The Cle el-um coal bed is the richest strike yet made in the Territory, and the quality of the second stratum perhaps the very best that has been discovered on either side of the mountains. The following additional information is furnished by Mr. Howard C. Walters, of Ellensburg: "I forward in brief an account of the work of the year (1884) in mining, which it is safe to say will be largely increased during 1885 by reason of the completion of the Cascade branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad in this vicinity, which will render possible the easy shipment of machinery and insure the investigation by capitalists of the merits of our mineral belt. In this county are included the several mining districts formerly embodied in Yakima County. The mines are largely in the hands of prospectors of limited means, or of local business men, who, by reason of general depression occasioned by lack of shipping facilities for the agricultural products of the region, have been unable to expending any considerable amount of money in mineral development. "In the Pechastin district about 119 tons of quartz were crushed, producing $22 per ton. The ore was worked in a small 6-stamp watermill, which, owing to the inexperience of the owners, was so run down that it was obliged to stop. "The mill, together with the Shafer, Bob-tail, and Humming Bird mines, has passed into the hands of Mr. Thomas Johnson, who is engaged in developing the mines and extracting ore, preparatory to operations during the coming summer. The product of the Shafer group of mines, as also of the Tip-Top, Pole Pick, Golden Phoenix, Black Jack, Western Star, Evening Star, and several other prospects in the immediate vicinity, shows that good, practical experience rather than capital is required to make the working of these mines a success. The mineral belt of this county is very extensive, and carries as rich top rock as has been discovered in any mineral belt of similar extent. "The Cascade branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad is now penetrating Kittitass County, and capitalists and experienced miners who have been heretofore deterred from attempting to open up these properties, owing to 150 miles of wagon and stage haul, will during the coming year fully investigate the surface merits at least of the Kittitass County mines." LEWIS COUNTY. The following is furnished by Mr. G. W. L. Carmack, who has just returned from his quartz claim near Mount Ranier: "I have been prospecting for another lode which I believed existed from the appearance of the wash gravel and general formation of the rock. I was well rewarded by discovering a ledge containing ruby silver, a scattering of gold, with some copper and lead. "There are several specimens of quartz from the same ledge. I have a few specimens of the rock as white as snow, with black streaks running through it. Another kind is of a dark color and honeycombed completely through with veins running in different directions which are black, and occasionally a small thread of metal passes from one side of the cell to the other. The other samples are of a gray color and look like the granite of New England." SKAGIT COUNTY. The only mining done in this county is some placer mining on a tributary of Skagit River, in what is known as Ruby Creek district. About 5 men are employed and $5,000 in gold taken out. There are no quartz mines in this county. STEVENS COUNTY. Maj. C. E. Sears, United States mineral agent, who has recently surveyed the Similkameen mines, in the Moses Reservation, near the British line, says that he surveyed seven mines and had specimens with him that would assay from $500 to $10,000 per ton. The veins of the mines surveyed run north and south, and most of them can be distinctly traced for a distance of nearly 5 miles. He says that the road through Harrington is the only short and practicable route to reach these silver mines, and an excellent Indian ferry across the Columbia can be found about 17 miles from Grand Coulee Post-Office. There have already been 300 claims located in the Similkameen district, and a short distance from there is a large colony of Chinamen engaged in placer mining. WALLA WALLA COUNTY. From present indications the flour gold diggings in Snake River Valley, at Eagle Rock, will prove a profitable industry. The Andrews Brothers, practical miners, who went there early last season and introduced the gunny-sack system to catch the small particles of gold dust, cleaned up over 88,000 last summer, and they have again resumed operations, with flattering results. Other companies have been formed and a number of new claims will be opened this summer. No one thus far, except the Andrews Brothers, has succeeded in saving the gold, which is so light that it floats on water like a feather, but from the simplicity of the system others will probably soon succeed with it. There are many signs of gold-quartz ledges near Mount Baker, which have been but little tested, owing to the isolated condition of the locality. This county is rich in its immense deposits of coal and iron, both of a very superior quality. Quarries of excellent lime and marble also exist. Estimate of Mr. A. M. Lawver of the bullion product in Washington Territory for the calendar year 1884, classified by counties. CHAPTER XIII. MINES OF THE APPALACHIAN RANGE. NORTH CAROLINA. There was a considerable falling off in the production of the precious metals in North Carolina during the year 1884. In the central area of the State and the adjacent belt some mines were suspended and others gave diminished returns, while but few increased their output. The slight gains did counterbalance the losses, but the falling off was less marked here than elsewhere. In the eastern belt there was greater activity in one part and less in others, so that the gains nearly equaled losses. The placer work of the State suffered severely by the unprecedented drought of the latter half of 1884; besides, the smaller operators have exhausted nearly all the areas that can be successfully worked without larger appliances and more capital than they can command. This, with the greater remuneration of the agricultural and mechanical pursuits, has largely stopped work of this character. In addition to these causes, some few enterprises which had not reached a self-sustaining point were deprived of financial support by the business reverses of the spring of 1884. The production of the State was distributed among the counties as follows: There was a slight increase of activity at the Portis and Arrington mines, which resulted in a larger production, but w... these exceptions |