Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-01-07
WOOD RIVER.
CONCLUDING ARTICLE UPON THIS
IMPORTANT DISTRICT.
ketchum's Wide Infuence-Trade With
Surrounding Camps-The Philadel.
phia l. Idaho Company's Smelter and
MineS-The Gold Belt.

pulH - AuHuO SOupAu1 > SHcAteI Ahu
Mines-The Gold Belt.
Written for The Oregonian by Herbert Lang.l
The town of ketchum is largely
dependent for existence upon the fact
of being the terminus of Il Wood River
branch of the Union Pacific railway,
and in consequence the ''hub" of the
great mining region which stretches
far to the west, north and east, into
the Unreasonable wilds of Central
Idaho. Within the region thus
brought into business relations with
this active and well. situated town are
the various wellkAown mining dis
tricts named Smoky, Boulder, Saw
tooth, Bayhorse, Yankee Fork, Lost
River and many of less note, the mines
of some Of which have produced
millions and are still active, with an
increased aggregate yearly output.
The building of the railroad has drawn
their business for the most part into
this new channel, and even some old
camps, as Atlanta, have become trib
utary.
The traffic thus carried on is i'm
mense and Of most lucrative des-
eruption. Over so teams, of from 8
to IA animals each, are employed,
besides a number of pack trains. The
details of this traffic have been well
worked up by the able editor of the
Ketchum Keystone, Mr.. Middleton,
who has made his paper fairly indis-
pensable as an exponent of the mines
and business of the region, and it is
upon his authority that the following
details Of local traffic are given.
THE AMOUNT OF FREIGHT RECEIVED
Bv rail, destined for ketchum and
ou'laying camps, during October,
1887, was 2,SoO,000 pounds or 400
tons, which is an increase of SSO,OOO
pounds over the receipts of October
of the previous year. The ore and
bullion shipments by rail from ket-
chun for the same month were:
Bullion, $4,000 pounds; ore to
Omaha, 10000 pounds; to Denver
1900; to other points probably Sal,
Lake,, 10000. Total ore shipped,
PSI 900 pounds or 14Ok tons. This
is some rs tons less than was shipped
in October, 1886, owing. as is suggest
ed, to the heavier purchases of the
local smelling company. The re-
ceipts for freights at the local railway
ticket office amounted to $l6,276; and
for fares, Sl64S. The long list oil
mines supplied by the retail stores al
ketchum include claims in Sawtooth
Galena, Smoky, Boyle mountain
Boulder, Stanley Basin, S ,lmon River
Warm Springs, East Fork and othe1
districts beyond mention, some Of
which are more than $50 miles ava,
from the railway terminus.
The ores produced by and shipped
from these mines are handled by the
ketchum
PUBLIC sAMPLlNG WORKS,
Which is located at the depot for ease
Of handling. 1t does quite large
business, receiving ores from perhaps
a hundred different mines. This copy
Of the receipts for limited time will
show the nature of the sampling done
The mines and tons of ore receive,
are given: Carrie Leonard 63
Olympia 46, Silver Star %, Nortl
Star 10, Elkhorn Is, Ramshorn II
Washing ton II, Ophir IL, Blac'
Daisy 10, Dolarhide 10, Tahoma
Occidental 5, Independence 5, Emm
: 5, Irving 4, Baldwin 3, Star of Hope
, :, Venus Z, Cusheimer Z, Pride O
, Idaho 2. The list will afford an ide;
r of the comparatively small lots ship
, ped, as we'll rs the way In which the
are sold. A very large part Of the or
, comes from small mines located i
difficulty accessible regions where JAG
e trains afford the only means of trans
/ portation, and very frequently eve
h an unusually small consignment ma
| represent the entire seasons work c
some poor man, who is lessee of
!, mine. Nevertheless, the ore is yer
: rich as rule, and few tons is wor.
n small fortune. TO those who ar
- familiar with the vast prospective Out
). put of the Ceur d'Alene mines sue
:, small contributions as these seem pit
full by the contrast. There is goo
reason formaintaining, however, tn;
{ the situation of affairs at Wood Rive
. where there are many small mine
u worked by poor men, is much prefe
=, able to that in camps where only ric
y individuals and corporations are ahl
D. to undertake mining work. At an
y rate the condition of labor is bette
. and the social tone incomparahl
}, superior.
- THE LOCAL SHELTER.
- Another important factor in Il
growth and sustenance OF ketchu
is the huge smeltcr owned and opera