Page:Atlantis Arisen.djvu/438

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year 1880 was twenty-two thousand and thirty-six dollars, and from placers one hundred and twenty thousand and nineteen dollars, and it had not increased in 1883, These mines are, in fact, undeveloped, the iron and coal of the Cascades being sought after rather than the precious metals. Silver-, lead-, and copper-ores exist, but it is not known what tonnage they will yield. The Wenatchee, Yakima, Lake Chelan, and Methow Eiver Districts, all lying just east of the Cascades, are promising, but imperfectly known. Silver is believed to exist in the Olympic Eange, singly and in connection with copper. This is, however, more presumptive than real knowledge, founded on croppings of an apparently good character gathered up .in recent explorations.

It is in the country lying immediately west of the Okinakane Eiver and Colville Indian Eeservation, in Okanogan Count}', and in that part of Stevens County lying east of the Indian Eeservation and the Columbia Eiver, that quartz-mining is being carried on with energy.

Euby District, in Okanogan County, is situated on Conconnully Creek (called Salmon Eiver on many maps), fifteen miles west of Okinakane Eiver. This creek rises in a high and rugged range, running southeast through deep canons to its junction with the Okinakane. In the spring it is a strong and turbulent stream, but diminishes with the dry season until it discharges but about twelve cubic feet per second.

This district is approached from the east by a stage-road either from Spokane Falls or Sprague, on the Northern Pacific, the two uniting seventy miles west of Spokane, and continuing west to the head of the Grand Coulee and Condon Ferry on the Columbia, thence to the Okinakane Eiver, which it crosses, and to Euby City, the whole distance from Spokane Falls being one hundred and fifty miles. The western approach is via Ellensburg, either across the country, one hundred and ninety-five miles, or by steamboat a part of the distance. A railroad will soon cross the country from Spokane Falls to Puget Sound, affording better facilities for travel to these mines.

Euby City is situated on Conconnully Creek, at an altitude of eighteen hundred feet, but surrounded by mountains rising