Elk City mining news., January 30, 1904, Image 1

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

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V
EIK. City Mining News
Elk City, Idaho, January 30, 1904
$2.oo The Year
Vol. I, No. 5
MANY AFFIDAVITS MADE
By Business Men and Mine Operators Concerning Forest Re
serve Abuses. —They Bring to Light a Startling State
of Affairs.—More Are to Come.
The affidavits so far secured by the Miners' and Business
Mens' committee brings to view a startling state of affairs as re
lating to the administration of the Bitter Root forest reserve—a
condition of affairs* so revolutionary as to be incredible were the
testimony setting them forth not given under oath by some of the
Of course tins paper recognizes, and
admits in advance, the truth and correctness of the position as
sumed by the apologists for the administration, that those rules
and regulations are in direct line with the general tenor of the
national administration in its forest reserve policy, which seems to
be a policy of "the people be durned.
For example. Mr. B—. a settler, for a cash or money con
sideration, secured possessory right to a ranch and after expending
several hundred dollars in buildings, fences, etc., ig notified by the
reserve agents that inasmuch as the secretary of the interior re
fused to recognise his right to settle in or hold land upon said re
serve, he is notified to vacate. When this order is taken in connec
tion with another ruling, it will be seen that the secretary of the
interior arrogates to his illustrous self the right of confiscation.
Thus, the before mentioned ruling is to the following effect: Ttyat
any business established prior to the withdrawal of the forest re
serve from the public domain will be unmolested, but any one de
siring to buy it since then, will do so at the risk of being refused
permission to continue the business, which amounts in effect to
„confiscation.
best citizens of the district.
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All this regardless of, and in contradiction to, the assurances
that the forest reserve would in no way interfere with settlement
or industries of any kind which did not militate against the nation
al protection of the forests. The mining industry especially was to
be fostered. Let us see how it is being done. Among the first
requisites for the successful development of a mine is a wagon
road, for the building of which the miner or operator must secure
a permit, and he must, in order to secure this permit, give bonds
in a sum nominated by the department, that he will respect snd
obey all and sundry of some fourteen impossible rules, and also see
to it that his neighbors obey the same or to be reported, and dis
obedjance of which on his part works forfeiture of bond and permit.
It is a fact that some of these agents claim the royal prerog
ative of prying into and inspecting private businesses. It. is a fact
that at least upon one occasion demand was make upon a mine
manager to the effect that he produce the company's books for the
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enlightenment of the agent as to mill runs, assay returns, etc. It
is also a fact susceptiole of proof that rangers are instructed to ex
amine and pass upon the mineral standing of mining properties,
correctness of U. S. mineral surveys, etc. The fact that the rang
ers selected for this duty, so far as this section is concerned, being
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as ignorant as an Eskimo on both subjects, seemed to cut no figure
with the department.
V
Mail RouLc to the Hump.
Ed. Mining News:
In a new country like this, various
changes and improvements are needed
as the development progresses, but such
changes are seldom made unless the
movement is started by the people di
rectly concerned.
One of these improvements' is a
change in the stage routes carrying the
mails to the Hump. The part of Cen
tral Idaho between Salmon river and
the middle fork of the CRearwater is at
present served by two main routes; one
from Stites to Eik City, and thence to
Dixie; the other from Stites to Grange
ville, thence, via Adams, to Hump.
As is well known the road from
Adams to Hump is the worst in this
part of the country—almost impassable
in summer and often impassable for
days and even weeks at a time in win
ter.
Instead of the stage line from Adams,
Hump would be better served by stage
from Elk City, over roads passable
every day throughout the year, and
would also cany the mail to Orogrande
At present Calendar
and Calendar,
gets its mail from Hump but Orogrande
has to be satisfied with getting its mail
once a week, or when some business
man has occasion to make the trip
from Elk City, as there is no regular
earner.
The length of the two routes is pract
ically the sanie, as it is twënty-six
miles from Adams to Hump and twen
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ty-five miles from Elk City to Hump;
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but better roads, more regular service,
and two additional postoffices served,
are points in favor of the latter route.
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DENNIS CLARK RUNS EAGLE
Appointed Manager at Special Meet
ing of American Eagle Co.
A special meeting of the stockholders
of the American Eagle Mining company
was held last Saturday afternoon to
amend the bylaws so that the company
can employ a secretary who is not a
member of the board of trustees. The
woi'k of the secretary has become so
great that the company wishes to have
some man devote his entire time to it.
The board of trustees has appointed
Dennis Clark as manager of the prop
erties of the company. Since the res
ignation of R. M. Sherman last October
there has been no manager. Mr. Clark
will make regular trips of inspection
from Spokane to the properties near
here.
The report of Secretary C. H. Met
riam to the stockolders showed that
during the past year $72,000 has been
taken out of the properties and 1500
feet of development work done.
WILL INVESTIGATE.
Mining Bureau Will Have PosLoffice
Dept. Look Into Imperial Corona Co.
i The Lewiston Tribune says that as
i soon as the general import of the pros
pectus of the .Imperial Corona Co. was
brought to the attention of the mining
bureau it began an active inquiry among
members in the Elk City district to
learn the true conditions of the proper
ties represented in the literature uss 1
i
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! by the Impenal Corona Co. The bu eai
J r
has also commenced communication
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w *th the postoffice department to have
*-he operations of the company invc st -
gated.
CENTRAL IDAHO MINING BUREAU
A Recent. Visitor Gives His Impres
sions—Ore to St. Louis.
The following article was handed in
by a recent visitor from here to the
Central Idah© Mining Bureau at Lewis
top:
"While in Lewiston recently we visit
ed the headquarters of the Central
Idaho Mining Bureau. The first im
pression one receives upon entering the
door is one of satisfaction, the large
room extending through the length
of the Theissen block, one of Lewiston's
finest structures, well lighted and com
modious, and the furnishings and set
tings of which are such as to afford the
visitor a feeling of welcome that is a
surprise, instead of, as the case might
easily be, a feeling that he is a stranger
among strangers, and has no interest in
'the establishment.
"Ranged along the walls, and in the
the center of the room, are racks for
the display of ores, and several glass
cases, with specimens, nuggats and val
uable curios, all which goes to form an
exhibit that appeals to the casual visi
tor, although he be not interested in
the mining industry.
"There are samples and specimens
from several hundred mines and pros
pects in Central Idaho, all arranged by
camps and districts, and showing a
great diversity of character, from the
high grade copper of the Snake river
country, to our own free milling ores,
and all sorts between, so an investor,
seeking opportunities to deal in mines,
can find them, of whatever kind.
"The bureau is officered by men of
repute. Frank Brown, the president,
is well known to the readers of this
paper, and his perseverance and per
sonal aid have been great factors in the
establishment and maintainance of the
organization. Fred Wood, secretary,
is in charge of the exhibits, and, while
his time is fully occupied in attending
to the voluminous correspondence, the
stranger can always depend upon him
to give explanations regarding any of
the ores. Mr. Wood is an enthusiastic
and able worker for the bureau, and it
g-reatly due to his handling of affairs
that the organization has gained the
pos ;tj on now occupies in the financial
system of the country,
"Hardly a day passes but ( brings in
guides from investors and commercial
clubs 111 the east > seeking information
about certain properties, or in general,
and while the £ ure au is not in any man
ner occupied in dealing in mines, yet
through its representatives in the dif
through its representatives in the dif
ferent camps, it keeps posted on the
different properties, and thus, is en
abled to protect those who inquire,
against "wild catting," and. also in this
manner helps to protect the districts
against the evils resulting from such
nefarious practices.
' 'The bureau is at present collecting
ores and samples for shipment to the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, to rep
resent our section of the state in the
Several
the camp to see that we are well
represented at the St. Louis fair, and,
mines and mineral exhibit,
properties from Elk City district will be
represented there, but not nearly so
many proportionately, as other camps
of less merit and note. The Elk City
section at the bureau contains less than
a dozen exhibits, and this opportunity
is taken to call the attention of the
mine owners of this section to the fact
that it is to the best interest of
if they will bring samples of their char
acteristic ores to Elk City, in lots of
from 50 to 100 pounds, they will be
shipped from there without further ex
pense to them.
"Ores left at the stage office, in Bas
kett's drug store, will be at once ship
ped. The time is limited, as the car of
ores will leave Lewiston early next
month. The representative of the Bu
reau for this district has not had the
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time at his disposal necessary to the
correct handling of his duties, but he
trusts in the near future to be able to
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get out among the mine owners and
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gam their support, as an interest shown
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in the affairs of the Bureau will reflect
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upon us, the importance of which has
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been heretofore somewhat underesti
All the leading magazines and illus
trated weeklies at the P. O. Newstand.
mated."
The BEN HUR LOOKS GOOD
Jim McCaffrey, Owner of the Propety, Finishes up his Assess
ment Work.—He Gives an Interesting Skecth of the
Crooked River Section.
Jim McCaffrey is in from the Ben Hur group for the win
ter, having completed his assessment work. In conversation with
a Mining News reporter regarding the Crooked river section in
general and the Ben Hur in particular, he said:
' 'Down on Crooked river we have a system of dikes instead
of ledges, although there are quartz croppings, but they ultimately
blend with the dikes, the geological formation of which is a con
glomerate, the component parts of which I am not competent to
pass upon. What is considered, however so far, the best mineral
bearing formation in those great bodies of ore, is known locally as
Hoganite, named after William Hogan, the man who discovered its
commercial value, but it differs some in following the course of the
zone. Thus the Vendetta group is Hoganite, the Le Roy is appar
ently a blend of gneiss and schist, the Porphyry Queen is of a
somewhat spathic nature intersperced with porphyry, the Ben
Hur, while similar in a lesser degree, is principally Hoganite. The
values, as reported, are fairly uniform, generally from two to five
dollars. This summary does not include the Hogan properties,
which are so well known as to need no description by me.
"The Ben Hur consists of two quartz claims, the Ben Hur
and Ben Israel, located 1902 and two placer claims, the Ben Hur
and Ben Israel, located in January of this year. Mike Murray was
formerly associated with me in the quartz claims, but I have se
cured his interests which makes me sole owner of the entire group.
On the Ben Hur the dike stands above the country formation from
25 to 200 feet with an apparent basic width of 150 feet. It is there
fore an obviously simple proposition to prospect or develop, which
I hope to be able to accomplish this coming summer—not so simple,
of course, or so rich as the "Imperial Corona," but still pretty
good. In connection with this group I have located a water right
appropriating the entire river, which will gfve me when completed
100 foot head and power enough to run 1000 stamps. The ore can
be mined and milled for less than 75 cents per ton and almost any
old rock along the course of those dikes will assay $2. In looking
over that section down there a man, especially a prospector, would
be tempted to believe that, if, Providence took stock in such trifles
as gold hunting, it designed existing conditions with ar. eye single
to just such an emergency. For in order to work these low grade
ore bodies at- a profit, we must have cheap, therefore natural,
power. Crooked river has a fall of 100 feet to the mile, therefore
for every mile of river there is power to run several hundred
stamps. Yes, I know*, you will say, in order to follow the matter
to a logical conclusion, it would be necessary to have a dike at the
end of each of those miles, but who knows? Providence may not
have located those dikes with mathematical precision as regards to
feet and furlongs, but they are probably near enough for all praci
cal purposes. I hear of several dikes further down the river and
while this class of mining is still in its infancy in this section I
look for a great mining center down there in the comparatively
near future,
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Good Quartz On liTe Union Group
A good strike was made this week on
the Union group. This property is sit
uated about two miles east of the Amer
ican Eagle mine and is owned by the
Mammoth and Great Eastern mining
company, with head offices at Chatham,
Ontario. Andrew Prader is resident
Work was commenced on the proper
ty last summer and a number of open
cuts made, exposing the ledge for a
distance of 300 feet and carrying a good
grade of ore. A crosscut tunnel was
run 85 feet to cut a porphyry dike which
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proved to be twenty-five feet wide and
j on the further side a six foot vein of
1 quartz was cut. A drift was then start-1
manager.
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News Strikes Near the Le Roy
Frank Hye, superintendent of the Le
Roy Gold Mining company, operating
on Crooked river, eleven miles from
] Elk City, was in from the property yes
! terday on a business trip. In speaking
of that section of the district he said:
'I have recently opened up a couple
of very nice ledges in that immediate
vicinity. One is a ledge five feet wide
j J b
I of nice free milling quartz which will
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assay from $4.50 to $95 per ton, The
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ledge is well defined, showing both
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walls and showing it to be a true fissure
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vein. This is located about three miles
south of the Le Roy group of claims on
Crooked river. 1 have also opened up a
ledge eight feet wide on the Wall Street
ed in the porphyry and run 67 feet when
the quartz lead was again crosscut,
it still being six feet wide and with the
same grade of ore. The drift was con
! tinned on a hundred feet and a third
j crosscut made. Here the vein narrow
I ed to three and a half feet, but the ore
is of a better grade and a great deal of
gold being visible to the naked eye.
j Mr. Prader is much pleased with the
j showing made and will construct a
wagon road to the property in the
3pring- iIe vvill also put i n a hoist and
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sink a deep shaft. There are a number
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. of other ledges on the property but are
not yet developed.
group that will assay from $3 to as high
ag This group is located about two
miles south of the Le Roy group.
"The Le Roy tunnel is being driven
in as rapidly as possible with a day and
night shift, and also are erecting a saw
mill to out the lumber for the stamp
mill, which is now on the ground."
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