The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-10-29
THE EVENING POST.
MINING POINTS IN IDAHO.
Prospects that Capitalists Might Profit
ably Investigate and Develop.

Prospects that Capitalists Might Proht-
ably Investigate aud Develop.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Post.
Council Valley, Idaho Oct. 1s.-Although
this valley is settled with agriculturists en-
tirely, the mineral belt OF Northern Idaho is
within easy reaching distance, so that many Of
us, between planting time and harvest and be-
tween harvest time and snow, make prospect
ing trips into the mountains and adjacent
valleys.
say within "easy reaching distance" for
the Hornet Creek mining district is within
twelve miles, the Seven Devils mining district
within thirty, that of Somers and Ruth and the
mineral district within twenty-five All these
are to the north and west, accessible within a
few miles by good country roads, The better
known districts Of Rapid River, Warren's,
Alton, aud the gold placers In Long Valley,
are from fifteen to sixty miles on, on the
north and east. Long Valley Is drained by
the Payette River, as this valley Is by the
Weiser, the two running IN general direction
parallel with each other
The granite range of mountains separating
us from Song Valley Is scanned with many
small veins of quartz mostly OF micaceous
character, which in some places, especially
along the ridge in which rises the Middle
Fork of the Weser River, become large
enough to afford mica OF merchantabe sizes,
say 6x0 inches. In other places the quartz is
non mcaceous, aud carries the precious
metals. So far as discovered, however, the
veins are not large enough for our people to
work prohtaby owing to their limited
means.
The Seven Devils country affords a speci-
men of the widest kind of mountain scenery.
Peaks of from 1000 to 5000 feet high are the
rule there. They run up at an angle OF 40 to
60 degrees to sharp points, and TO get around
among them dangerous horse trails have to be
used exclusively. Even the construction of
wagon roads will have to be postponed until
the undoubted wealth of the mountains in
copper, iron, gold and silver attracts the capt
tai necessary to their development. This
season the prospector has scratched" this
district further north than before, and reports
have come in of quartz lodges from six TO
twelve feet III width, carrying gold and silver,
but In such inaccessible places that at present
nothing can be done with them.
As this letter is neither u geological nor q
meteorological report, it will be sufficient to
tell about the beauties of the gold placer dis
trict OF Northern Long Valley This valley is
only seventy-flve miles long. Its Southern
end and central portion comprise agricultural
lands of rare promise and present fertility
1t is only within ten years that white people
could safely locate in that valley, and, when
one sees the luxuriance of the bunch grass
and the frequent occurrence of those delight
fully cool, pure and sparkling mountain feed
ers to the Payette River, one can hardly won
der HL the DeIblbIcuCl WIFI WHICH lIO1 NhO
poor Indian, hung on to this natural garden
spot of Idaho. The Northern end begins to
snow grandeur of scenery. North OF the
Payette Lakes rises the old Granite Mountain,
of length that would entitle 1t to be called O
range of mountains anywhere else, and rising
from foothill size to 1000 feet On the East
are the bare, rugged granite peaks, supposed
to belong to the great Sawtooth (aptly
namely range of mountains. In these rise the
Boulder and Gold Fork Creeks, on whose
banks are placers that pay S. to $3.50 per man
per day in gold worth SIT an ounce.
The west side of Long Valley at this point is
formation of wash gravel in benches, rising
to the foothills with plowable land on top, re
sulting from the decomposition of vegetable
matter. The foothills are well tmbered VIII
pine, under the shade OF which prospec,
hole fifteen feet deep will show "colors" o
gold from the top to the bottom. 1t Will be
understood how rudmentary has been The
digging for gold here when say that bed rocl
has not been struck yet ON the west SIDE o.
Payette River The reason for this, ana tht
lack of means of miners in this yallay is, ina
they are entirely dependent upon stream
formed by the melting of the winters snow
for the water necessary for sluicing purposes
For sixty or ninety dayB in the spring ines
places pay about three dollars per day TO Tn
man. IT is very exasperating to stop working
for want of water here, while the great Payett
lake. twelve miles long and from half to three
quarters of mile wide, lies smiling and rip
pling In full view.
moderate expenditure of money would
furnish water enough TO work all thes
claims, by tapping the feeders to the lax
high up in the mountains, and conducting tn
waters by ditch to the place whore it would
do the most good.
If some Of your bondholders would talk
their summer vacations out here, instead o
rsking their lives on the ocean, these thing
would be seen and admired instead Of TIL
worn out scenery of the effete monarchies @
Europe, and some capital might be dyerte
to mining and ditching investments in thi
vicinity TO the mutual advantage of the bond
holders and ourselves, SEE