SEMI-W BEKLY
THE WEISER SIGNAL.
Smallest Issue Duriu* TToar 1801, llBO|
Ii»r(est Issue, 8100.
twentieth year.
WEISER, IDAHO. WEDNESDAY. JULY 30, 1S02.
No. 66
I!
1
J'
r
SPRINGS CO. PROMISES
FORD OPERATIONS.
TO RIYAL
IRON
For long years Washington County
has struggled against every imugm
Me adversity and drawback to get
her mining industry on a productive
Mineral, Ruthburg, Seven
loniin?.
[Devils and other districts have in
H tur ,i shown prospects of being able
|j!|H to hreak the bonds that seem to hold
■ us fast, and as regularly has some
■ unjust condition or fateful esuse set
I the day of deliverance. It appears
■ that Dlack Lake, a district we never
I mentioned until two or three years
■ ago, will be the locality to pull us
I out of the mire and establish our
Pfl mineral reputation on a busts that
I will enable us to secure the capital
■ necessary to open one of the greatest
Travelers Give Testimony on Thunder Mountain.
Symposium by Several Sojourners,
S
S
s
s
l
te in the Review.
Sokegraan-Review.
J. W. Ross, who writes that he
has just returned from a trip to
Thunder Mountain, writes in defense
of the camp, and he reproaches the
critics of the camp witli whom inter
views have been published in The
Spokesman-Review. He writes:
"To the Editor ot The Spokes
man review: Thunder Mountain is
not a fake as it was termed by a
critic in not altogether a recent issue,
and if that party had investigated
and prospected the district ss some
others have done, we believe that bis
opinion regarding the camp might be
a little different. A man that only
tpenps two days in a section of a
country within 10 miles spuare of
Thunder Mt., one going one and one
half miles up Mule creek from Roose
rail to the Dewey mine and one
«hoeing horses for the return trip
knows very little of it and his opin
ions are worthless.
"J. Colmorgan and I left Spokane
on May 24.
"On arriving at Thunder Mountain
City, we found it to consist mainly
of tents, about 40 in nutuner, some
of which have been replsced by log
cabins and business houses. Four
miles south from there mid up Mon
vimenlal creek we came to Roosevelt
and found it much like the former
town. Tents could be seen in every
direction wiib here and there a log
cabin. Mirny of these tents have
also been replaced by more substant
a 'l structures, and in two or three
mtances wbipsawed lumbee was used
for flooring, counters, benches,etc
"On prospecting in the imn.ed>ae
vieinity of the Dewey we found it to
nearly allstakid, bu> on prospect
ln g farther out we found some very
desirable locations. Any parlies
wishing to go in there need not be
»Laid but what there is just as good
a showing still open for location as
what is already staked.
''The country is more or less a lava
formation with large dykes of gold
bearing porphyry. The ore is most
be
ly low grade, but very soft, making
H very easy to mine a< d mill.
"In the article previously referred
to, the writer says, 'that he did not
mineral hells in the west. The Fords
have the honor of placing the first
complete mining camp in Washing
ton county ami next season they will
astonish the mining world. Tliev
now have one million dollars worth
of ore on the dump, thousands of
tons blocked out for sloping and de
velopment for opening of new bod
ies going on. They will get the
irsmway ami pipe line in fora short
run this fall but not until next sea
son can they have a fair opportunity
to prove the mineral pre eminence of
Black Lake.
The Iron Springs Mining Co , op
erating at Paradise Flat, bids fair to
bring a second group to the same
I
see a prospector but what was dis
gusted with the camp.' The trouble
was he met too many tenderfeet, trail
prospectors that never leave their
campfires, End close their eyes at
night with the expectation of seeing
upon opening them at a very late
hour, huge boulders of glittering gold
that have rolled down the mountain
side.
"There are also complaints among
many that they can not get colors
The main trouble is they do not
pound the rock fine enough.
"Thunder Mountain will in time,
make a big gold camp. At the
present time the cost and inconven
ience of transporting freight and
machinery, which will be necessary
to economically work the mines, are
too great. What the country wants
to bring it to the front and rank with
some of our greatest gold producing
esmps, is a wagon road,railroad, or
both, and when that is accomplished,
whsch will take some time even if
immediate steps are taken for the
construction of the same, the camp
will stand on the foundation of its own
merits
J. W. Ross.
Jones Is Jubilant
Another Colorado man, Mr. 1. T.
Jones, is condemning the condemn
ers and in a two column article iu
the Colorado Springs Telegram, he
takes to task men from his slate who
made flying trips on top of the snow
to Thunder Mt. and then went back
to Colorado to pronounce the country
no good.
Jones says: "The future of Thun
der Mountain is very bright—so
bright that we are all contented to
ileny ourselves the pleasures of fair
Colorado for an indefinite period and
cast our lot here,
coming our way from Boise today,
and when they reach u* the sense of
desolation and isolation will surren
der to the charm ot communication."
Telling of his experience over the
Boise trail, he says; "After leaving
the transfer station in Bear valley
and taking the trail, Elk Summit,
Mails will be
which is at tbe source of Elk creek,a
tributary of tbe Salmon river, is first
encountered, and tbe north slope is
la covered with snow and slush,
prominence, while never.il important
transfers of other property show
that Black Lake is now on a roail to
fame, and there are no present indi
cations of a hreak in the proceedings
or any financial adversities to con
tend with as in other dist'icts
C. F. Macey, snpeiintendenlof the
Iron Springs Co , is in Weiser pur
chasing supplies for the mines and
he thinks several cars of machinery,
hoUt«, air compressors, steam drills,
etc., will be ordered this fall and that
a complete milling plant will shortly
follow. Mr. Macey is now building
a wagon road from Black Lake
around to Paradise Flat one and a
half miles, in order to facilitate de
velopment, A force of seven men
are now on the group of a dozen
claims owned by the company. The
laigest tunnel is 250 feet and the
greatest depth is 185 feet. The force
will be increased and work continued
all winter. The president of this
company is J. E Neveu of Youngs
town, Ohio, and other Youngstown
people and Pittsburg parties are in
terested.
Story of a Frontiersman.
Once upon a time there was a
merchant who who thought himself
the proper stuff. He had one whole
sale house he favored with all his
making the trail very boggy and
slippery. The same condition pre
vails on tbe first summit north of
Pen Basin, but aside from these there
is nothing difficult in the trail aside
from the usual things to be encount
ered in passing sharp points and at
taining stupendous heights and depths
on a 14-inch path. To those only
who have never taken such a trip, I
have a word of advice: Either do
not attempt it, or nerve yourself to
to look into the Jaws of Hell, pass
through the Devil's Kitchen and
camly survey the cauldron of Hades.
If you cannot do this do not start.
So late in the season you are not
likely to have any unusual hardships,
lest, of course, you should call 'hit
ting the grit' for 200 miles and more
in iiaelf a hardship."
Of the knockers he remarks; "Up
on nearing Thunder Mountain we
met various pack trains, most of
whom were headed for various points
to prospect, and two or three who
were discouraged and leaving pre
maturely. There is, of course, the
usual diversity of opinion. The
professional placer miner (and that
genii abound in this state) can never
become a quartz miner; the Cripple
Creek miner looks for his porphyry
granite contact,and failing to find it,
condemns. The Californian looks
for white quartz and failing to see it,
packs bis mule and after a two days'
sojourn departs in disgust. Mean
while tbe innocent tenderfoot looks
for gold, stays with it, and finds it.
It is here beyond question, and two
or three years will find Thunder
Mountain district a very large factor
in replenishing the gold supply. The
Dewey mine has enough low-grade ore
in sight to keep their 200-ton mill
producing for 100 years, and about
two-thirds of the mill is now on the
railroad track at Nampa, They are
patting men to work as fast as they
get them and find accommoda
tions for them. By July 10 they
Tbe
can
will be employing 300
Fairview company is producing good
men.
and the Tiger group of claims
ore,
has opened an extensive deposit of
$600 ore. It remained, however, for
an ignorant Dane,
fficiently wise to locate tbe discov
ery, hence had to give half of it
who was not
su
business.
01 course that house
treated him very nice and called him
a good fellow and made him believe
himself a favored customer. Any
way what did it matter to him, for if
he paid too much for his goods, his
customers had to pay the cost of
his folly. But this way of doing
business did not last long. Pretty
soon be bad compitiors who bought
their goods from houses that sold_
the cheapest and therefore could un
dersell him, so he had to do likewise.
Farmers, you are just as foolish as
this merchant was if you trade with
one special store regardless of price
Rest assured the store you are trad
ing at buy their goods where they
can get them the cheapest, and you
ought to do the same thing. The
Leader doesn't ask you for your
trade unless we can sell you gocAe
as reasonable as anyone else,
only way to find out is by comparison.
Compare our goods and prices witli
others and we do not fear your de
cision.
The
Harader & Morton are now getting
the lumber on the ground for the erec
tion of their flour mill. The site finally
chosen is a piece of property on the
river bank at the west end of Payette
The properly was recently
avenue.
purchased from David Mcilveen.who
will remove his residence to Melcher's
addition —Payette independent
away for advice as to making his lo
cation, to discover a ledge which
runs $2000 per ton. This happened
on Thursday last.
"The most discouraging feature to
tie average prospector is that the
country is all stakes for many miles
in every direction. But to those on
the outside who grub staked irre
sponsible fellows at an early date, I
must say you must look to jour
laurels. There is not to exceed one
claim in ten which is not fatally de
fective. And so defective are they
that our advice to those who are at
present prospecting in earnest is to
utterly ignore the snow location.
The camp suffered untold injury from
this so-called 'snow-boom,'and many
an unwary investor has purchased a
claim located by blazing one or two
lonely pine trees and digging an as
sessment in a convenient snow bank.
"This is severe, but it is the pen
For
alty for reckless investment
tuuately for the camp these high-bind
ing, grub-staking knaves have all
gone home to tell to their principals
their discouraging stories of hard
ship, loneliness and want, hoping
thus to excuse themselves for the
disapointment sure to follow; and
the persistent, industrious prospector
who has come to stay will reap the
reward.
"Mr. Wallace, of our party, has
located eight claims about three and
one-half miles south of Roosevelt,
west of Monumental creek, and is
very jubilant over the surface showing
upon two of them. He has arranged
to begin bis assessment work tbe
last of the week, and believes the
work will make a remarkable show
ing."
Robertson's Revelation.
A New Mexico man who knows a
thing or two and who don't like
knockers is J. F. Robertson of Santa
Fe.
He arrived in Boise the other day
after three months in Thunder Mt.
When approached by a Capital News
reporter, he shouted: "It is the
discovered on
going
greatest camp ever
God's green footstool!"
In speaking o f tbe development
on at present, be said: "In
1
$500 TO CITY WATER WORKS AND $500
TO CITY PARK.
"Now they are shouting!' 1 said
the lion T. C Galloway to the Sig
nal man Sunday. "When they be
gin to discuss a first-class reservoir
system and a plant designed to sup
ply 10,000 people from the start,
they suit me exactly. I believe we
will have more than money enough
fur that kind of a system but we
can't have too much, and I
am going to give $500 to the water
works fund if the city puts it iu
right—a complete reservoir system
1 believe we should plan for a town
of 10,000, as Weiser will have that
manA before we know and it is bet
ter that we do not have to do things
over.
The reservoir above the
to
every part ot the camp the prospect
or seems to be engaged in work.
The Dewey and Sunny side manage
ments have a large force of men at
work and the Dewey mill is dropping
10 stamps night and day, on what I
am informed is high grade ore. 1
am told that the Dewey plant is go
ing to make a 30-day run on'some
I
a
of their best ore to show the doubt
ing world some of the wealth that
is to be found in the mountains of
the famous camp.
"As to the jumping of claims,"
Mr. Robertson says, "the reports
have been greatly exaggerated The
prospectors themselves are largely
responsible for most of this trouble.
They did the work in a careless
manner and in many of the instances
the property was open to relocation.
The camp organization of miners has
investigated numerous cases and in
variably it has found that the proper
location work had not been performed.
But these things are now all adjust
ing themselves and in the future
work by prospectors will be done
in the right way. There has been
considerable wild-catting done in the
district, and men have been in the
camp for months trying lo find prop
erty paid for but can't find located
in the district. Tins condition is
not general, but has occurred alto
gether too frequently."
Mr. Robertson s.iys be has heated
some promising property on Profile
and Monumental çteek«, which he
will develop for a New Mexico syn
dicate.
men at work on the cla'ms, and af
ter a brief visit in Denver he expects
to return to the district to remain
until snow flies. If the development
is satisfactory men will be kept on
the property throughout the winter
season.
He has placed a force of
a
Brassield Believes.
J. Brassfleld is a Portland man
who located nine lode claims and a
large tract of placer ground for a
Portland syndicate. He tells the
est country he ever visited.
In speaking of the new mining dis
irict, Mr. Brasasfield said he consid
ered it the richest country be had
Boise Statesman that it is tbe rich
Academy would be very desirable an
it would furnish water to the Acade
my and grounds and to the cemetery.
Besides the $500 1 will give («
the water works, if they are put in
right, I will give $500 towards a oily
park—perhaps I may give the land
instead of the $600, but it will be
one or the other. "
None who know Tom Galloway-*
with-his impulsive, generous way of
doing tilings, even to the way ia
which he opposes you when oo tba
other side—will be surprised. It ia
just such a thing aa be Is likely ta
do at any t'me. The land be would
give, should be to decide would be
of several limes the value of %6M.
ever visit d. He has been mining
since 1882 and has visited every im
portant camp in the west which has
come into prominence since that
time. He staled that the mineral
belt was the most extensive he had
ever beard of, being at least 50 miles
wide and probably 200 miles in length
His locations were made about 3$
miles west of Thunder Mountain pro
per and on the contact between the
porphyry and granite.
On the H"ly Terror, one of the
lode claims, there is exposed a veia
of four feet, four inches wide, which
will asssy from $600 to $1000 to the
ton in gold. Every indication, said
Mr Brassfleld, points to its being a
true fissure ve n
Mr. Brassfleld has had two mining
expens examine and report on the
properties he has located. R. E
Rogers, who spent several years ia
Alaska, returned from a trip to the
claims recently and in his report to
the Puitiand parties it is said be stat
ed that witli the amount of work
done, the indications were indeed very
promising. A. L. Minor of Port
lund was the other expert to examine
the properties, and his report is said
to be even more flattering than Mr.
Rogers'.
Mr. Brassfleld stated that a for os
ot four men would be kept at work
during the balance of the year and
that if present indications were borne
out a company would be formed
which woo d install a large plant next
> ear
handle and reduce the ore.
Mr. Brassfleld will return to Thun
der in abAut
weeks.
/
Calàfôrni a mina
Terrence
owner lias just arrived in Boise from
Thunder and informs the Capitol
News tnat ■ here are about 3500 people
in the district and that Thunder Mt.
city »mt other points are booming.
"Idaho has an enormous mineral
zone," »aid Expert Owens, "and If
located in any other stale a large area
of it would have been developed
long ago. Where the coyote and
deer now roam undisturbed jom
would have s'amp mills, poÿulattoa
and school houses. Thunder Monat*
(UaadBMS aa ClffcU Pm«« )