Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-02-21
THE CoEUR DALENH MINIS.

What are the evidences of the richness
and extent of the Cnur d Alene mines?
This now seems to be the absorbing ques
ton among thousands who have been aud
are now considering the propriety of leav-
ing their homes and business to try their
luck in mining. TO answer this by Civ.
ing them advice would not be at all salts
factory The announcement has long
since been made public that gold has bceu
found there in coarse nuggets, some
weighing as high as $50 apiece and SO ON
down to half dollar, upon high rim
rock above the fiat. This in two or thr .
claims, while no one, as yet, declared that
the bed rock in the fiat has been reached
and no gold has been found in the differ
cnt strata Of earth and gravel above the
bed rock in tn, fat, that the water has
everywhere obstructed digging One
man who went in there last fall said that
he had gone down fifteen feet and had
found no bed rock, nor had he been abls
to raise the color Of gold in his claim, and
that he, while there had met with but one
claim that had paid for the labor expend-
ed. Several have written letters to the
effect that very rich quartz veius had
been discovered in the camp. Galena,
silver and some gold. But yet all claim
that that section is base metal section
and that gold in the quartz is not gener-
ally free but combined with other metals
This is about the extent of the facts upon
which the theory of the richness of these
mines has been based. In Mr.. Parker's
late interview with the Ore9onian, he
admits that not more than $4,000 has
been taken from these mines since their
discovery. Others say not more than
$4,000 and SO on down to lS ounces in
all. Now suppose We take Parker's state
ment which is the largest product men
toned and consider the time since their
discovery and their commencing to work
last spring and the number who have
been there prospecting and working, S2O,-
600 is very small aggregate product,
for rich camp, while We venture the
assertion that $50, 600 will not cover the
expenditure Of time and money which
has been required to develop this $40, 900.
Both Florence and Warrens, az we'll as
Orofino and Elk City disclosed FIVE times
this amount of gold in less than thr c
u,oHth. after they commenced working
them, save in the case Of the few men
who went into Oroino in the winter of
1850 and 1861. There were days sue
ceeding days in the fall and winter of
1852, wherein each days gold product
in Florence exceeded $4,000. Warrcns
also developed into largs and productive
camp in gold dust in tn. summer aud fall
Of 1862, and great portion Of the miucr,
| there then were unskilled in mining, and
when we see such expressions as that the
CUur Alone camp is the ri,ho.t that
has been discovered. we naturally think
that the men W 10 say this are wofu!y
Ignorant or else they have no scruples
about lying FOR some purpose. Amonc
al the statements which we have received
from men whom we know and who have
been there for months, we have seen no
statement that leads us to believe that any
one knows sufficient about the camp to
communicate to others without downright
lying to justify one twentieth part of the
excitement and anxiety to 20 there, that
has been engendercd all throughout both
the east and west We don't say the
mines are complete farce But we do
say that the farce is much the greater
part of thc play, and If as many 90 there
as now seem quite probable, we would not
be at all surprised, if tragedy did not cen
stitute the after piece of the play. A
few thousand de eli icd and disappointed
miners are hard class to manage when
blood is up, and the men who have de-
c,ived them are within their grasp. The
safety and securit. Of the men who have
l-nned up the present excitement will
greatly depend upon the developments OF
the next three months. Enough may be
shown to save them, but it will hereafter
have to be developed
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