, 1890-09-18
An Old Miner Narrates His
Experiences.
The MINES AND THE COUNTRY
After All Ho Concludes That the
Cpur d'Alenes and the Pa
lousv Are Best.

crceN, anu Jerry uC JonU Day
ranch on the Big Salmon; thence
via the head of, and down Race
creek to the mouth Of Rapid river;
thence follow the old Indiantrail to
Summers camp in the south end of
the Seven Devil range of mount
aims. The distance from Lewiston
Is approximately about l6C miles,
possibly n little less. II Is six days
good hard ride, up hill and down.
The seven buttes or mountains bear
ing the name of Seven Devils near
ly overhang Snake River canyon,
and are II rough, broken mass of
porphyry, seynite, lava rock, gran
lite and limestone, rising almost per-
pendicularly from 5000 to 1900 feet
above Snake river, the apex of the
range being nowhere five miles dis
tant from the river. The highest
elevation recorded by my barom-
eter was $500 feet above sea level,
but at this altitude the SHOWS are
eternal on the north sides, and
slopes and immense glaciers are
found everywhere. Snowslides are
also so numerous that little timber
grows on the mountain sides, the
steep, precipitious sides being torn
and plowed up in n frightful man.
ner. South OF the main peaks
about twelve miles, and near
the apex of the mount
ain, and just four miles distant
from Snake river, and about 5000
feet above it, is located, on one of the
aufilents of Copper creek, the great
Peacock copper mine. This mine
was discovered thirty-four years ago.
1t is on hillside sloping to the
north, at an angle of about twenty
degrees, showing a solid mass OF
oXidized copper ore 400 feet long
and 200 feet wide. In former days
the surface dirt was all worked OIL
by placer miners, who located 1t as
placer ground and worked 1t very
profitably, making as high as $50
per day to the man. The gold was
very coarse and was frequently
found imbedded in copper ore. The
ore, however, while occasionally
carrying chunks of free gold, sam
pied rs u whole, carries but an in
significant amount unworthy of
mention. 1t also carries little
silver For twenty years this prop
erty was worked, and abandoned,
until one Allen, sawmill man in
Oregon, got hold of 1t. He held 1t
eight years, when the Kleinsmiths
and Governor Hauser, of Helena,
got into partnership with him.
There has never been u shaft sunk
on it over fifteen or twenty feet
deep.
1t is generally claimed the ore
run go to 20 per cent in copper, but
n fair average and thorough SAM
pling shows 1t to go less than 20. The
formation around this body of cop
per Is seynite and soft decomposed
porphyry. There is IA lime belt in
close;prONimity which forms con-
tact for about five miles with white
granite. Along this contact u large
number of copper discoveries were
made years ago, aud large amount
of development work has been done
this spring. The claims showed
some fine ore dumps of 80 to 20 pei
cent. copper ore. A company outfit
got leases and bonds on the best OF
them, gutted out every pound of ore
in sight without trying to develop
any more, and shipped all, leaving
the claims caved in In many in
stances and completely gutted.
The South Peacock mine, lying
south of the original Peacock, was
sold Tor $4,000 to parties who are
floating 1t in Boston at $50. They
have small surface showing--,l
shaft down sixty feet, twenty feet OF
which has been filed with snow
and ice for two years, the purchasers
never having seen the bottom OF it.
Their Is about thirty-five tons of ore
on their dumps that will go 80 per
cent. copper.
The only work done In the camp
outside of assessment work has been
two men groundsluicing on the Pea
cock. Their services nave now been
disposed with for the season.
Messrs. kleinsmith and Hauser are
building wagon road tC
complete n line Of transportation
from the mine to the steamer land
ing, fifteen miles distant, where the
steamer will run to Huntington
some seventy-five miles south. There
are ut present some forty-siX men
employed ON the road at $3.50 pei
day. Messrs. Kleinsmith X Hause
do business on democratic principles
A saloon in n tent il following in
the wake of the graders. They pay
the men In checks drawn thirty t.
sixty days after sight aud take them
at par for whisky and tobacco
otherwise their timekeeper discounts
them from so to 40 per cent. The
steamer Norma, built to run down
Snake river from Huntington, is q
2OO-ton boat, perfect model o.
marine architecture, with IA fine anC
powerful equipment of machinery
1t can make eighteen miles per houl
in dead water, and will successfully
navigate the river as soon as ther,
is anything to warrant her running
What Is known as the silver anC
gold camp in the Seven Devils
country is nine miles east of thu
copper camp. 1t has some very fail
looking ledges said to run well In
both gold and silver. The district
however, Ia IA very small one, anC
the Seven Devil range apparently l.
generally barren of mineral excep
ut the copper camp, which is very
limited one when compared Will
the Cnur d 'Alene.
The Northern Pacific road hav,
their grade seven miles south %
Lewiston, and their engineers work
ing up the Snake river canyon. i
the line ever extends as far south al
Ruthsburg aud Mineral City, whicl
are respectively fity and seventy
4 ~ ~ A.