Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-01-19

mines were developed by California
capitalists. who. assured OF the rich
ness Of the deposit. Invested many
hundred thousand dollars before OBJ
tanning anything in the wa OF prouI
They own their own water rights and
have plenty Of 1t. They also own
large tracts Of timber on the mountain
IONS around, and have narrow gauge
railroad penetrating the wooded dis
tricts many miles. bringing them their
firewood and timber to noun
tan crest overlooking the mills
down which 1t comes IN wooden
chute lined with iron, at the bottom
bounding into the air, Gaping the Inn
mense wool piles at the very furnace
doors OF the mills.
There Is one enormous open cutting,
funnel shaped. walled on two sides
with collaborating quartz Into and
through this at several levels are
driven tunnels. into and out OF which
one constantly sees miniature loco
motives dragging trains OF cars Of ore.
each car containing about one ton.
These trains enter the top stories OF
largo stamp mills built At slightly
| lower levels on the mountain side.
From the cars the orc is dumped into
trough. like bins From these the ore
is fed gradually iuto massive iron
Jaws, which crush the rock into pieces
not larger than walnut From these
the ore by gravity is fed to tho stamps.
which arc placed in batteries sttll
lower down. This stamping Of rock Is
nothing more or less than pounding
up n stone 10 an iron mortar with .
/ pestle. At the same time pouring Ia
water every little while. At intervals
pouring or tho powdered rock with
/ the water. These stamps are round
chilled iron cylinders attached 10
vert cal stem OF iron aud are In batter.
les OF five. These arc placed la long
row OF 90 or l2J. A shaft extends tue
whole length with cam-liko arms. 50
g VI NAukNAA - ~ AAAHG NAEA scam W = At0h
or so At each revolution, dropping BY
its own gray ". and partially rsyoiv.
I ing horizontally at tho same time. Tho
stamps do not rise together but
alternately Tho ore and water be ~
I fed n together. as fast as reduced 10
/ mud nru flushed out from undcr the
1 stamp through screens. Ii thea lows
in . broad. thin stream over broad
sloPing copper table. tho copper betu.
heavily amalgamatcd with mercury.
The mercury catches tho gold. bu.
permits ali ths rest 10 tlow away. Al
intervals this amslgam Is cleaned Oh.
7. placed 10 Fctogt. the mercury dis
titled oil aud condensed for uss again.
while the gold leiG In tho rotor, Is
cleaned and melted iEto brick.
The ou,pu, Of the several mines of
the Homestake group Il stated 10 be-
$3.50. 900 por mouth. Tho yield Of gold
por ton averages 49, Il Is quite prob.
able that at least 50. 90. 600 IL gold
are added to commerce from this 70.
gion yearly.
Tho gold bolt containing those mine,
Is continuous. extending great dis.
tance nearly north and south, dipping
sixty degrees or more to the north.
east. with an average width OF nearly
100 feet, this width not including tho
collateral veins. The wall rock IL
porphyry schist and various form. OF
schist and slate. Tho gold.boaring
VEINS consist Of hydrous M ca, chic.
rite hornblendc. 5ehists and quartz
veins the ore, yielding from So up ~
high as from 50 to IS per ton. Tho
vertical shafts reach from 100 to 500
feet below tho surface. The pay roll
for labor must 10 nearly 81. 800. 600
per year. Over $4,000 cord. Of hard
pine are used annually Tor firswood.
Gold by no means covers tho whole Of
the mineral riches OF the Black Htlla
but silver aud lead, copper. iron. anti.
mony aud Zinc are all found IN nbuBd.
ance; but perhaps what Is mos. impor.
tant OF all Is tho enormous deposits o.
stream tin. that form Of tin ozid termed
cassitorito, which occurs In small nod.
uies OF the size Of peas or larger in
mica IN crystalline spodumono and I'm
quartz An English syndicate has OBJ.
tanned largely control Of tho Tin dis.
covories, which II does not see III 10
develop. for tho reason. so many
claim. the owners think that they trst
wish to get into their hands tho whols
tin bearing region while Il can bo don,
cheaply, and then develop tho mine.
as a source Of inexhaustiblo wealth =
Frederick Stearns. IN Deltou Fye,
Press.
I - -