Elk City mining news., January 02, 1904, Image 1

About Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
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Vol. I, No. 2
Elk City, Idaho, Jarftiary 2, 1904
$2.oo The Year
OUR. POSITION OUTLINED
A Clear Enunciation of Our Rights—Answer to Forester Pin
chot's Letter, Asking for Additional Information Re
lating to Our Petition for Relief.
The Elk City Mining News has been founded by the public spirited citi
zens of this community, first, in the general interest of this immediate territory,
and, secondly, though not least, with a far broader aim in view, namely, that of
carrying into practical effect, the soonest possible, the spirit and aim of our
memorable mass meeting of November 29th last. This meeting was truly rep
resentative of not only Elk City and its mining district, but of all the contig
uous mining districts of this territory as well, the leading citizens of which had
fully endorsed our action.
Indeed, now after a fair trial. Forest Reserve laws, rules and regulations
are still intolerable to our whole population. And even in high places at Wash
ington, they are admitted to be a decided failure, the repeal of them being al
ready promised.
Thus, the same as on the walls at the famous feast of Belshazzar the fa
tal "Mene, mene tekel upharsin" was, at God's command, written by a. psychic
hand, so likewise, by the hand of public opinion—"Vox populi, vox Dei"—the
Federal Forest Reserve department of this section, in spite of its recognized
good intentions, has also been ' 'weighed in the balance and found wanting. ' '
Thus, it must now be eliminated from our midst.
Furthermore, by reason of our former total inexperience in such matters,
this whole official experiment, in Forest Reserve- administration, was forced up
on our unsophisticated and unsuspecting population, as a "thief in the night,"
or as "wolves break into the fold." .
In fact, it would now seem, that, in Federal language, the word "Re
serve" could convey to the official mind, no other meaning than that of the
word "Reservation"—Indian reservation for example, etc. And thus by natural
association of ideas and official induction, Washington bureaucrats nuconscious
ly, as it were, thought of us far more as of American Indians, than of as Amer
ican citizens.
Be that as it may, however, one thing is quite certain, namely, that this
whole territory has been practically ' 'tricked' ' and placed indeffinitely beyond
the control of our own state.
Thus far we have been "as lambs, dumb before the shearer's" of our
rights. We have "borne our cross" and worn, as complacently as possible, our
official "crown of thorns," but we now object being "nailed" indeffinitely "to"
the cross.". Indeed, we are not going to allow our best and most vital interests
'i
1
and those of our children, to be uselessly and stupidly "crucified," simply to
create smecu.- 's, more or less, and "papa" g«.-- .ally; In other words,
we are going to be free, like all other citizens of our great state.
Let us remember, that the tax on tea in 1773 was really not heavy or
burdensome. But our forefathers threw the tea into Boston harbor, just the
Same—because of the PRINCIPLE involved. Again, at the time of the great
Reformation under Luther, the Church of Rome, generally speaking, was far
from being tyrannical or oppressive. But in 1520 Luther burned the papal
"bull" at the Elster gate of Wittenberg, just the same, by reason of the princi
And, finally, we fought out our long and cruel civil war in the
*
pie involved.
"60'ties" on the principle of slavery, in which, practically speaking, our whole
North had no tangible concern; the same as our late Spanish war was begun
more as a matter of principle, than for any practical consideration, so called.
In other words, nations, states and communities must be guided in all
their general politics by PRINCIPLE, and by principle alone. Consequently as
the community of intelligent and patriotic American citizens, which we are, let
profit by this experience among all nations, past and present, and abide
wholly by the fundamental principles involved in the common laws of our land
and under which all other American communities have lived and prospered since
Constitution was framed and our Republic founded.
Now the principle involved is this, that the Federal authorities at Wash
ington is practically the custodians simply of government lands in each state
which are to be held as such until the state judges it to be in the interests of
the local population that these lands be thrown open for settlement under the
laws ruling elsewhere all such public measures. And the end wisely
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our
common
proposed is to assure the absolute control deffinitely of all its awn territory by
the state as well as affording the greatest facilities and freedom possible for the
building up and maintainance of free and independent homes and family centers
throughout all our Union. This, indeed, in the final end and aim of all our
characteristic American institutions, as the best incarnation yet realized of the
fundamental economic principles and movement of our whole democratic and
Christian civilization since the three thousand years ago when the ancient
Children of Israel entered the Promised Land of Palestine, where the first and
second republics of our grand civilization were founded as prototypes and pre
cursors of our great scientific and evangelical republic of the present day.
In fine, to create in an ever-increasing number independent and respecta
ble homes and family-centers, throughout the length and breadth of our fair
land is the only reliable and enlightened criterion, as a measure by which we
can judge what is right and what is wrong, or general principles—what is to be
accepted and what rejected—in the present Forest Reserve "imbroglio" in
which official stupidity has now thoroughly involved us.
\
The citizens of Elk City and district
will long remember November 29, 1903.
On that memorable day our local
Declaration of Independence was pract
ically made in our old town hall under
the Stars and Stripes bespangling its
ceiling and walls of roughly hewed logs,
that grew onthese noble lulls here in
God s own countrj.
Indeed, never werelthe people of this
whole section more firmly determined
than since that meeting, to enforce
their rights as free American citizens,,
not of any one special class, but off all
classes alike, and burst the- 1 bnterable
OUR. FIRST PROTEST.
.bonds of red-tape, that have sc unriecèS*
sarily and ridiculously, but most annoy
ing'y, hampered and irritated them
since the last few years.
In i n are now going to n
as fast as «ft rtditnt; unto *he coc
biws of thl4h«d, with fell classes *£ our
on
r
.■
citizens placed on an ^ footing foe
we want no class legislation in this tru
. . .
y mencan sec ion. ...
^ territory ^is 6 particullrîv
y J
adapted by nature herself to mining, to
« o a exc "j" 0 ? * ° ae " C1 V'
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mining indu ; try £ostei .; d the fu ' n ex :
tent of the common Ww« Ret —e bnlH
he done with nitelW-e •
and therefore without favor -
iSfaL ? hS enT S
y , _ f our 5 ommunitv whirl,
^ ited "d homoe'enéous ()r
else we can ney >er ë '
LETTER to SENATOR DUBOIS.
We. the comi "tt-*»e undersign
Elk City, Idado, Dec. 28, 1903.
Hon. Fred T. Dubci?,
United States Senate,
Dear Sir;—
CHANGE of DATE of ISSUE
Hereä f ter tffie Mining News will be
issued Saturday mornings. The price
of subscription wjll remain the same.
ed, representing the citizens of Elk
City and contiguous mining districts, in
their united protest against Forest Re
serve injustice and annoyance, have
duly received your much esteemed favor
of the 17th of December, in reply to our
recent letter of protest to you on De
cember 2nd.
It is with great pleasure that we have
read the letter you enclosed us, which
was written you from Washington, D.
C;, by Honorable Gifford Pinchot, For
ester, and in which, as you remark, we
can plainly see "a substantial com
pliance with the tenor" of our "peti
tion."
Indeed, Mr. Pinchot assures us, that
"the Forest Reserve rules and regula
tions," of which we justly complain,
"apply more strictly to other communi
ties than to us," and that "they will be
changed and practically eliminated, to
the extent that a discussion of them
need in no way affect the Forest Re
serve matter under consideration," or
to be hereafter discussed by our com
munity with the proper authorities at
Washington.
Consequently, we construe the above
assurance, as making it now unneces
sary for us to forward, through you,
our "affidavits on specific cases of an
objectionable nature," to Mr. Pinchot,
he had the kindness to suggest, and
that matters are fortunately simplified
for our committee.
This we consider as a great victory
already gained by our citizens for all
the mining districts involved, especially
also read the following in Mr
as
as we
Pinchot's very considerate letter, name
ly, that "the Bureau of Forestry has
information which indicates that a cer
tain portion of this reserve shall be
eliminated pnd arragn.-..mints will be
made for a thorough examination ami
report on the subject St an early date. "
In other words, thus does Mr. Pinchot,
Forester, fully conceed the fundamen
tal principle for which we are contend
ing, namely, "that a certain portion of
this reserve shall be eliminated." And
we hereby thank him most cordially for
this timely information.
But the principle once conceeded then
it must necessarily follow, that, we, as
American citizens and especially as the
actual inhabitants of this whole section,
alone have the sole right to deter
mine, on general lines, to what extent
our country shall return under the com
mon laws of the land, well tried and
long established precedents of which
none of us can be justly deprived.
As you can see, dear sir, with us the
present contention with the Federal
authorities is not simply a geographical,
local or topographical question, or that
of being placed under one Federal de
partment rather than another. Indeed,
with us, as with all the mining districts
we want eliminated from direct and un
necessary Federal authority ''in our
state, this matter is essentially a ques
tion of fundamental American princi
ples, based on our unalienable and con
stitutional rights, as free American
citizens of the state of Idaho, and from
this position we cannot, nor do we in
tend in any way to receed.
And to you, as our friend and advo
cate, in this great matter of far-reach
ing ; mport, we now state, that this
committee, as representing the spirit
and aims of this whole community and
. . . ... ,_. . .
advisad position unless, in last resort.
the Supreme Court of the United States
sh ° Uld dedide that ° Ur dcmands are un '
warranted and^untenable.
Furthermore, we take-this firm stand
a™* enunciate it unequivocally at this
our first favorable opportunity, . h< t on
ly because we are thoroughly convinced,
that in it are directly involved one of
tbe greatest and safest of principles of
our characteristic American institutions
~ aS wel1 88 the best and most vital in '
1 terests of the P resent and f U ture inhab -
!tants of this whole territory, and of all
classes alike-but also because wo con
tend, at the same time, that it k only
j under the free reign of the well-tried
; common laws of the land, tluft this
greatest and/rawest of quartz mining
sections of our state can be properly
developed and justly prosper.
* In find,-if the politicians, bureau
c >its and grafters at Washington wish
GOLDEN DOVE GROUP
A Laurel Hill Property that has an Exceptional Gocd Show
ing, and Development to a Depth of One Hündred Feet
Shows a Strong Ledge and Good Values.
It will be the studied policy of the Mining News to make no statements in its
columns respecting raining property in this territory, that cannot be equivocally
and honorably substantiated. Now, or never is the grand opportunity for this
whole mining-section to adopt, and enforce, a policy of strict honesty towards
the investing public. Therefore we must uncompromisingly expunge from our
midst, and refuse to countenance, any get-rich-quick schemes, whether of the
dishonest prospector and mining man, or swindling mining promoters or ' 'fiscal
agents," so-called of mining companies in eastern cities, where daily the invest
ing public is duped daily through their stocks. In fact, with many of these so
called "fiscal agents," the forming of a raining company and the issue of a large
capitalization of stock has no other result on their part than swindling in retail
and by wholesale, either in selling their fraudulent shares for cash
more often the case, trading them for property of some kind.
Thps incalcuable harm is done to the mining industry, which is the great
est in the world, comparatively speaking, so far as real civilization and progress
is concerned, and which, of ail western industries, is to be the most carefully
fostered and protected.
But especially in this section it would be most inexcusable for our mining
community to do otherwise, because we have, right here in our midst, such an
abundance of good, first-class mining property to offer investors. Indeed, it is
the candid opinion of every experienced and reliable mining man, who has look
ed the district over with impartiality, thut there is nowhere to be found in the
whole state, such an immense number of large, well-defined time fissure veins of
gold bearing quartz, where anyone, even the most inexperienced person in min
ing, ean easily pan "free-gold" out of quartz picked up at random, so to speak,
by simply pounding it fine in a hand mortar and "panning," that is to say,
washing it in a little water. In other words the surface proofs and indications
of large gold bearing quartz veins are simply immense throughout this whole
section.
or, as is
From the local sources have come the millions and millions of dollars worth
of placer gold that has been mined and washed out of eveiy cut and gulch in
this whole section. Thus out of French Gulch, some six miles southeast from
Elk City, over $1,000,000 in placer gold was taken out from bedrock along a
short space of about one and one-half miles, and at the present moment the bot
tom and sides of this whole gulch are covered over with thousands of tons of
gold bearing quartz, a great quantity of which would pay handsomely with
stamp mill. AB thife gold and quartz hjtve come fro'p the quartz veins that run
along the mountain above the gulch, which is locally known as Laurel Hill. And
one of the large veins of this belt is situated on the claims known as the Golden
Dove, the Prospector's Dream and Peg Leg, making the Golden Dove group.
This group of claims is owned by John Massam, J. B. Hen
nager and Robert Vent, all three of whom are strictly reliable
prospectors and miners and for the whole community will vouch, if
need be. On the surface these claims are opened up by crosscuts
every one hundred feet for a distance of over 3000 feet on the vein,
showing it to be uniformally from six to over twelve feet wide of
solid quartz and which "pans" free gold, more or less, with
values from $6 up to $150. As to the underground development of
the property, it consists of a drift or tunnel run in on the vein from
the side of the placer gulch for a distance of 250 feet and
depth of about 100 feet. Throughout this tunnel there
cuts exposing the ore, showing it to be from six to fourteen feet
wide with slicken sides on both walls, proving it to be a fissure
vein.
|
a
assay
gaming a
are cross
The assay value of this fourteen feet across the vein is from
$12 to $14. Furthermore, in the immediate vicinity is a great
water power on Red river, more than sufficient to run a large mill
with an abundance of wood on the property for all
vein described above is cut by a crosscut tunnel on the adjoining
property at a similar depth and also shows there the
big bodies of ore with like values,
prospect is only a fair type of many other goof properties in this
vicinity, where only a little capital is needed to make them divi
dend payers.
purposes. The
same
And this fine and promising
to try their hand on western forest re
serves, they must go to some other sec
tion, for the worid is moving, li fe is
short and we have neither vhe time nor
common law of the Republic, as is now
doubly our unquestionable rie-ht
Moreover, dear sir, we make the
above statement clearly and advisedly
to you at the present moment, that,
fully undesstanding each other mutually
from the very start, thus avoiding, wo
trust, any time and labor lost, as wel'.
as any unnecessary suspense and une er
tainty tr> our whole community.
With this same end in view, we also
forward a similar statement of our po
siticn and demands to your honorable
colleague. Senator Heyburri, who, as
you can see by the first number of our
Elk City Mining News, we send you,
has formerly promised us. by letter, to
introduce, at an early date, a bill in
favor, ajong the lines suggested in our
,-ecent protest of December 2nd.
the inclination to stand still and let
periments on us. They have had "a
fair show" and we are tired of it.
Therefore we must return under the
Now, nr you haro already seen,
dear
sir, in that letter of protest,
state, but in outline simply, that
united .people wish withdrawn from the
Bitter Root Forest Reserve, now under
exclusive Federal control, ail that
tion of our territory embraced within
the following general lines, namely:
"From the middle fork of the Clear
water river on the north, to the main
Salmon river Tin the south, and from
the west limits of the Reserve to the
Montana line oh the east."
we ;
tai.y
oui
As to the maps of the above tcrr : -
t^ry, we send you the best one wc have,
as suggested by Mr. Pinchot. But as
to "the description of these Ian's.
showing their location and character, "
a * also suggesteJT.y Mr. Pinchot
heg you to refer him to the special U.
S. Forest Reserve maps and documente,
on this particular section involved, and
Which, naturally, we have not at out
disposal.
Furthermore, ourselves,
the whole territory, being located
unsurveyed lands, any description,
fear, we nrght attempt to make,
suggested, would probably be consider
ed officially at Washington, a§ mere o»
per
we
as well as
on
we
as
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