The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-01-11
c,rn IDAHO LETTER.
n the Saw Tooth DISTRICT
1' pa Their Early History.
,,,.,n. and surroundinss-smf'ey
Basin Mines.


V''' Basin Mines.
rooth City-The Bright Pros
nects Of tho Country.
1884,. fo,lDwing was contributed to the
NAV MINER, hut arrived too late
no ;n.crtion in that edition.-ED.]
I: '':.u, is a new town laid out In
w., Of the present year, but the
I'VE Aug. we're discovered three seasons
n' The outcrop Of the Emma" was
ae , in the fall of 10 by Levi Smiley,
'" - s.lt Lake, who took some Of the ore
Dr.. with him and assayed it, and
n' .'d Il to he rich in silver. The pres
'O .. a Indians in the Salmon River
GU. '.,,v ut the time MIR. Smiley made
q. discovery, prevented further explor-
=" .;on. in that direction that season; but
: ,hr .,ring Of ~ Smiley returned to
~. saw Tooth mountains, taking .
~, Of pr~p<s.ton with him.
n-;,les the Emma, the Vienna, Al
,,r,.. Wcbfnt, and other mineral veins
in smiley Basin, were located by the
,.ny. The lodges either cropped out
were easily found by the large guam
.,;.s If ..flost." The discoveries COM
-, to the knowledge of prospectors in
,s;.,hlnring districts, there was rush
So, the Saw Tooth mountains, and the
mineral belt was soon traced . few milee
,orhcast Of smiley Basin where the PHI
,,r;m Columbia, Beaver, Bidwell, Scotia,
cuu,.tock, Lucky Boy, Atlanta, Wire
s;lrrr sunbeam and many other rich
r,,.,.rts on Beaver Creek and Eureka
r,L.h were discovered. From that
limo to the present the work of develop
inv the older mines and exploring for
nrv ones has gone steadily forward.
,,orpthcr. about l75 locations have
h.n recorded in the district up to
date.
VIENNA AND SURROUNDINGS.
Our new town 10 located ON tim
;rrd fiat short distance below the
forks Of the smiley Greek, and about
rxo miles from the head Of the Basin.
smiley Creek is one Of the southern
tributaries Of the salmon River, and
the town Of Vienna is ut the extreme
head Of the salmon Valley. A good
wagon road w:.s built this summer from
w"nl River to Saw Tooth city, and a
branch runs from that road up to Wen
IA. - you sec this is not an out-of-ths-
way place by any means. To the north
II Smiley BASIN the great Salmon VAL
Icy extends for fifty miles before the
river turns eastward in its circle through
the range M Salmon River noun
,aiMs.
THE SMILEY BASIN MINES
are found on Il mineral belt running
southeast and northwest across the
Basin. The |xlt here is about one and u
half miles wide by two to two and q
half long. The formation II white
granite, with considerable spar. and fs
termed feld>pathic granite-by some,
lorphyritic granite. Fifty to CD locations
have bcrn made, sometimes ~ high ~
five or Xix on one vein. Generally the
Veins arr from one to three feet in
width, hut occasionally they show much
widr-pru's.''Iy swells or bulgss in the
ledge.
The Emma was tho first location
made. The vein cr.,sses the divide near
the trail going from Smiley Greek over
10 South lsoisc River. There Is q 10
l"t :'haf, ut discovery, with two to
three feet of orc-cOnsitlcrable Of 1t very
high grade. Mr.. Smiley il having u
tunnel run ut the foot Of the ridge to
"!~n the vein ut Il depth Of 800 or more
!i..
Next to tn, Emma on the west
AMI at the extreme head OF
The BASIN j. tn" SOl:r.c. 1t il an extern
sion Of the Emma vein, Tut was not dis
"versl until aiMut the last If July Of
'"'> Year. The ledge was covered over
"erc with "li'lc rock, and was difficult
!" lind. Parties had ut different times
"eSs' for itsinrrtlhc first discovery Oft'lc
''''l's, but Mr.. Smiley and man by the
"s'''e Of FL. lsotch relocated the ground
y" June last, and, guided by the rich
'"s1 las'aying 40 Ia SOO Ounces) were
rewarded with ricl, find. They UNI
'"ertti the ledge Il distance of . feet,