are the following: Lincoln Flat Company, Lincoln Gulch, twenty men employed six months... $34,000 Discovery Company, Lincoln Gulch, five men employed...... 12,000 Wilson & Bro., Lincoln Gulch, four men employed six months. Patterson & Co., Lincola Gulch, nine men employed six months. Kelley & Co., Lincoln Gulch, six men employed two months.. Horten & Co., Lincoln Gulch, six men employed six and a half montba.. Egleson & Co., Lincoln Gulch, ten men employed six months. months... Maxey & Co., Blackfoot. five men employed five months. McGhee & Co., fifteen men employed thirteen months.. Hiland & Co., five men employed eight months. 15,000 20,000 10,000 24,000 50, 000 11,600 10,000 13, 500 10,000 10,000 12,000 50,000 37,000 30, 000 55, 000 10,000 * Wurger & Co., six men employed eight months.. 11,250 12,000 20,000 18, 000 10,000 12,000 30,000 12,000 These claims are reported as in Bear, Elk, and Deep Gulches. Which gulch contains each claim I cannot say.-R. W. R. Beal & Harris, German Gulch, fifteen men employed one and a half months... Gardner & Stone, German Gulch, twelve men employed two months.. McCling & Co., German Gulch, twelve men employed two Funel & Co., Henderson Gulch, five men employed six months. Sullivan & Co., Modesty and Dry Gulch, three men employed $12,000 10,000 10,000 12,000 18,000 12,000 11,000 Of hydraulic claims, twenty-six are reported, employing two hundred and fifty men during six months on an average, and at average wages of $130 per month. The total product of these is given at $530,000, which shows an average of $13 47 per day per haud. The following claims gave the highest yields: Roberts, Fly & Co., employing six men five months Chang-Ling Company, employing seven men six months. $10,000 50,000 70,000 100,000 15,000 45,000 14,000 18,000 20,000 15,000 12,000 12,000 13,000 12,500 9,000 12, 000 10,000 15,000 12,500 25,000 Of over fifteen hundred quartz lodes recorded in the county very few have been in successful operation. The census reports only six claims, employing sixty-six men during an average of 3.1 months. Of these the St. Louis and Montana Mining Company ran their mill during one and a half months, and produced a little over $7,000; the Only Chance worked eight arrastras during five months, and produced 1,700 ounces of gold, worth $37,000; and the Highland Gold Company at Blackfoot produced $2,645. All these statements refer to the year ending June 1, 1870. Later in the year the Stuart Mill (belonging to the St. Louis Company) was reported as doing a successful business under the management of Captain George Plaisted. Twelve tons per day were crushed at the time with satisfactory results. The Cable lode (probably the Atlantic Cable) is reported in active operation again. Mention of this magnificent lode was made in my last report. The former wasteful mode of mining seems to have given way to systematic working. In July Mr. Cameron, the superintendent, em ployed some fifty men about the mill and mine. But two clean-ups had been made since the hoisting works were put in operation; but the amount of ore in sight warranted the belief that there is no cause to apprehend that the mill would again be compelled to lie idle for the want of quartz. The company continued work in the mine regularly, and in September work was being carried on day and night. The company was sinking the main shaft, opening up lower levels and taking out quartz. The main shaft was then down 150 feet. Ninety-three feet from the surface a tunnel leaves the main shaft for the upper level, a distance of 400 feet. The ledge at the thickest part is over 50 feet, and by far the most of the ore pays well. The rock is nearly all stoped out in the upper level. The mill was expected to run regularly before the 1st of October. The main shaft is intended to be sunk until it intersects the ledge, when large quantities of quartz will be ready to be taken out. A good engine for hoisting and pumping is on the ground, and works splendidly. The Miners and Mechanics' Tunnel, near the vein just mentioned, was also actively prosecuted, and since the middle of the summer the rock has been much softer than formerly, so that quicker progress could be made. It was expected in August that the ledge would be struck soon, but I have not had any information in regard to it since then. The company, which is a coöperative one, the shareholders being working-men, deserves ample success for its persevering energy. They have carried on their work steadily for nearly three years without aid from others. A number of other mines are mentioned by my informants as giving good results during the year, but I am not informed as to the continuity of their operations. Among these the silver mine of Mr. H. Beck, on the Big Hole River, the mine of Day & Harvey, and the Dixie lode, belonging to Parker & Dickey, seem to be very promising. The last is a gold lode, carrying free gold in quartz, which is reported to be worth $15 per ton. The ore is worked in an arrastra. The Trout mine, belonging to the Cole Saunders Gold and Silver Mining Company, is a valuable lode, and the late vicissitudes of the company seem to have been effectually settled at last. The Independent published in the fall the following in regard to this mine: The "Trout" is a seven-foot lode, crossing the strata of limestone country rock at right angles. It is developed on the surface a distance of 1.000 fect. The upper level, 50 feet below the surface, and in 45 feet from the main shaft, shows a 74-foot lode, and a richer quality of rock than upon the surface. The lower level, 85 feet from the surface, shows a still better quality of rock. There are some three hundred tons of ore on the dump, roasted and ready for the furnace. The smelters consist of three furnaces and a cupeling furnace, with steam-power. The trouble hitherto has been the want of galena for fluxing. A small supply was lately procured, and satisfactory tests have been made with a small furnace of 1 foot interior diameter, and 9 feet from the tuyéres to discharge-hole. The furnace is now running finely, and yielding about one-half ton of metal (worth $700 per ton) every twenty-four hours. On September 10 the employés of the mine, members of the company, creditors, &c., met at the office of the company for the purpose of agreeing upon the conditions of a settlement. After fully discussing the conditions of the proposed settlement, a lease containing substantially the following conditions was agreed upon: The Cole Saunders Silver Concentrating Company lease to Henry Schnepel, as agent of the employés, two of the furnaces and the 50-foot level of the Trout mine, together with all the ore on the dump, said Schnepel to furnish two hundred tons of galena for fluxing, and all supplies until the employés are paid off. Said lease to remain in force until the objects named are accomplished. The Cole Saunders Company retain their lower level and the main shaft, which will be kept running vigorously. They also retain one furnace for their own use and benefit. Matters are thus now placed on a permanent basis for regular operations. The capital furnished by Mr. Schnepel will relieve Cole Saunders of his financial embarrassments, and enable him to continue running the one furnace steadily on the company's account. Cole Saunders, in building and perfecting these works, has accomplished wonders, considering the obstacles against which he had to contend. Mr. Schnepel, the lessee of the mine and works, is one of the solid men of Deer Lodge County. He is a careful busi ness-man, having gone into this enterprise after analyzing the ores and bullion, and counting the cost, and this gives further assurance of the entire success of the works In both quartz and placer mining many new and important enterprises are in the course of realization. The one promising the greatest results is probably the new ditch, which will undoubtedly be constructed in order to supply the mines of Gold Creek with a more abundant sup ply of water. It is proposed to take the water from the Deer Lodge River, near the mouth of Warm Spring Creek, and convey the same along the foot-hills to the bars at and near Pike's Peak. This is the only source from which an abundant supply of water can be obtained to successfully work these mines. The ditch probably would cost $150,000, but there is no doubt that it would be a profitable investment. There are large areas in the Gold Creek country that prospect well, but they cannot be developed for want of water until the mines now opened there are exhausted, which good judges think will not be at an earlier period than ten years, and some even claim that it will take double that time. Some good prospects have been obtained near the line of the proposed ditch, not very far from Pike's Peak. There is no doubt there is much good mining ground all along the foot-hill, from a point due west of Deer Lodge City to Gold Creek, and perhaps beyond that point. There is much of the table or bench lands in this valley that would make excellent farms if water for irrigation purposes could be obtained. This ditch could be made sufficiently large to carry enough water for agricultural and mining purposes. The greater portion of the way of its course would be over a 'splendid country for ditching, and the remaining distance is what might be termed fair ditching ground. The length of the ditch would be in the neighborhood of forty miles, the first twenty of which could nearly all be plowed and scraped, thus materially lessening the cost of construction. LEWIS AND CLARKE COUNTY. Both quartz and placer mining were actively prosecuted during part of the year. The former was carried on with more than usual energy in the latter part of the summer and fall. The census reports give for the year ending June 1, 1870, sixty-one placer-claims, which are nearly all located in the southern part of the county. These mines employed five hundred and eighty-two men, on an average of 3.5 months, at wages of about $100 per month. The total product during the time mentioned was $428,643. This denotes an av erage per hand per day of $8 76. The following claims have given the most prominent yields: Currier, Foot & Co., employing four men seven months. $9,500 10,000 15,000 12,000 20,000 21,000 10,000 12,000 41, 615 Of quartz establishments, according to the same authority, there were six in operation in the same year during an average of 7.3 months. They furnished employment for one hundred and ninety-six men, who received average wages of $75 per month. The total yield of the mines of these companies was $219,325, the ore being crushed in the following mills and yielding the subjoined amounts: Park Mill, employing forty men during eight months..... National Mining and Exploring Company's mill, employing forty-five men during four months. Ricker's Mill, employing seventy men during nine months Plymouth Gold and Silver Mining Company's mill, employing ten men during three months $15, 800 85,000 68, 400 Diamond City Mining and Milling Company's mill, employing six men during six months.... 6,000 14, 125 Charles Hendrie Mill, employing twenty-five men during ten months.... 30,000 All these mills, with the exception of the Park Mill, are mentioned in my last report, page 290. Their capacity, etc., can be found in that place. In the fall the quartz-mining enterprises, many of which had been going on in a somewhat irregular way during the summer, took a new start, and in October all the mines on the famous Whitlatch Union lode were reported working and all the mills in the neighborhood running with satisfactory results. MEAGHER COUNTY. This county was described at length in my last report. There were at that time no important quartz-mining enterprises in the county, and I am not informed that any have been started and brought to a paying basis during the last year. In the census reports only placer and hydraulic mines are enumerated, nd these classes of mines are the only ones of which I have any knowl edge in the county. Of hydraulic mines the census reports contain the returns of twelve claims, which employed sixty-five men during an average of 4.25 months, at average wages of $86 50 per month. The total yield was $59,044, and the average per day per hand $8 15. All these claims are located in New York Gulch, Diamond City, and vicinity. They have mostly produced less than $9,000 during the year ending June 1, 1870. The placer mines reported are also all located in New York Gulch and Diamond City. Of these ninety-three have employed three hundred and fifty men during an average of 6.2 months, at average wages of $72 per month. The total yield was $107,576, and the average yield per hand per day $7 21. The following claims gave the highest yields: J. R. Weston & Co., New York Gulch, employing thirty men six months. A. S. Warren & Co., New York Gulch, employing fifteen men $25,000 six months 19, 800 Rosenbaum & Co., New York Gulch, employing five men seven Buckingham & Co., New York Gulch, employing eight men five months...... W. C. Dawes & Co., New York Gulch, employing eight men eight months 18,000 15,000 months..... 12, 240 William Casper, New York Gulch, employing four men seven months.... 9, 360 H. Ex. 10-14 |