If you were going up the lake and want comfort and speed and gentlemanly treatment, take the Belle of Chelan or the Omaha.

From Chelan

Heavy Travel on the Lake Steamers – More Good News from the Chelan District

Written for the Leader:                                                                  Chelan, Aug. 13, 1891

August 8^th the Lake Chelan Railroad and Navigation Co.’s steamer Belle left Chelan with the following list of passengers: W.A. Sanders and T.J. Lester of Spangle, Washington; W.R. Wetsel, J.A. Ballard, wife and daughter, and Mrs. Josh Clarey of Waterville; Mr. Smill and Mr. Green of Rock Island.

At Railroad Creek the steamer transferred a company of miners, with their horses and packs, to the head of the lake.

A.H. Barnes, a prominent photographer, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Bull, of Ellensburg, left their home the 9^th, well pleased with their visit to the beautiful lake. Mr. Barnes has taken a large number of photographic views and will be able to supply all wishing them, in a short time. His views will be on sale on the steamers of the Lake Chelan Railroad and Navigation Company.

August 11^th the Belle again left with a large list of passengers and considerable freight for the mines. The passengers were as follows: M.M. Kingman, Al Pershall, P.H. Farley, Mr. McPherson, Mr. and Mrs. T.A. Wright and children, Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Merritt and children, Miss F.E. Cameron, Charles Johnson, E.F. Christie, Supt. Nichols, C. Robinson and L.H. Woodin of Chelan. At Wild Rose beach, the home of Judge I.A. Navarre, the following gentlemen of Seattle were taken on board: E.F. Blaine, attorney at law; C.L. Denny, a prominent insurance man; O.O. Denny, O.C. McGilvery and R.H. Denny, teller in the bank of Messers. Dexter Horton and Co.; also Charles Bregg, of Ellensburg, and J.R. Mitchell and wife of Moses Coulee.

V. McCollum sent down, on the 10^th a sample of ore discovered on the south side of the Stehekin river and a few miles above the head of the lake, which shows prominently free gold. The rock appears to be very rich.

Prospectors are meeting with great success in discovering rich leads of precious metals in this mining district. Already a large number are making their way to this new El Dorado.

Of three samples of ore from Bridge Creek sent out to be assayed the returns from two of them run very high in silver.

One Bob Byers was arrested at the head of the lake a few days ago, charged with assault and battery upon the person of Dan Devore. The case was tried before Judge Darnell, of Lake Park, and the prisoner released on his own recognizance.

Charles D. Woodin went up the lake the 16^th in command of the steamer City of Omaha.

The excursion of the Lake Chelan Railroad and Navigation Co. steamer Belle on Wednesday, Aug. 19, was a decided success. Over 50 adults and some 20 children made the list. The day was delightful and the excursionists were in high glee over the pleasures afforded by the comfortable little steamer. Many remained over until next trip to enjoy the cool atmosphere of the lake and the pure cold water coming down so copiously from the snow capped peaks of the lofty mountains.

Daniel Devore and Robert Byers, residents of Stehekin valley, came down on the return trip.

The case of Robert Byers, who was arrested some time ago by Daniel Devore, charged with assault, was to have been tried the 20^th before Judge Darnell, but Byers had skipped.

The steamer Belle is receiving a new iron roof to her cabin.

Supt. A.F. Nichols brought down from the mines on last trip of the steamer a large lot of rich specimens of galena ore, some running as high as 190 ounces to the ton. These samples are being gathered for L.H. Woodin, assistant vice president of the Western Washington Exposition, to be forwarded by him to Tacoma and there placed on exhibition. Mr. Woodin expects also to exhibit some fine photographs of the views taken by A.H. Barnes, of Ellensburg, while at the lake recently. He also has engaged Henry Crane, a noted artist of Spokane, to make a painting in oil of the saw tooth range near the lake, giving a view of the lake itself in the foreground. Mr. Crane visited the lake in July. Although he has seen many of the romantic resorts of Europe and has been in the far famed Himalaya Mountains of Asia, he was compelled to say that Chelan exceeds them all in beauty and grandeur.

Just as we go to press a rumor reaches this office that two prospectors up at the glacier, near the head of the lake, by means of ropes and gutting steps in the ice, have reached a hitherto unattainable point and have discovered a whole mountain of rich galena ore. We have no present means of verifying the report, however.

Superintended Nichols brought down some very rich samples of ore discovered on the summit by George Hall and Mr. Buzzard. They claim the ledge to be twenty feet wide and to crop out for 300 feet. It belonged to the Horseshoe Basin group.

Corroborative Evidence

The Wealth of Chelan District Not Exaggerated

The following, taken from a special to the Review, speaks for itself, and merely corroborates what has heretofore been published in the Leader regarding this district:

“M.M. Kingman and Al Pershall and his brother went up to the summit of the Cascades about ten days ago and by persistent effort made their way across one of the large glaciers near Horseshoe Basin, which drains into the Stehekin river and thence into Lake Chelan. Reaching a point above the glacier they managed to scale the peak which stand up far above the glacier and being in a more exposed position, was bare of snow. Near the summit of this peak, they discovered an immense ledge of galena, some 60 feet wide, cropping out for over 700 feet along the line of the lead. They state that the ledge shows plainly 20 feet of solid galena and about 40 feet of mixed rock or quartz intermixed with galena. No assays have yet been made but the ore indicates a large percentage of silver.

“The trip was attended with the most hazardous efforts, such as cutting footsteps in the ice where the least misstep would have sent the explorer down the steep incline into some awful gorge or break in the glacier, perhaps hundreds of feet deep. Late last fall Myers, Kingman and Pershall discovered the Black Warrior and Blue Devil mines in Horseshoe Basin, and bonded them to the Boston Co. for $28,000. The whole region in and about the head of Lake Chelan and its tributaries is proving to be rich in silver and gold, and promises to become one of the foremost camps in Washington. Certainly, no mining district as new as the Chelan district has ever shown more to induce capital to invest. One mine sold last week for $48,000, and negotiations are pending for the sale of others at similar figures.”

Miss Clara Barton, who has been spending some time camping on the lake, and who has travelled all over the world, says that Lake Chelan is the grandest, most impressive and delightful pleasure resort she has ever visited.

Miss Clara Barton and party took their departure from Lake Chelan for the east on Monday.

The Lake Chelan Railroad and Navigation Co. have made a careful inspection of the Stehekin Valley and report an entirely feasible route for a wagon road and railroad. L.H. Woodin, vice president of the company, accompanied Judge I.A. Navarre on the preliminary survey. P.H. Farley, Charles Woodin and Charles Harlan were also employed in the work. Ed Merritt and T.A. Wright have taken contracts to cut wood for the steamers of the company and have already commenced work.

John Wilson, for some time past employed in the Waterville Flouring Mills, moved his family to the head of Lake Chelan this week, where he has taken a ranch – Democrat

A good store has been established at the head of Lake Chelan, by a Mr. Cole. It is quite a convenience to the large number of lumbermen, miners, prospectors and tourists who visit that district, and is doing a good business.

A representative of the Leader was shown some magnificent ore specimens, on exhibition at the office of the Lake Chelan Railroad and Navigation Company in Chelan, brought from the Davenport mine on the summit, owned by Pershall and Kingman. Some of the samples would weigh 75 or 100 pounds and are nearly solid galena. Anyone having the least doubt of the richness of the Chelan district should look at them.

C. Robinson, of Chelan, was in town Tuesday and called the Leader office. We are indebted to the gentleman for quite a number of items of interest. He brought down several specimens of rich ore from the Crescent mine, in the Horseshoe Basin. One specimen, which had been subjected to heat, showed a solid lump of lead as a result, and another, only partly fused, showed in addition to lad considerable silver.

L.H. Wooding, who has visited a number of the principal mining regions of the United States, recently inspected the Horseshoe Basin and says he has never seen anything to compare with the Chelan district for richness and quantity of ore in sight.

The Richest Strike

Referring to the Chelan mining district, the Douglas County Democrat says:

Pershall and Kingman, the parties who bonded the Black Warrior and Blue Devil mines to the Boston syndicate this spring for $28,000, have recently made the richest strike of the season. They have located several thousand feet along the ledge, and in one place where one of the sidewalls has fallen away the pay shoot is five feet wide to a depth of about twenty feet, showing in that one place ore to the amount of $80,000 in actual measurement at the lowest rate. The ore is of the best quality yet found in these parts, being galena and showing no quartz at all in the pay shoot. The whole vein or lead is about twenty feet in width and can be traced on the surface for several thousand feet. The boys have a fine specimen at the head of the lake, weighing 75 pounds, which they carried on their backs from the summit to Horseshoe Basin.

The steamer City of Omaha is bringing down wood for the use of the steamer Belle, which makes regular trips to the head of the lake.

Mr. A.M. Pershall, of Chelan, arrived in Spokane this week, bringing with him a fine specimen of ore taken from the Davenport claim, which is located about 25 miles above the head of Lake Chelan. This claim was discovered some time ago, and made a good showing in the first assay. Work on the claim has been going on all summer, and a large vein has recently been struck which gives promise of being rich. An assay is now being made of the ore taken from the new find, and the owners, among whom are Spokane men, are in high sprits over their prospects. – Chronicle

Mrs. Hall, a lady who resides at the head of Lake Chelan, spent several days in this city last week. She was a guest of Mrs. J.H. Fielding.

The distance from the head of the lake to Bridge Creek is about 15 miles, and those who have been over the route says the road can be built with a small amount of labor and expense. They desire to build this portion of the road before snow falls, and complete the balance, about 15 miles, in the spring after the snow melts.

The road petitioned for by the people of Chelan and vicinity will, when finished, open the way from the head of Lake Chelan to the mining district of Chelan, Bridge Creek and Horsehoe Basin, which have recently been attracting considerable attention, and in which many promising discoveries have been made during the past season. The prospectors and miners in these districts, and the people of Chelan and vicinity, many of whom are intered in the mines, are very anxious to have the road surveyed as far as Bridge Creek at once, and in this event have volunteered to build that much of the road this fall.

C.H. Cole, the enterprising merchant at the head of Lake Chelan, passed through Chelan Falls Sunday on his way to Waterville, and in an interview with the Leader reporter said that everything is looking promising for the future of the Chelan mining district. Probably the riches and most extensive bodies of precious metal in the United States are in this disctict. In one large vein ore has been discovered the past summer that assays over $800 to the ton, and in another $300, while the amount of ore that will run from $35 to $150 per ton is simply incalculable and inexhaustible. Mr. Cole is the owner of two promising mines besides being part owner of a number of others, and he is about closing a deal fro a half interest in one of them at a good figure. He expects his wife and family from Seattle, via Ellensburg, in a few days, P.H. Farley having gone to meet them at the latter point.

Dan Devore is clearing the timber at the head of Lake Chelan and preparing to build extensive docks on the south side of the Stehekin river, so the Leader is informed.

The snow is reported to be a foot deep at Bridge.

Frank Wilkeson and his son Bayard, who stopped a day or two in this city two weeks or more ago, are spending several weeks at the head of the lake. The elder of the gentlemen, it is learned, is connected with an influential eastern journal, and will probably furnish a good write-up of the beauties and resources of the Chelan country for publication.

The mining properties beyond the head of Lake Chelan grow into grand proportions as one enquires into their worth. There will one day be the wildest mining excitement about the Stehekin and Bridge Creek, that the state of Washington has ever known.

The steamer Belle has been regular trips on Wednesday this fall, but will change her day to Thursday after the next trip.

Coming to the Front

Immense Resources of Okanogan County

The State of Washington Leads them All

Railroad for Chelan Falls – Mining on the Methow and Icicle – Successful Rafting

F.W. Dunn of Seattle arrived in the city yesterday and registered at the Spokane, says the Spokane Review. The gentleman is a mining expert of acknowledged prominence and with his associates has been mainly instrumental in bringing the mines of western Washington to the front. To a Review reporter Mr. Dunn said: “I am on my way to the Okanogan mines. The prospect of early railway construction up the Okanogan river is bringing the mines of that section into greater prominence than ever. Capital fights very shy of new camps until transportation is readily available, and then it goes in with a rush.

“Of course, with free milling gold camps transpiration does not cut much of a figure. The successful operation of the Black Bear and War Eagle mill at Palmer Mt. is giving Okanogan county a great deal of prestige. More active interest is taken in mines by the people of western Washington than in the entire northwest. A great mean important discovery has been made during the past season upon both sides of the summit of the Cascades. One of the greatest groups of galena properties ever discovered is on this sloe of the range, above Lake Chelan. It is located on the headwaters of Pierce (of Stehekin) river, in what is known as the Horseshoe Basin, about 20 miles from Lake Chelan. A very satisfactory railroad route has been surveyed from the lake to the mines.

“There are 21 parallel veins of galena. In the aggregate there is 246 feet of ore. A tunnel one mile in length will cross cut all of these veins at a depth raging from 250 feet to 2200 feet. A complete electric lant will be taken into the camp in the early spring for use in driving this tunnel. A magnificent water power exists within 60 feet of the entrance to the tunnel. The proposition is a concentrating ore and will be equipped with a 250-ton plant in the spring.

“The state of Washington is rapidly becoming the center of attraction for mining capitalists, and every indication point to unparalleled activity next year.”