Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-04-07
SNAKE RIVER.
a COMPETENT MAN TELLS THE
TIMES" ABOUT THE PLACERs.
Ihe Source Of the Placer Gold.

AN experienced mining man writes
AS there Is an unusual interest mani
tested at the present time especial,
among Haileyites,) relating to tn,
Snake River placers, and as there an
pears to be wide diversity of opin
Ion as to the source of this gold, som,
maintaining that it comes from the adj
joining lava beds, l thought that i,
would not be uninteresting to MANY
ofyour readers to give my own views
on this now deeply interesting sub.
Ject. AS the Snake River placers
are and will continue to be for manv
future years a means of revenue to
the people of Idaho Territory, anv.
thing that will lead to an intelligent
discussion, and from that to an iptelIi.
gent understanding of the problem,
cannot fail to be of more or less value
to great many of our people.
During the spring and summer of
1885 | prospected the headwaters of
Snake River, leaving Eagle Rock
early In May, and not returning until
the fall snowstorms drove me out. At
that time | was believer in a theory
entertained by a great number of
people, that this gold came from
quartz lodges situated far up in the
mountains near the fountain head of
the river. l prospected the gravel
bars for hundreds of miles, and made
numerous incursions into nelghboring
mountains. So far as | am concerned
| have definitely settled the Snake
Hiver gold problem. 1t may be pos
Slble that no other person now views
the subject in the same light, but
am satisfied that in time my position
will be generally accepted as correct
Twenty miles above Eagle Rock,
Snake River branches into two large
channels, one known as the North
Fork sometimes called Henry's Fork
and the other known as the South
Fork. | followed the latter fork
above Jackson's Lake, and found
placer ground at intervals along its
banks, and on many of its tributaries,
until reached the upper extremity of
the lake, and then lost trace of the
Snake River fine gold. l went from
the south fork northward, crossing the
Teton mountains at Trail Creek pass,
and descending the north fork to my
initial point, viz: Eagle Rock. On
the latter stream 1 found no gold,
from which it is quite evident that
the gold has its origin on the south
fork or its tributaries. The principal
branches on which colors were found
were the eros Ventre, Buffalo Fork,
Ocean Creek, and a small stream
above Ocean Creek, the name of which
| was unable to find out.
The formation of the country is
volcanic from Eagle Rock to Coonard
Valley, distance of about 40 miles,
and then the country rock is lime,
granite, porphyry, and sandstone, lime
predominating excepting in the Te-
tons, which is granite. From. Coonard
Valley up all traces of volcanic action
is lost sight of, though the plaeers
continue as before stated, to the upper
end of Jackson's Lake.
l submit that this effectually dis
poses of the theory that the gold en-
anates from the lava, for the prospect
or can travel over 100 miles above
where the lava ceases to exist, and the
gold will still continue; while when
YOU cross the Tetons and strike the
north fork, which is still bounded by
lava, and continues to be we'll up to
its source, there is not to be found a
solitary color.
If we next turn to the theory that
it is the product Of quartz, we are be-
set by difficulties, for all prospecting
that has been done in that quarter
land it is not little,) has failed to
discover one single paying mine. So
we are of necessity driven to other
expedients to account for the presence
of auriferous gravel scattered over
such a vast extent of country. 1t re-
ouires no savant to tell that the coun-
try now drained by the upper tribu-
taries of the Snake and bounded on
the North by the Tetons, and on the
south by the Wind River mountains,
was at one time the bed of an inland
sea. Nature has left its work as