Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1867-06-05

! Among the enterprises of the place, we ough
to note the fine saw mill, owned by w. H
Parkinson and Ben. Wilson, which is situated
in pretty little sloping valley, about half
mile back from town, over low divide. The
mill is substantially built and fitted up in su
perior manner. The motive power is derived
from the east fork of Clearwater, pure
sparkling, rapid mountain stream, principally
fed by never-failing springs, which flow with
delightfully."- refreshing water. By short ditch
the water is led from the creek to reservoir
about two hundred feet above and Immediately
behind the mill Thence it flows through an
eleven-inch iron pipe, down the steep hill side
to the mill The driving apparatus is what is
called J. hurdy-gurdy," kind of fiutter
wheel, with confined sides to the paddles,
which are about six inches depth This wheel
is only four feet eight inches diameter, and yet
it drives the machinery with power sufficient
to saw 1000 feet of lumber an hour, with a
ffty-four-inch circular saw, if necessary. The
stream is applied at the lower diameter of the
wheel, with compression of the volume of
water from the eleven-inch iron pipeto a three
inch nozzle, and by means of an easily worked
bar the volume is applied or taken off in q
twinkling By small lead pipes, pierced for
jets no bigger than a sewing needle, water is
steadily thrown on to the circular saw while in
operation, to keep it cool and in fine working
order. Lumber is furnished at low rates to
all the country around from this mill, of very
superior quality, by the mill Company's teams.
With two hands the mill cuts about 1000 feet
of lumber per day
Our visit to Pioneer City, as we say above,
has more firmly convinced us of the great min
eral wealth, the stability and endurance of that
place in business view. There are known
rich gold and silver quartz lodes all about there,
and in good time they will be developed and
proved to be rich. The noted Elkhorn lode, at
which the quartz mill is kept constantly run
ming, and the two "clean ups from which this
season have proven SO very profitable, is itself
an evidence of the wealth of the quartz in that
region, and there are lodges which prospect
equally rich as that. There are, besides, sew
eral placer spots, prospected and known to be
rich, but which have not so far been worked
for want of water. This difficulty is being
gradually overcome by the enterprise and OPP
erations of the ditch owners. who have already
began Go extend their bitches to every known
placer capable of being supplied with water,
and they are determined to further extend
them, SO that thousands of claims can be taken
up and very pro6tably worked in places now
to the miner because of the want
Of water. When the water is afforded there
will be ground enough thrown open to lucra-
tive labor for thousands of men to find employ
ment upon. -
Next Saturday we propose to visit Center
vile, and shall endeayor, while there, to gather
Of an interesting and useful char
acter to our readers, relative to the mines and
business matters generally. Meanwhile we
solicit our citizens throughout the Basin to
forward us information Of local character
from their respective camps.