MINERAL-BEARING DISTRICTS. 23 



placers existed on the eastern tributaries of the North Fork. As soon 

 as these discoveries were published a stampede set in, the particulars 

 of which are matters of recent record, and the region began to come 

 into prominence as a producer of valuable minerals. For some time 

 after the gold discoveries but little attention was given to anything 

 else. A year or two later it was found that the great iron-capped 

 veins which traverse various portions of the Comr d'Alenes carried at 

 certain depths enormous deposits of argentiferous ores. The placers 

 and gold-bearing quartz veins now became of secondary importance. 

 With the discoveries of the lead- silver ores commenced the great 

 development of tin; mining industries which have made the Cuuir 

 d'Alenes known throughout the mining world. The basin of the South 

 Fork is the most noted of all the mineral-bearing zones of this region. 

 Commencing at the town of Wardner, an almost continuous line of large 

 and valuable mining properties extends to within 5 or o' kilometers (3 or 

 4 miles) of the main divide of the Bitter Koots. Many of these are 

 great ore producers and are equipped with elaborate and expensive 

 machinery. They give, directly and indirectly, employment to many 

 thousands of persons when in full operation. A number of nourishing 

 towns have sprung up around these mining camps. As these towns 

 depend for their support exclusively upon the mines of the region, their 

 prosperity is naturally inseparably linked with the successful and profit- 

 able exploitation of the mineral-bearing deposits which surround them. 

 The low prices of silver and lead which have prevailed for so long, added 

 to the labor troubles of the past two or three years, have very materi- 

 ally retarded the further development of the mining industries of the 

 Cceur d'Alenes. The argentiferous ores of this region are of low grade 

 in the majority of cases and require concentration into proper bulk and 

 richness before they can be shipped to the smelters. As yet there are 

 no smelters in the region. All the big ore producers have large and 

 costly concentrating plants erected in connection with the nones. 



The next in importance of the known mineral-bearing districts of the 

 Cceur d'Alenes is the southeastern portion of the North Fork basin. 

 It was here that the gold discoveries were made which first drew atten- 

 tion to the region. In development it has not by far kept pace with the 

 lead-silver areas of the South Fork, notwithstanding the much richer 

 character of its ores. The reason for this lies mainly in the circum- 

 stance that the argentiferous ores exist in immense bodies, while the 

 auriferous ores do not; therefore, although the richness of the latter 

 class of ores is much greater, the former have proved more profitable to 

 the miner. The low prices of silver and lead have acted as a stimulus in 

 the development of the auriferous lodes during the past few years, but so 

 far as is now known the gold-bearing region of the Cceur d'Alenes is 

 comparatively limited, and unless discoveries hereafter shall extend it 

 the country will never be noted as a great gold producer. 



The two areas enumerated above are the only ones in which any 



