The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-10-19
THE NEW MINING DISTRICT.

Two or three weeks ago The
TRIBUNE spoke of a new mining
district in western .Elmore county.
In the Mountain Home Mail of
last week we find the following adj
ditional particulars:
The discovery was made by
Arthur Neal last July. The story
of the way he came to find it is
this: Last December he was trav-
cling in the mountains with pack
outfit from Pine Grove to Boise.
At the place where his claim is
now located he happened to pick
up a small piece of Iieh float. 1t
being too late in the season to stop
and prospect, he continued his jour
ney, but resolved to return the fol-
lowing spring. He wintered over
in Mountain Home and this last
spring took to the hills with true
miners faith and resolution. One
day last July he was travelling
along the divide between the Boise
and the Snake, tired and thirsty,
when he saw cattle down in a little
basin below him. Thinking this
good place to search for water he
took his pack train down the hill,
found the object of his search, and
went into camp. He was now in
the vicinity of where he found the
float. Seeing some rock over on
the side hill that looked we'll, he
went over to prospect and soon he
was picking into an excellent grade
of gold ore. The next day he To-
Gated his Homestake mine. It is
IS miles northwest of Mountain
Home, near the divide between
Boise and Snake, between the head
of Blacks creek and Indian creek.
Although but little development
work has been done as yet, enough
has been done to indicate that it is
one of the greatest strikes ever
made in this territory. Neal has
run an open cut of about 100 feet
across the ledge and found the
walls on both sides. In partner
ship with George House he also
owns two other claims, one quartz
claim on the same ledge and
placer claim just below the Home
stake. They claim 20 acres of this
and say that it runs 20 to 80 cents
to the pan. Following the ledge in
northeasterly direction the next
location is that made by d. B.
Hill, Amos Lee, A. J. Bruce and ].
T. Sprague. They call it the
Mountain Boy, and joining. this
they have another named the Hid
den Treasure.
The next location is that of Neal
and House, their other quartz claim
mentioned. 1t is named the Wash
ington.
The next is the Lena, owned by
G.. Jackson, Jas. Carroll, W. J.
Turner and Amos Lee.
Going southwest from the Home
stake the first location is that of
Powers and Johns. This has been
commonly spoken of as "Kain-
tuck's" claim. He started in on
the north side of his claim and run
an open cut of about so feet. It is
probably 90 feet deep at the end.
They have gone through ten feet of
ore, but have not found the walls
Of the ledge yet. The ore is of a
very high grade.
The next location is owned by
man named Williams.
1t would seem that the surface
indications denote a ledge of 100
feet in width of high grade ore.
The depth can not be ascertained
at present, but the owners will run
tunnels into the hill to tap it from
so to Is feet below the surface this
winter to ascertain this fact; also,
that there are rich placer grounds
near by. There is enough ore in
sight to justify the putting up Of a
large quartz mill.
The wonder is that these riches
have not been found before. Stock
men have rode over the ground for
years, and several years ago Jack
Slater, in making a wood road up
into this country, cut through a
vein of this ore, but tossed it aside
as worthless rock.
One of these claims is, in all
probability, just as good as the
other. It is the belief of everyone
who has visited the new camp that
it is destined to be one of the best
camps in Idaho.