Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-02-14
BEDROCK FEUME.

farmers. The fume company should
be required to corral their tailings,
which if let loose at the mouth Of
Moore's creek will tie great detri-
mcnt to the farmers in the valley.
There is ample room on Moore's creek
below point necessary for the foot
OF the flume to corral all the heavy
debris, and the lighter portions would
not materially affect the agricultural
lands as the larger portion would be
carried down Boise river to the Snake
river. Idaho has as yet had no ex-
perience with this kind of mining and
there are various opinions with regard
to its effect, but millions of acres of
agricultural lands have been destroy
ed in California. The result is that
many farmers have been ruined, and
there has been much litigation. The
state finally enacted laws compelling
the miners to corral their tailings.
But the question arises; will the
Territory have the right to enact
such law, and will our Legislature be
willing to pass them in time to avoid
damage Boise City Republican.
THE Republican is partially cor
rect in what it says in regard to de-
bris. If it had said that Boise River
would carry all the lighter portions,
and that would be but little, to Snake
River, it would have been entirely
correct. The talk about heavy de-
bris reaching Boise River is almost
too absurd and ridiculous to demand
a reply. Mining has been carried on
in this Basin for twenty-five years,
and where is the debris? All the
heavy material Is right where it was
dumped, and also by far the greater
portion Of the sand. The Boise City
folks must imagine that it is the in
tention to have the mouth of the
hume right at Boise river, for the
purpose of dumping into it. One OF
the greatest difficulties in working
these creeks by means of a bedrock
fiume will be from the piing up OF
tailings at and near the mouth of the
fiume. The bedrock fume bill was
published three times in the WoRLI
last year, and the people requested tc
make known any amendments or ad,
! ditions that would make the bill more
perfect as to the protection of all in.
terests, and every safeguard suggested
was incorporated in the bill. Boise
City was then as silent as the tomb
Why are the people down there Sc
overcome with salarm' all of a sud
den, just as the bill is about to be
acted upon by Congress? Has then
wild alarm been bottled and corkeC
all this time to be let loose at the las
hour for the purpose of defeating the
bill before their inflated, sham ''fears
can be punctured and caused to col
lapse by the use of sharp-pointet
facts? Mr.. Taylor, the agent of thi
company, was desirous of drawing NJ
a bill that would meet with no objec
tion from any quarter, and had i
published and asked for suggestion
as to improvements that could b,
made in ii with a view OF THROWN.
safeguards around the interests an,
rights of all, and so as not to inter
fere with rights to be acquired here
after. After making one or tw
changes, and adding a couple of sec
tions, no objections from any sec
ton were made. Why didn't tn
Boise City papers, the board of trade
and the people generally then max
their objections known? Mr.. Taylo
would willingly have added sectio
providing that the company be com
PEELED to ''corral the tailings." Thi
would cost the company but little
One little sand dam a mile below tn
mouth of the fume would hold al
the debris that would flow into it fo
the next century. We cannot be
lieve that Boise City has any fear
whatever of being damaged by de
. bris. Their pretense now is for tn
purpose of jumping in at the last hou
to deal Boise county damagin
t blow. If their great alarm had bro
, ken out at the proper time, it woul
at least have borne the stamp of ger
| uineness. Boise county derives bu
, little benefit from the prosperity c
Ada county, but that county, an
, Boise City and Boise Valley in pal
ticular, are built up as the mining il
| terests of this county flourish. Thi
, county has always been that section
, richest feeder, and for her preser