The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1865-11-18
3datu quurId.
LETTER FROM oWYHEE.
RUBY Cry, Owyhee Co., |. T.,
Friday, Nov. 10th, 1865.

EDITOR WORLD: Perhaps "a line or two In
regard to the progress Of Owyhee as quartz
camp will not be inadmissable. J have been
on Jordan creek near FIVE months. Things
looked mighty blue for "OWyhee" up to the
first of August. There were one eight and
oneifve-stamp mill running at that time, and
one ten stamp fixing for work. Soon after
the shoenbar mill arrived (ten sstamps) and
commenced building; also the Nass mill flour
stamps ).9 No other mills for Owyhee could
be counted on up to the first of August
Moore & FOCUS alone constituted Owyhee as
aquartz country; the future was purely spec
alatiye as far as further progress was dis
cernibie. Suddenly G.. G.. Robbins turned
up with a 26-stamp milk soon after the Sin
clair Company came along with another OF
the same size-both of these companies &C
companied with capital enough to not only
build their mills but to open mines and keep
them running. Since then, Grenzeback' s
1o-stamp mill arrived and is being rapidly
put up, and an Oregon concern of 10-stamp
capacity five running1 in the meantime has
been built. Il is called the Jackson or Web
foot mill. Another l O-stamp mill, the Cos
mosois now due, and for which the ground
work is prepared. 1t is owned by New
York company. The two 20-stamps are New
York investments; also, | believe, is Creme
backs. ads aa t
Speaking Of Webfoot, all of the mills
an Owyhee, of Oregon introduc are fail-
uFes to a great extent. First the Minear
mill lost the confidence of the people as a
custom mill; the company then had not en-.
terprise or capital to furnish their own rock,
and they let the mill to Moore & FOCUS this
summer who have run it on Orc Elmo rock.
Now, understand, it is tostop for want Of
some machinery. This mill should have five
more stamps inserted, yetit has been here a
year. There is the Sinker Greek 1O-stamp
mill, which was started by Oregon capital as
a water-power mill, year ago. Webfeet
likewater. This mill hardly got started till
the water failed, when it laid oyertiH Spring
and the 0. S, N, Co. put steam into it, and
this Summer it run very well, but now am
told tits to be laid up till next year on ac-
count of a lack Of pans and other machine
y.a Oregon foresight, againl The O. S. N.
Company are mostly steamboat, The best
Joke on this camp is in the case of the four
stamp Vass mill. Can't get rock enough to
runit half timel The Yass ledge, about.
goo feet from the mill, has ore in it as rich
as the Mornieg Star, and yet tbs owners have
potthe enterprise to work it, when they can
get rock enough out of 1T to run three or
four such mills at once. The jackson mill
never started of itself. Moore. \ FOCUS have
1t rented and are doing very well with it.
they had to overhaul the machinery first and
it should have five more stamps. So, if it
had not been for Moore & FOCUS, the Oregon
capitalists would have had Owyhee buried by
this time; Nothing they have undertaken in
the camp has. proved self-sustaining; and the
cause has been their lack of enterprise and.
foresight. The entire camp, as far as Web
f =
foot Investment extends, must change hands.
Everything else moves and, promises to make
QWyhee great quartz country.
The weather has been very favorable-in
fact, delightful all Fall ;.yet month ago the
Webfeet began to break for Oregon. They
had read in the Oregonian that rain had be-
gan to fall, and they broke for wet weather
like wild geese. They haven't as much real
stamina as that many Chinamen Next sea-
son will revolutionize the ownership of feet
in gwyhee, and northern California will con-
troll this market in the way of supplies-al-
ready enough has been demonstrated to show
that: There will undoubtedly be a good line
of stages across from California or Nevada,
and then goodbye, Webfoot, as far as Owy-
hes il concerned. Idaho Will be greatly ben
Gifted by this trade and travel, as far north
- the Basin. Mullan & Co.'s blk only de-
Jays the matter. I'VE want few more Cali
fornia and Nevada soldiers on the war-path (
and less Oregon red tape. ] never was in a
place that seemed to change for the better so
fast as misplace has in the last three. or four
months. Moore y FOCUS could run all the
mills putting up, on Orc Elmo rock, yet ell
these New York companies are opening mines