Nebraska Newspapers

    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