THE OMAHA DATLT BEE : KfOXDAY. ATOTST 20. 1897. I Pulse of Western Progress. 7li Ji i kt fever uPirtd a n'ba'k Ca 'um.a % itice the let of the month. Ajiart Iron. be fear of Chilkoct bli ardt , frozen ru-crs and arctic temperature , the discovery cf nh pold mint * in Trinity county checked the tic ; rr. fever and arouned the greatest St.lcrc , ; Hi the new find. The Trinity dU- t v t is in a mountainous eedIon of northern California ie rctnoto from the main lines < if rax'I and because of the heavy snowfall li winir : and the cost of getting supplier It I M not been thoroughly prosjieclpd. There la DO doui.il that tnct of the gulcbe * in.this < ; isn' ' l would jmjr handMitnely. and careful jirjr.t'titK , which will now he carried on. w.ll bi stire to result in the finding of other Itjr.ai.-as The two Graves brothers , who ' . . -i , * tiii tt-uoDCl largest nutlet ever dlfceov- cr J iti California , are cuttle raisers who. twj , , iar ago , went into mining. Until re- ctti y thty devoted thciiitt-lvi * to placer r It.c it in difficult lo separate truth fr. . . ) . „ ior in leitorts which come in from ti-ij new guilt field , 'but a plaoer 1 worth t n. ! „ > vMilrli produces In one week J.-JOlu i. gold. The Grate * brothers have faun : n/j < ! y Jiofi.niio of thta. an.1 two other juir | , , , , , , r-toia cleaned up $ 2.0i > 0 In one tf er , . i . ! , of course all these rich dlscov- < " i -ii. : iadc In poe-keu , but the gravel Is r , ! i mil yield * good rtiurnh wherever It link Leer , fare-fully worked. An English ; } ti. . i i e bun Jun bonded a group of placer iiifs tint Weavervtllc on which It will ex- j.rud $ ino .mo. A Fiench f > > ndleate which retell j.-jrchaw-d the La Grande group of li r- .HUM In that county IK taking out SiOfiO 'ml.- LeuTION OF THE DISTRICT. The K-W mining dlKtrict IK on the divide luittit-a Tiinity and tlic Slsklyou mountain ? utij Maihe head of the Salmon river. It Is . .i.J n , lcj , item San Fieineittco. Ikitape the bast description of the country and of the methods of working minis if p'-i-d , iv Richard Graves , one of the own- etc jf the dKtrlct. He . ald their claim cov er > M-'tj-slx acres , and he would not ex- < 1i t.pe it for anything on the Klondike. He edlf Them U a ledge of quartz on the surface txtetuiHB ! > 20 feet , which runs northeaster ! } atrjou.1 ] westerly , all within our laud. The poi lit j > atr ady reported are the only one * yt > found en the ledge , but we expect tc htrlliB It ntlll richer. We have tunneled on L.CC IIII.D and on the level , but had run Iti not more than twenty fe * > t when we came ou nuggets The prickets are on the wall be- twecr green and yellow porphyry. Inter- T -tuu6 is good milling ore , which we bhall P > ) e in < iuinw ] and when the time arrlvii * ) Khali put up a mill and work it. For the present our attention will be confined tc nuKCf that ve may find In the pockets , Ou- find was a peed deal of a mirprise. 11 IK true we had come nrros-s nuggets ranging from a few dollars to $1,000 lact season , bul when we went to work ou the ledge it soon p.nrhed and we felt discouraged. Then wt picked around in ihe gulch without much re sult Flnaly It was decided to go up and run a tunnel on the ledge. We had no idea of what was coming , but it opened wlds > ai once and soon after the pocket was en- counseled. ' At that point are. two seams that dif toward each other. A pocket miner , whc has worked all over the United States , tell ! us that where those scans meet we bhal ] fc-ot money. That Is forty or fifty feet awaj 3 ct from where we are at present. Our gold ledge , where it disappears at the surface f20 feet awaj- , runs up against a ledge o ] Iron t'.lghtr feet wide , and there we expect tc find another big pocket. " Offers for Uielr mine have been made tc thw Gravee brothers , but have been refused os they say the mine Is worth as much tc them as to any one else. There is plenty ol land In the neighborhood of Coffee Creek which has not -been taken up. for , though many vroBpoctors have been In that part o ! Trinity county , they generally have kept Ir the trails on the Salmon river , and few have explored the side gulches like that it which .the recent rich discoveries have liees made. The San Francisco mint report ! Trinity gold as worth flS.GT an ounce , whici Is about JS more an ounce than Klondike Sold.From From other California counties beside * Trinity comes news of glittering gold findo In El Dorado county an fl.lOD nugget wnt part of an outcropping of one claim , li Lale county borne deerhuntcrs , traversing an unfrequented region , die-covered unc staked out a mine of gold.The biggest kiiu of yields are reported from the vicinity o : Bonora and Jackron , while Jlandsburg ii making a splendid showing. In northern central and southern California the story l ! the fiami ! . "We have Klondike ; * at our vorj door. " exclaims the San Francisco Chronicle "acd no life risks to get to them. Th < land of gold Is here. The * gold of Calirornl ; 1 better than the gold of the Yukon ; then Is more of it and it is infinitely more eafi ; to get. " CALIFORNIA NUGGETS. It Is even a question whether the Gruva nugget from Trinity county te the large ! one- ever taken from the eoll of California It is valued at J42.000 and Is now belnj minted. According to Hittell , a nugget wai found at Carson Hill , Calaveroe county , li November. 1K54 , which weighed about 19 ! pounds troy and was worth over 743,000. Be tween the two is no very great Iw.ue o : values , but what there 10 appears to favor thi earlier specimen. The first nugget found In this state , the one which Marshall picked up , was wortl but f > 0 cents , arid the next one discovered liut $5. A soldier In Stevenson's regiment found the first large specimen , a mass ol gold weighing between twenty and twenty- five poundfi , while stooping to drink In t small allluent of the Makelumne river. Thii nugget was taken east , where its exhibition confirmed the storiia of California wcaltl and added , naturally , to the public excite ment there. In 1S54 > he "Oliver Martin chunk , " which was auriferous ore , mixed with white quartz , was picked up near Carar Corona In Tuoluinne county. In a bole whlcli Martin hud dug to bury a drowned comrade , It yielded J.-2.L'70 and became the basis o ] u great fortune. In ISf.n Daniel Hill , i pauper found a f 1-1,000 nugget in I'Jumni county , and coming to San Francisco speui Ihe proceeds quickly. J5.000 being squandered In one week'e whirl. With hU money all gone he went to Dutch Flat , Ntvad : county , and while washing his hands in a Btream aw lying on the bottom a iniggcl of gold aud white quartz similar In size und r.hupo to a baby's bead. This brought T1-.300 and sent Daniel Hill through a ca reer of debauchery back to the poor house. The finds In later years up to the Blue Jay discovery have not been of a notable sort. In the fall of 1KR9 two tramps , wbc bad been put off a Southern Pacific frrlghl tra'a fitartwl to walk to Dakitrsfleld anc found a battered nugget weighing " 1C ounce ; on the way. In 1BHO a chunk worth J1.40C was picked up In San Dle'go county , and there have been two or three- discovered on the Mojavcdesert. . The majority of tbt finds have buen accidental. COST OF MINING GOLP. There ore great losses In gold mining end the me-re t-tatemcut that a sun ! elightl ; in excess of { 13,000.000 In gold was mlne4 It California lust vrar does not carry with 1 the slgultlraucr- that attends 4he con o mining. To be pre-cUe In figures , says < writer In the New York Mall and Exprosr the value of gold ore mined In California va JlS.'r.Or.2'J ! ' and the cost of getting 1 ? 12,50Gfif , > 5. Of eoun-e there was a profit 01 ome mines and a loss on others , but thli la tbtt aveiage , which shows that mining llko many other Industries , Is at times vrrj costly for capital. It really cost S 0 centi to produce a dollar of mlm-d gold In Call fomla last year. In Colorado the total mlnei was JL1.000.000 in round numbers at a cos of S13.SOO.K)0. ( ) BO that it cost SO cents then to rnin a dollar of bullion. la Montina tbi coat was 45 cents. In 1890 the. total coli aud fcllvpr mined in this country was f99iSS. 7DI. and the caplt&l Invented was J48CSiJ.3s or H ! " 0 of capital for every dollar of bullloi produced , Putting It in another way. then vac only " 0 cents oX bullion produced fo every dollar of capital. The total expend ! turee in rnlnluc thi sum was JC3.4B1.1DC Tht > amount of expenne per dollar of bullloi Kold aud tllvrr wae C-4 cents. . More thai 3.000 inlne * produced Ires than J10.000 each Only twenty-eight mines of the C.OOO pro duced over a half a million each , fewer thai fifty produced between ISSO.OOD and JDOO.OOO It Ii eetluisted that 1,000 non proflt-produclni sulne workml Imt ye&r. Uii that there won i l'C ( > jdle or ' iHj'juLi i rajirorcia has . fltet j-late jft pt.ld prociurtiot ; but roloradn Is rlose behind , and the two produce at aggregate of J2T WH > ( KK of gold per year California being about Jl.000,000 ahead o : rolorad.-i The. ' ital produrilon now In this country average * about J S.OOO 000 a year , although last year the production ttat $4C.- Cl 0.000. But the lotars Indicated above are from mints either developed or In protiE Of de velopment. They do not show SO per cent of the Ices In gold mining , or of the cost of getting the prccloiif metal. The mining campc and the mining country , from Alaska to Peru hold thourands of men who have ppent their lives and all their money In qutrt of gold. Many of these have gathered thousand ? of dollar * In placing mining , only to lose all In the * earrh for Bold-beorlne quartr. . Many baring acquired a modest fortune have Inverted It In what looked like geiod mining property only to tlnd the product would not pay the Interest on the cast of the machinery end building. Not one pros pector In twentj-fit * . t > t > the records eho * . Is suoi'iasful. and one-half of those who do find paylne quantities In rock mining are caught in other gold-mining ve-nturea that dn not pay for the labor employed. PACKING HOUSE MEAT IN OHEGON. The town of Llnnton , seven miles below Portland , on the Willamette rHer. It ac quiring notoriety and business ae a packing center and ( .hipping point for her e meat. At puem there is but one slaughterhouse. El htee-n men are employed about the plant and fifty horses are killed every day. An order for D.OOO barrels of hirrse meat Is now lining filled for a firm of dealers In Paris. The barrels are blniply labeled "Horse Meat. " with a horseshoe burnt Into the wood for luck , llefore the meat is shippe-d It is Inspected by nu overseer sent out Irom France. Since the plant was started , about five wephc ago , l.&OO horeee have been slaughtered. The proe tt > Is filmllar to that employed-ln beef packerlcs. The name and the tenderloin only are packed for shipment. The balance of the carcass Is dumped into two large cylindrical upright tanks , where It IE cooked f > o as to extract all of the oil or fat. which In drawn off and barreled. Most of this oil is shipped to ( San Frasclfcco. and. when re fined. 1 * fauid to be excellent for oiling rna- chlney. After cooking and extracting the oil they take- the residue to a prcw. where the mass Is well squeezed ; then it Is dumped Into a dry kiln and thoroughly dried out. This dried product Is thrown , a little at a time. upon a big sifter that Is shaken by ma chinery. The part that goes through the sifter IB called the "tankage , " and Is ready to be sacked and used as fertilizer ; but about half remains on top. Cooked bone-s arc left , and these are taken Into another I room and ground by an ordinary ort or ! mill Into a very fine white powder. This , ' too. le eacked and put on the market ae a I fertilizer. Even the blood Is used In the same. way. The hair of the manes and tails ie baled and shipped off to be used In mattrcsse * , up- tioitery and the like , and the hides go to the tanneries. BO there IB little of the bunch- grass horse that does" not change Into some thing useful to mankind. Even the livers and hearts are boiled and fed to the hogs , 300 or 400 of which are kept and fattened at the cannery. In Llnnton n here steak from the tender loin district Is accounted a great delicacy and pcarcely a pound of any other kind of meat ls > eaten there. The packing company , wishing to do away with the prejudice against its product , gives choice cuts fr to all who apply. Farmers come from mllee around to get their Sunday roastB. All whc have eaten of the meat agree that It has a most excellent flavor. When fre h It has something of the tafte of liver , but when 1 kept a day or two , Is ae good us the finest beef. beef.This Is the first plant for slaughtering horses ever Installed on the coast and prob- I ably the firet In the world to go Into the j business of slaughtering range horses by , the wholesale for the markets of the world. i The supply on the ranges of eastern Oregon I find eastern Washington Is almost Inex- i haustlble , and the company pays on an aver age not more than $2.25 a head tor Its cayuses. A PROSPERITY STORY. The Northern Pacific railroad le maeelng care at every point along Its lines in thi 1 wheat belt of Washington and preparing foi , the largest business In the history of the road on both the east aad west haul. Tacoma fchlppeia have representatives al Walla Walla , Pullman and other points ic the grain country and are making heavy purchases of the golden crop. The mills an expecting a big demand for Alaska in the spring , as well as an Increased export ol American flour to Japan. A well-posted grata buyer stated to a Tacoma -Ledger re porter a few davs ago that the prospect * xvere good for 1.000,000 more bushels o ! Washington wheat being handled foi Oriental shipments this fall than ever before 'Basides ' the large crop of golden grain from the Polouse and Walla Walla valley * of eastern Washington , the western pan of the state -will soon commence to pour intf the lap of Tacoma a golden etream iro& her farms and fruit orchards. The hay crop of the valleys bordering or Puget sound Is larger than ever before Re-ports from Yakima on wheat and oat haj indicate an average of fifty tons to the acre The alfalfa crop is also large and promises to command a good price. Last winter the hay supply was short In British Columblt and northeaste-rn Washington , and all olc hay was used long before grass came. Thii condition drew the surplus stock of western Washington and this fall the farmer IK prom ised a big price for a big crop , on a Ions market. A year ago ranchers turned their extra horses" out to shift for themselves In the etubble fields , as they were considered dead property. This fall the demand for Alaska shipment has eo Increased their value that they are being taken up and fed and prepared for the market. The- Klondike rush has opened up a new market for the hay crop. Large shipments will have to be made from Tacoma this fall to keep the horses that are being sent on every steamer to pack the geode across tc the gold fields , and this means the opening of a new and large market for this product o ! the farm. Fruit promlsew to be one of the largest and most paying crops of the year. The prune crop is larger than a year ago , and with the peach , pear , grape and apple crop , promises to do much toward helping Hit general rush of prosperity that has overtaken the north coast country. IN NORTHERN WYOMING. State Examiner Harry B. Henderson ol Wyoming has completed an extended vlsll to the northern pirt of the state and report ! advancement and improvement everywhere. To n reporter of the Cheyenne Tribune Mr , Hrnucrsou haid that thl advancement It more noticeable in some counties than in others and Its largely attributed to the increase cattle and the advancement crease In price e > f ment of woal. The farming communities , es. peclslly those adjacent to Sheridan , will have a ready market for their entire products. Mr.Henderson learned that or ders have already bpen received by the Sher. idan Milling company for more flour than the entire wheat crop of Sheridan county will produce. In Crook county , the crops being growc without irrigation , mil-pass In quantity an6 quality those of previous yetrs. In fact the wheat and oats are generally qual. if nol euperlor , to those grown in eastern Ne braska. One field of wheat was seen that was estimated would produce forty-eight bushels to the acre. The rainfall has been very limited In tin northern part of the state and as a result the ranges are. not in as good condition u in former yeare , but notwithstanding this , cattle have fattened remarkably well and are now being shipped to market. Ten car loads of mixed cattle were recently shipped from there , whloh netted the owner { 9.010 , The country U full of buyers who are offer ing lirse prices for feeders , but their tempt ing offers are frequently refused by the ranchmen , who have hay for -winter feeding. The general -indications are that ranch men in northern Wyoming are fast din- char cine their Indebtedness , cteated during the Cleveland administration , and that ttieit business will continue to Improve , thereby creating an additional valuation of property in the various counties. TCI traffic to the 'Hot Spring * iti the Big Horn basin U very Urge , people coming from Virtpu * localitlta ol U l te , dr.v.ng o\crand as many fit 3no miles IB order to ax ail themnelve * of the curttut { .roperties of this already renowned heaUli resort. "The Big Horn mountains , " said Mr. Hrndemm. "are watered by uumeroui streams. Perhaps one-half of the area 1 travft-std In crossing this range U heavily timbered. There are numerous open parks , some of which are of the swamp land char acter , all of which are clothed with a most luxuriant growth of grass , which would sup port thousands of bead of cattle. U It to be regretted , however , that thf state has not sufficient stock to consume Uic feed grown upon this range. With the Big Horn moun tains for a summer range and the feeding of rattle in the valleys during the winter snason , the raising of live stock In that portion of the state can be made very profit able. " MONTANA SAPPHIRES. A report Is abroad In Great Falls , Mont. . thathe ; Yogo sapphire fields are likely to pass into the hands of an English syndicate. The price asked Is said to be $200.000. On July 30 last Brownfleld Tolburst. a rapltal- Ut. and Edward A. Kelly , a diamond and pre-elous stone merchant of London , arrlvefl In Great Falls. Several wcekt previous Matt Dunn , one of the owners , proce-eded to the sapphire fields. The Englishmen were met by George Wells and together they pro- ceeMie-d to Yogo. where they me-t Dunn and several days were spent In looking over the property. The Englishmen returned to Great Falls much pleased with the mine , and after spending two or three days here- left for Seattle. They will then visit Vic toria , B. C. , and after a trip through eastern Canada will return to London , where the purchase of the Yogo mines will be consid ered und an answeT returned later. Mr. Tolhursl made the trip to the mines In the interest of London parties and Mr. Kelly on his own account. On the report that these gentlemen make depends the transfer of the property. The product of the Yogo mines has found a ready market In London , where the stones arei pronounced very fine. George Wells , on his recent trip to the old country. Intro duced the-m and 'began the negotiations whlcb refculled in the recent trip to Mon tana of the gentlemen named. Recently a batch of uncut Btoues were Rent to London , which makes the fourth shipment. So far It Is said the sales have been very satis factory. FIRST GOLD IN MONTANA. The first discovery of gold In Montana was made in ISCL On Gold creek , five mlle-s below the little village of Ploaecr , In Deer Lodge county , "Gold Tom'1 found placer diggings where there was gold In paying quantities and In the most primitive man ner possible worked some of the ground. No attempt to systematically operate the lo cality was made until a full year afterward , when Graoville Stuart , now minister to Uruguay and Paraguay , audhis brolber James bought some necessary appliances and operated the first placer mine in Montana in 1KC2. Thtlr tools and appliances they Im ported into the country by pack train at infinite labor and exptmae. Many millions were taken from the vicinity In time. The Pioneer. Independent and Pike's Peak districts lay along Gold creek. At the highest point on Pilgrim bar four men In two eaasons took out $320,000. Dowm the valley there was gold In large quantities , but it was f.o fine that miners would not be bothered with it. The gold on the bars fur ther up was coarser and there was plenty of It and many men were made rich on that single creek , which was rubcquently over shadowed so completely by the dlscoverie.fi at other points that later on ditches were put to and the ground worked on a still larger scale. One of the ditches cost $300.000 and had a flowing capacity of 10,000 miners' inches , an inch being equal to a supply of 17,000 gallons in twenty-four houre. t'nder those ditches the ground was worked out over an area of 3,500 feet of an average depth of fifteen feet to bedrock , and a total yield ot J13.000.000. The next discovery of any Importance was made by John White and was called Grass hopper gulch , where the town of Bannock stood soon afterward. The ground was of wonderful richness and before the year was out mining had beta Inaugurated on a much larger scale than on Gold creek. More than $20,000.000 worth of gold was taken from the vicinity. The richest placers ever discovered in the world were found In Montana , at Alder gulch , where Virginia City stands. More than JDO.000,000 In gold dust formed the total output of that rich locality. Of that amount probably J2a.000.000 were taken out within three or four years after the first year'e work FIVE MILES OF POISON. What Is known -western herders as the "poison strip" Is a belt or country about five miles wide , between Spokane and Pine City , on which there grows some kind of a plant that is poisonous to sheep. Every sheepman who lias ever run sheep in that part of the state is aware of it. knows Its exact location and makes preparations for crossing It In going north or couth with his herds. The strip extends along the edge of the timber beginning near the Idaho line and extending south almost to Rack lake. Another similar strip extends south of Cheney and west toward Spangle. Just what the plant Is that kills the sheep is not known , but It is seldom that a band is driven across it without losing from five to fifty head. Two herds of 0,000 sheep that lately crossed ihe strip lost only twelve head , and their owners consider themselves quite fortunate in escaping eo lightly. Last year they lost forty. Several years ago , before the exact location of the strip WBS definitely known , a band of 1,500 sheep was driven leisurely across it , aud 700 of them died from the effects of the poison. Ex perience has taught sheepman that the only way to cross in safety is to drive- the sheep across on the run , so they will not get an opportunity of grazing upon it. This method U the one now universally adopted. THE DAKOTAS. Ore brought to Deadwood from the Jim City finds of L. Grosbeck runs as high ae 20 per cent copper , and some pieces are half native metal. Reports -from 200 merchants In South Dakota t > hnw that their business for the first six months of the present year has Increased from 10 to 100 per cent over .that of a year ago. The richest ore yet found In quantity at Ragged Top is a new discovery In the A. J. Smith ground. Returns of $3,250 have been received Irom the * smelter on thirty tons ot this ore. The Wyoming side of the Black Hills Is said to be overrun with prospectors. Sev eral good claims arc being developed In the vicinity of Welcome. Wyo. The coun try is settling up rapidly. Huron millers have fortified tbemfcelves agalnrt fchortage of last season's wheat cror by filling their bins with the best wheat tc be found for milling purposes. In this they have headed off buyers from Minneapolis. Sioux City and other points , who want wheat for the same purpot-e. Cattle shipments have now begun from Belle Fourcbeand other shipping centers In earnest. Six trains left Belle Fourcbe recently for Omaha. A like number left Brennan and Oelrlchs. It U reported that the greater proportion of the shipments will be two weeks later than usual this fall. Cattlemen around Pierre are anxious to ' see the weight rate on cattle put in force on railroads throughout the state. Shippers from that section have * been subject to the weight rate for ome time , while shippers on the western ranges have paid carload rates. This the Pierre people regard ai discrimination against their interests. By the state board of equalization at Pierre a resolution was pasted condemning the action of an employe of one of the state officials under pay of the state sending out sjvcclaJs for publication in which state of ficials were slandered and calling upon the bead of the office in which he was employed to take notice of the same. All voted for the resolution except Governor Lee , who said it wet boys' play , the resolution being aimed at hU private secretary. The stste board at Bismarck has com pleted consideration of real proj > rty and made a reduction In values through the ctate that will aggregate- probably $ J,000,000. The largest decrcat have teen made In the countlc * In the central and western parU of the fctate. In the Red Hirer valley land * hive been either unfhuncfd or rtightly lt > - rre ed. C county h.M l > ten decreased S pr cent aad Grand rorVn ha * ten ralP S > per cent. TT tlldniitv has been raltpfl 4 per cnt. Pembtna.ittwtased F. per cent. Civtiier lDcrfa ed lO.ptr cent anfl the ooun- tlet In the central part nf the elite rrtuced le value on an average vg 11 per cent. The total vilne ot tha pM-sonal property in North ttakvta. as catut&ed by the county beard * of pqaaltr tkm this year , is { 90.877.- 44S. Th e ere 87.74J persons &at etd and 4&41 school polls r tnnw4. The rca * poll * aggregate 2Z.009. Of IHIIMK there are a few more than 2W.OOO of an agts returned , of which number ISH.Ofx ) 'are oter 8 years of age. Of cattle thereare - about 100,000 In cluded in the different clan. * * * other than cows , and 11 C.OOO of tht litter. Male popu lation Is not great , there being only about 4,000 In the state. Tht number of cheep has fallen off about 27,000 since last year , there being S27.4C1 returned. The beg population aggregate * 78.C41. 78.C41.WYOMING. WYOMING. Denver parties are negotiating for the purchase * of the famous Douglas placer grounds. Six mill * 1 the size of the tax levy for elate purposes lo Wyoming. The total valu ation shows an increase of JSOO.OOO. Last week It was learneS that a small ctreak of nearly pure gold had bfcn found in a ledpe on the Trinity river , opposite Trinity Center. Two prospector * are said to have taken out $ G.5C 0 In a ( short time. The Adams dam , on the South Crow , at Silver Crown , was washed away by a cloud burst last week. The flam was thirty-four feet high and was considered very strong. Much damage was done to ranches. The arrival in Cafrper of an oil expert from Pltteburg hcs awakeae-d much interest in oil propertife In central Wyoming. H Is Intimated that refineries , pipe lines and other acce-ssorlee are among the certainties of the near future. The working psrty of thp American museum , New York City , now engaged In exhuming the skeleton of the gigantic liz ard In the vicinity of Aurora , west of Lara- mle. has discovered , close at hand , the re mains of an even larger specimen of like nature. Wyoming stockmen are being notified by eastern stock commission men that ship ments of range cattle are disappointing In quality. The cattle coming in. are remark ably soft , and shrink S.D heavily cnroute that shippers can scarcely recognize their cattle as the same bunch they loaded. This condition ie caused in part by the rainy season , the cattle having fattened on preen grass. One of the most valuable finds yet re corded Is the ledge of marble which the Post made mention of a few weeks ago. It Is situated on the extreme west fork of the Little Horn , eighteen miles from Aber deen. Samples of the marble have been sent to all the leading marble works , and as satisfactory verdicts have he-en received as to the fineness , etc. , articles of Incor poration will be filed at Cheyenne this week. The people of the Big Horn basin are re joicing over the'prospect of securing a dally mall sen-ice between the basin and railroad points. The dally service le or dered to commence In July , 1B3S. and , al though this Is some time In the future , the people are satisfied , for they have been working to accomplish this result for the last ten years. The route , will be from Red Lodge , Mont. , to the various postofflces of the basin. , , The extensive placer plant at Independence mountain has Just been completed. The plant cost ? 100,000. The ditch is eighteen miles long. One mil * olsteel pipe is laid. The company expects , to operate six giants and will handle about 1,500 yards of gravel a day. The ground is saAd to average Jl a yard , some of the tests having run as high as ? 1G a yard. Independence mountain lies north and east of JJahnls peak , just over the line in Colorado. < Capitalists are putting up considerable mones- for development work on claims in the Four Mile district. A New York syn dicate has secured control of fl.OOO acres of placer ground in Timberlake gulch. The gravel runs from 20 pents'.to ? 2 a yard , but there Is Insufficient water to wash the dirt In large 'quantities. The owners contem plate -building a canal forty-five miles long , which will provide ample water supply for working the property. Cheyenne takes the liberty of tickling Itself without the consent of any nation on earth on the quantity of vegetables and frun raised in city gardens. The Tribune docs tbt > tickling in this manner : "Judge Fisher exhibited the largest and most solid turnip sera here in a long time. The judge has his spacious back yard full of all kinds of vegetables. L. Kabis raised cherries in his yard this year and also had , grapes on the vines running up the side of his house. J. C. Abney raised fine apples , as did numer ous other citizens. Mrs. Schweickert hai- proven that figs can be raised here and exhibits the first Cheyenne fig to callers at his store. It is not at all improbable that Cheyenne will some day be a farming center. " COLORADO. Archuleta county has more cattle than any county of Its size In the state. Ore shipments from Gilpin county during July aggregated 280 carloads. A contract has been let for building a railroad from Boulder to Ward. Pueblo will in the next few days begin the 'erection of a $10.000 telephone exchange. A Longmont farmer reports a wheat crop averaging fifty-seven bushels to the acre. A contiact has been let for the grading aud ironing of a railroad from Boulder to Ward. The railroad shops at Colorado City have increased the work hours to nine per day. A new electric line is to be built at Pueblo connecting the city with Rlvervlew cemetery. The tomato and peach crop of Jefferson county were badly damaged by hall last week. Snake river stockmen started out laet Thursday for their round-up of fall beef for eastern markets. The San Luis valley wheat crop Is now- ready for cutting. The crop Is estimated at 800,000 bushels. Wheat aud oats sell at T1.1B per 100 pounds at Grand Junction. This county will ship 1,000 carloads of fruit this season. A train load of ore goes daily from the Commodore mines. Crerde , and though the ore runs mostly la silver , It pays dividends at the rate of about $15,000 every week. Amos Benncr of Craig last we ek took out two dozen unusually large rattlesnakes , which he had selected from the hundreds that infest Fortification rocks olid whlcb he was to deliver o Denver partite , who will place them In museums. The July output of Cripple Creek was over $1,000,000. The tonnwKof high-grade ores showed a falling off.Xmtitbat was made up by an increase of the .low-grade ores. The railroads hauled a total 4onnage of 24.400 tons , while the CPUm tqd tonnage by wagon haul was about 2,300 tons. In the neighborhoDdi of lorty placer miners are making a livingiranalng dirt on the Pike's Peak and Cripple-CVeek placera. The owners of the placers.-ore-iiuppoBed to receive 20 per cent of the gold washed out , but eeldom is u nugget seen by thcm'lbat weighs more than two pennyweigh n. t It le an unwritten law among the men wfortjing the ground that all nugcets wortb more than $2 re the prop erty of the finders. The l w it generally ob served. rive hundred dollar ore l not commonly u * d for repairing rjilrtiad grade * , but $40- OOf ) worth wns damtK-d on the Gull tracks ne r the Arkansas river near Purblo few dry& rr > The wet Ion boss , in explaining his mfetakf. tmld the t ff we nemr too good for the rtwd. But the manner * thought differently and the ore wa * gathered up and loaded on cars. It Is probable that Ihp great sliver mines of Creedt. Colo. , will be closed down on account of the low price of silver , unless the railroad and smelting rate * are reduced. Several contf-remres have be n heW between the mine owners and the emeltor and rail road official * , and It Is said the latter evinced a disposition to make every ronrrs- slou possible In order to keep the mints in operation. The Newmarket mine at Ward has been sold to Denver end Boston men for $ if > .OOD. The mine curi-le * gtxxJ smelting ore , b ( lfle * tome profit-buying mill dirt. A new stamp mill has been started up at the Ruby mine , whtre nbout a thoumnd ton * lie on the damp awaiting treatment. Ex-fnUe/d Stater Senator Tabnr. whose financial affaire have about reached the lowest stage , is operating ft new property In the W rd district , and he h p bt p of striking It again before the cloe of the fneon. One hundred and fifty f et of eolld copper ha ? been cxpowd in the Bromide mice In Routt county. The fltst shipment made from the mine v\as taken from near the surface , seven carloads being shipped to the Chicago Copper Reflclng company , and ran 1C per cent of metallic copper. Subsequently in- other shipment of thirty cars was made , the ore being takeo from the dump without sorting. This shipment nverapfd 20 per cent In copper , * ome lots running as high as SI per cent. The ore also carries 20 per cent of iron. A Colorado Springs Inventor , backed by local capital. Is comructlng at Golden an elaborate mnchlne for placcrlng near Trum- bull. on the South Platte river. It Us made up of a series of cylinders of different sizes , revolving within each other like the plane tary system , on the presumption that gold which escapes from the e * c will be cap tured In the other. The mechanical work Is first clues , the machine being strong In both material and principles of construc tion. It operates In a firm wooden triune and copper plates are -used in portions of themechanism. . UTAH. The Bromide mine in Douglas mountain has been sold for JGO.O&O. The school census of Ogden thews ti.06i > children of school age , an Increase cf ? .22 In a year. A sixty-ton mill has been contracted for on the Crystal group at Waryevalc , Plute county. Thls > property is a gold and silver producer. Evidence of prosperity Is conspicuous In the Mercer district. There is greater ac tivity In the development and working of mines and the outlook was never more promising than nt present. The Hanaucr smeller , which has ehut down for annual repairs lor some time , blew In again last week with about 125 men on the pay rool. and with ore enough on hand to keep the furnaces going for an Indefinite period. The tax. rate , as well as the total cstes ; - ment of property In the stale , has decreased. The total valuation Is $102.000,000 , against $107,000,000 last year , and the levy for mate and hchool purposes u 7H mills , a reduction from last year of 1 mill. H is learned that the. party -who had B homestead entry em a piece of ground on Gunnison Inland , in the Great Salt Lake , which conflicted with the Interests ot the Utah Guano company , has relinquished back to the gtiverumeut , which leaves the Guano company in full veesetBlon of the property. Dr. J. C. Petterson of Springvill * . one of the owners of the Horn eilver claim at Marysvale , says the claim bide fair to be come one of Utah's bonanzas. A thaft has been Bunk on the claim to a depth of eix- te > en feet , from which has been taken some five tons of ore , which gives an average as say of 207 ounces silver and $ CO In gold The ore vein Is two and one-half feet wide. With the growing bonm at Mercur the Salt Lake Mercur railroad Is doing an in creased buslnefs , and Manager J. G. Jacobs states that the road Is now handling 9,000 toes of ore per month and over fi.ODO tons , of freight , besides a very heavy passenger traffic. The little road has done much to ward the growth and development of Mercur and -is now one of the best paying pieces of road in the western country. Harvesting grain and hay continues , and thrashing will be under full headway in a few days. Corn , potatoes and garden truck are reported as doing nicely and indicate about avenge crops , except In a few local- Itlrewhere worms , squirrels , etc. , have caused considerable of n shortage. Early cpple ? , pears and peaches are being mar keted ; melons , cabbage and tomatoes ore ripe. In portions of Utah county the fruit is wasting on the ground for want of a mar ket. The ranges arc reported In good con dition and cattle and theep are doing well. IDAHO. The Glbbonsville Miner declares one ot the county commissioners is "dirty , drunk and half-drwbed. ' end that he lays around the saloons and on the sidewalks , giving vent to vile and filthy language. A few days ago two stamp mills and a smelter arrived nt Weiser. One of the mills and the smelter were for the Seven Devils district , and one mill is lor Warren. The mill and oinelter will be the first machinery ever taken to the Seven Devils. The mines are known to be rich in gold , silver and copper. The Twin Springs Placer company , oper ating on Boise river , twenty-five miles south east of Idaho City , has 200 men at work in the timber , saw mill and on the twenty- mile flume constructing for the purpose of con-veyin : ; water from the river to their mluetf along the bars. Next spring the com pany will operate several giants. Two prospectors have come into Boiee City from the > middle fork of the Salmon river , a rection that has never been ex plored , bringing $10,000 in gold taken out there. In a few weeks' work. This gold waa washed from the decomposed surface ot a mountain which they declared to be all ored. The gold is found all through it. A special clt-ctioo will be held In Canon county September 1. at which time the taxpayers will decide whether or not they will pay the bridge and ecalp warrants out standing against the county. The amount In question Is $ ] C.82C.fi4. $3.0S2.S4 being scalp warrants , and $13.784. with 7 PIT cent In terest from January. 1K95. for bridges , drawn In favor of the Glllette-Herzos company. A body of .first clasa commercial mica has been uncovered in Boise county , near Placer , vllle. Samples from the surface , perfectly clear and colorless , have been cut to CxS and Cxl4 Inches. A 100-foot tunnel hai > been run on the property to tap the 'Irdge about 100 feet dee-p. It occurs in a hard , glassy white quartz , with feldspar In connectloa. For many years the wild "cayuses" that have roamed o will on the great Nez Pcrce. n-seirvatir/n and in the adjacent country in north Idaho have been an almost unbearable nuisance. They have broken into the en closures of settlers , and trampled down their growing cropa , and have driven other etock With Armour buji&nj ; n large wiiro- liouK ( - = with public iUld other private 1m- 1 pfovpnu-ntfi nlnmdjr lfjjzuii with Ne- bratiUa snintriesluu tiiig : with the bountiful crops with.- wheat nt $1.00 n ' bushel with proKj > ? ripr ou i-vt-ry baud- its no wonder we're > dlnc ready buyers j at our August tan shoe clearance sale 1 a Rule where profit bus been Jest sipht of in the rush to cuse out tan shoes before the season's over a sale where- none but regular stock is tielng offered but where tha price irt what you'd expect on shoes bought from " > uie hard up manufac turer" that even the denier knows noth ing about better get In early. Drexel Shoe Co. , 1419 FAKNAM STREET , Send for Illustrated catalogue , free. Tram the public range * Stock men oct * rt- tlrr have shot them down by the hundred * , but thry hive ROW on InrrtaMnc In num ber * . Slne-e th - prfllng of the re-nervation thp county li pottlrd up rapidly , and these vagrant hfrfl * h vf , enperially thm ccason , done a vait amount ot damage among the raticbr * In that necttoa Joseph M Retalllc , a Botee City mine expert , purchteed t half Interest In a mine on Warm Springs creek , near Ketehum. for $10OOD. The vMue of the ore U about 144 ounces In silver. $14 In gold. CO per cent lead. Thrr Is orv.a large body rf ore exposed In the mlsr. but the owners hate decided to defer working it until silver advance ? In price Crawford Moore of Bolsp City , who hac returne-d from a trip to Seven Devils , says ho met two men who had Just come out from Chamberlain's Imcln. a portion ot that section of Idaho that Is practically unex plored , where they had been engaged In placer mining. They had $ X.OP of gold duM they had taken out In eleven days. They were force to depend on snow water and could cluice but a few day * ; . 'MONTANA. ' Butte to to have C.OOO horse power fur nished by a plant to erst $ &on.OOO. A dam will be built on Ble Hole river. The total assessed valuation of all property ot Big Timber county as equalized by the Brmrd of equalization Is $1.S14.54S. The fourtfenth annual convention of the Montana Woman's Christian Temperance union will be held In Helena September 1 , 2 and 3. The Gold Dredging company at Bsnnnck has made another shipment ot gold to the Helrna assay office. The thipmrnt was valut-d at $1K.OPO and represents two weeks' work. The Vleter claim , nrar Preston , ha * turned out $11.000 In gold since It w e le-awd b.v Sharp and Killar. and instead of showing any dlmlnlKhmcnt In the extent of the ore body , it Is on the g in. During the past week the work of complc-t- Inc the state normal building at Dillon has advanced more- rapidly than heretofore , Every effort will l > e made to have the build ing ready for occupancy at the date eel fo : the > opening of the school September C. The cage In the Mountain Consolidated mine nt Butte got beyond control and dropped from the 1.100 to the 1,300 station. John MorrUsey's back was broken and be will probably die. Joseph H. Donnelly sus tained a broken leg. which will probably be amputated. N. Nelson and P. Pcarsnn have built r boat and started down the Yellowstone for the purpose of working over the sand bars alonf the rive ! . They have a very Ftnutly con- Rlructed boat and other apparatus convenient for their work. The water ot the Yellow stone Is now very lov- and good wages can bo made in working these bars. Jacob Slebent of Cascade , representing a syndicate of western wool growers , has closed a deal with owners of the bottom lauds below Trempeleau , Wis. . by which an expensive sheep ranch will be established. Buildings will be erecte-d and accommoda tions for fattening fiO.OOO sheep provided. The Helena Consolidated Water company agreed Monday to accept the offer of the city of a contract for five years nt JH.OOO a year , the contract to be dated August 1 , 1897. and all arrearages due the company since the former contract expired to be paid for at the same rate , the company agreeing In lieu of ctsh to accept a Judg ment for the amount , which will be paid as other judgments are paid , and to cancel tbe Judgment formerly entered against the city. Father Vrn der Velde and Father Van del Pol have abandoned the Catholic mission at the Cheyenne agency , the lormer going to Spokane and the latter to St. Xavler mission at the Crow agency. The furniture and property which belonged to the Jesuit so ciety has been packed aud moved. The sis ters , however , will remain there to bold tbe buildings and other property , which belongs to the blsbop of Montana till cuch times as a priest may be stationed there. A big dam Is to be built near Divide , on the Bic Hole river , to generate electric power for Butte. Tbe work has been com menced , nmd the plant , when completed , will cost c.bout halt a million dollars Tbe dam will be sixty feet high , built of solid masonry. The penstocks will be ten feet in diameter. It Is expected to transmit C.OOO-horee power to Butte at a IOEE of 10 per cent In trans - mlsbion. With this immense power , which it is be-lleved can be furnished at a very low cost , it is believed a revolution In some of the present methods oT operating miles will be effected end the number of steam engines asd other steam machinery will be greatly dlmlni&hed. Ouster county has" an ice well which h a curio to all who hove seen It. Tbe well is nine miles north of Lame Deer agency ( Cheyenne reservation ) , at the head ol Greenleaf creek , which empties into the Rosebud. On July S it furnished ice foi the lemonade of some 250 picnickers and still had five or six leet of ice left. Eggs and milk put down Just above the ice tc keep cool were frozen In two hours. Icicles are continually forming -during the hottest days of July and August. Some six years ago Elmer Wilder , George Wickers and Bill Campbell sunk a phaft. prospecting for sil ver. At a depth of twenty feet U .began tc be disagreeably cold , and at thirty feet they were compelled to abandon work. Since then the shaft has partly filled -with ice , which never melts. Tbe prospectors who started from lied Lodge last spring In search of the Lost Cabin mine have re-turned without finding It. William Ballard , the leader of the outfit , has returned to his home in Decatur. 111. , and George T. Hall , his companion , will leave for the cast in n few we-cks. The location of the mine was described to them ah at the head of a dark canyon near the Seven Pyramids in the Wood river country , and it would be readily recognized when they arrived at an old stone cabin standing near the abandoned tunnel. All this was told the prospectors by the only surviving partner in the original mine , who has been serving a long cenlence in prison. On the strength of his statements the expedition was formed to relocate this mine. CALIFORNIA. Tnlare county's assessment roll shows i decrease of $1,000,000. The dtfilred new sewer system for Pasa dena will cost $ ir.0,000. The railroad from Kramer to Randtburj will be open for traffic bctore Nevember 1. Mortgages on real cslcte in San Bcrnardlm county have been reduced during the JOB ! year $454,000. California mining districts have two cd- vantages over those of Alatka. One is , yoi can walk to them. The other Is , you cat walk bock. Last month'fc wheat engagement * at fiar Francisco were twenty-elgut vessels , carry ing &K.B04 tons. There were also twcnty-si > lumber vessels , carrying 27.2S& tons. The announcement that the Southern Pa cific company was contemplating tbe con struction of a branch road from Mojave tc Randbburg bus been conliimed on the high est authority. Returns from the Re-d Rover mine , near Acton. Los Angeles county , indicate that Its owners probably have a big bonanza. Thirty days' run of the mill yielde-d an average of $1,000 peir day , and the indications are that the richest portion of the ore has not yet beien reached. Thirty gold bricks , each one worth $1,000 , the result of a mouth's run. nr now In thf vaults of a bank in Lo AiiKtle . on thplr way to the mint Thli yleWi i * all from between the Of * and 700 levels. The ledge ran be traced * Ion * distance and the company has location * on U tor a milt. The first hiprnent t f dried fnilt from Tao- lumtie county over the new Sierra railway r -iche4 Oikctalp ) * t wprk. The shipment consisted of two mrs of dried prunes and WSB shipped to Philadelphia. The railroad Is re viving tbe fruit industry In Turvlnmne coun'y. which had been hegleete-d on account ot lock of transportation. Some very rich ore Is being mined In thp Virginia Dale district. San Bernardino county. Upturn ? from the Summer Qurtn and Leota mines. In the Twenty-nine Palmi region , run over $400 to the ton J L Mudco has lit his North Star mine a forty-foot shaft which fhows ore running $ .000 to the- ton clear arrosj the vein Placer miners In the name rerlon are doing well. Two men took out $1.80t > in three weeks. Abbott Klnnry , the new vice pre-s'.dent of Mie Yosemlte Valley commission , has begur a movement which it carried out will result in cheapening rates to the valley and greatly Improving the facilities for travel Mr. Klnury thinks that railroads and stage liars should give special latra no as to encourage tourists , and that large excursions should be * orcantzed under the auspice * of thp Order of Nathe Sons. The great nmjeirlty of thtt visitor * to the valley In past years have been Europeans und eitstern tourists t'udcr this new scheme Callfornlans would be cn- couraced to make the acquaintance of tha greatest object of Interest on this coast , if not In the whole country. Fifty pounds of quartr. pounded up In a hand mortar yielded $ [ . .800 , and was not found in Klondike , either , but In tbe Pluai- bago mine , mar Moore'f Fist. Nevada county. A hundred ton * of rork recently crushed from the California mine. God'n Country , averaged from $10 to fir. per ton , some of It running as high as $45. The capacity of the stamp mill Is to be doubled. The- shaft Is down SOO feet and Is the deep- ci-l working ever Oone in that section. Ore recently taken from the Montana mine. Wil low valley , assayed $274 to the ton. In the fiOO-foot level of the Reward a nine-inch ledge Is being stripped which yields $225 per ton. OREGON. Msyor Pcnnoycr of Portland has been or dered by Judge Shattuck to t'lgu a warrant for the first payment of $7,500 on the new garbage crematory. Twenty cailoatlf , of iron for the Colum bia Southern hn\c ben received at Biggs. This Is about a third of the amount needed to lay the track to Wasr-o. Connection with the Oregon Railway & Navigation has been made , and the tracklaying IB unde-r way. David Cofl'man. a Vmililla county farmer , has exhibited in Pendleton a cornstalk tin feet high , one of three of the same height in one hill. The peed used wa * taken from a ( .hlpmenl of corn received from Missouri last winter. Two unsuccessful attempts have been made In Klamuth Falls to organize an agricul tural roclety. The people of Tule Lake have now taken up the matter und held a meeting Saturday to enect an organization lor a county fair. D. M. Drake Iswell pleased with his to bacco crop this year and expects to harvest ROO pounds from u small patch near Eugenes Last year he- sold his crop for 25 cents per pound and claims that H Is one of the best paying cropk that can be grown here. There is quite an acreage of hops In the immediate neighborhood of Lafayette that will be picked and put on the markK In first class condition. Judicious spraylnc has compelled the hop lice to take a back scat. The price for picking will be SO centa per box. Progress in laying the rails on the Au- toria & Columbia River railroad has been delayed by bridge construction at John Days. A temporary bridge will be com pleted this -ueek. and tracklaying beyond that point will then go ahead. Work on j the grade Is progressing rapidly. i Eleven well developed and good-sized ap- | pits , all growing from a single bud , and all forming a globular piece bigger than & big pair of double fists , was a freak dis played on the streets of Corvalls recently. The applet came from the agricultural col lege orchard , and were ot the tall -wino variety. Around tbe jmper mill In Lebanon Is the busiest place In all of Linn county just at this time. There are sixty men atwork on the big straw stack , and over 100 wagon loads of straw , that will average over 4.000 pounds per loid , are unloaded every day. This paper mill Is certainly a great thine for Lebanon and pays out many thousands of dollars each year to the laboring men of that place. An Index of the Increase In fruit acreage Is thown by the demand for fruit-packing boxes at the Eugene sawmill. The mill em ployes have been at work for a week on or ders and many hundred boxes have been turned out. The boxes are made of thin seasoned balm , except the ends , which are yellow fir. The balm Is a very light but tough -wood , and does not discolor or glvo fruit any odor. WASHINGTON. The star route dully mall service between Elaine and New Whatcom will be re-estab lished , beginning September 1. The Lumml Indians are trading In New Whatcom. buying large amounts of good * out of the product of their fish money. Each year this tribe increast-e tbe amount and variety and value of their purchases. The Western Basket and Manufacturing company of Hoquium bus shipped 162,000 tin top grape babkets during the past week. making bomething over 250,000 In all shipped , to Oregon and Washington points this oea- eon. Ground hae. be-en cleared for the building * of the life-saving wation Just across Ocean avenue , south of the lighthouse site , at West- port. These improvements will both be de cided aud permanent benefits to that ambi tious little burg. The receipts accruing to the schools ol Stevens county for tue year ending June 30 , 1&87. amounted In round numbers to $25,000. Of this Bum $18.500 was derived from the ge-neral fund and $7,000 from the special lurid. The amount per pupil is $7.29. The Pullman Tribune bays that , with wage * in the wheat field at $1.50 to $3.50 a day and a shortage of help , there is no ex cuse for the begging from bouse to bouso that Is BO common there. It eayg that al ready the men begin to show their Indo lence aud contempt for the officers ol the lav. lav.A A party of Northern Pacific surveyors ha * been ut work for the last three months sur veying and appraising the lands west ot Colevjlle. The original government fcurvejr was Imperfectly marked , and the let-urvey , with tbe tettlng up of the corner etakte , i * br'agliig no little dIsappMctme-nt to the settlers In that region. The hay crop In the Klttltas valley fa pretty well cut and Is rapidly getting up Into the bale. Dur.ng July eighty-live car loads , of ten tons each , a total of K50 tons , were shipped , most of It going to Pugct found. This month's tlilpmt-uts will be Mill heavier , and as the price has ranged from $7.50 to $9. it will be seen that It bos brought a good deal of money Into the valley. The prospects are good for tbe price going still h Ichor. Our art department is replete with the jjB beautiful reprints of the most fa- inouK paintings reproduced to an exact ness as well us new and original elch- inss. water colors , etc an hour can bo must profitably and pleasantly Fpeut in our art rooms , where visitors are always welcomed Should you make a selection we are prepared 1o furnish you with an elecaut frame for it at a very reason able price giving you a large line of mouldings to select from we would be pleased to quote yon prices on and show you styles of mouldings for refrarniiip ; your art treasures. A. HOSPE , ilnsic and Art 1513 Douglas