nary. In doing the opening work on the first two locations twelve hundred tons of ore were taken out, which averaged one hundred and fifty dollars to the ton, three hundred tons averaging two hundred dollars. Forty-six sacks of ore, from which forty-eight assays were made, averaged five hundred and twelve ounces of silver, ho assay being made for copper or gold. Several assays were made of "brittle silver/' which averaged eight thousand ounces of silver, and a chunk of brown quartz showing wire and leaf gold gave ninety-seven thousand dollars gold and three thousand dollars silver to the ton. The entire vein carries thirty per cent, copper.
While there is this Arabian Nights' glamour of incredible wealth about these discoveries, there is always the possibility that nature has exhausted herself in producing this specimen of her handiwork, and cannot repeat this profusion or long continue it in one place. The reputation of this district, however, has been well sustained and has increased the value of the lowgrade ores in the Kootenai Lake district, both districts being north of the boundary, in the British possessions, and low-grade ores being dutiable. But if the value of silver exceeds that of lead in ore, it can be shipped into the United States free of duty. By mixing the high and low grades the whole can be taken across the line free, and besides improve the ore for smelting.
The only outlet for this district is up the Kootenai Lake and River, one hundred and fifty-five miles, to Bonner's Ferry, thence south thirty miles by wagon-road to Kootenai Station or Sand Point, on the Northern Pacific, and thence sixty miles to Spokane Falls. The passage by water occupies forty-eight hours. It costs seven dollars per ton to transport the ore from Cottonwood Creek Landing to Kootenai Station. A railroad will soon be made to penetrate the Kootenai country, and reveal to the world a region well worth the attention of the business-man and the tourist.
It was the intention of the Ainsworth Company, which owned in the Blue Bell lead and had a grant from the colonial government, to have built a railroad out of the Kootenai country, but the policy of the Parliament proved so narrow, owing to the jealousy of their constituents towards railway connection with the United States, that the company was compelled to abandon
