Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-05-02
SOME IDAHO MINES.
Egbert ". Jones in West Shore.

The mining outlook in Boise coun-
by is brighter this year than it has
been for several years past. The
placer mines, although growing grad
ually less in Importance, are still a
source Of considerable revenue. For
the past three or four years the sea-
sons have been unusually dry, and
many claims that would have yielded
we'll and given employment to con-
siderable number of men, did not
work. This year, however, the noun
tains being covered with an unusual
depth of very heavy snow, work will
go on in every placer claim in the
county.
Although the placer mines turn out
large quantity of gold dust every
year, we look to the quartz as our
main support. Early in the sixties
many quartz veins that have devel-
oped into great mines were located
and abandoned. For many years
thereafter everybody depended upon
the placers; but it was plain to bo
seen that their extent was year after
year growing a good deal less, and
that quartz mines must be opened
and worked or business of every kind
would suffer. "Neoessity is the moth
or Of invention" could easily be con-
strued to express tho situation. Plac-
or miners who saw that their claims
were getting smaller and poorer ev-
cry year commenced prospecting for
quartz, which they worked on when
there was no water for their placer
ground. In this they have been sue
oessful, large number of splendid
properties resulting from their labors.
will give few notes on some of
the principal ones in evidence to show
that we have great gold and silver
quartz belts, which, when developed
and worked with sufficient capital,
will place Boise county in the lead of
any section in the great northwest as
a producer of the two most precious
metals.
The largest mill in Boise county is
the Gold Hill, at Quartzburg, on the
west side of Boise basin. 1t drops
twenty-five stamps day and night, the
year round, on ore from the Pioneer
mine. From forty to fifty tons are
crushed every twenty -four hours, and
the monthly yield is from $4,000 to
$4,000 This mill commenced
crushing ore from the Gold Hill mine
in 1870. Work on that vein ceased
about two years ago, Since which time
the mill has run on Pioneer ore with
out interruption. This is one of the
largest gold mines in Idaho, the NV
erage width being thirty feet of
mixture of quartz and porphyry. No
asserting is done, as all of the ledge
mattar is put through the mill at less
expense, The owners of this proper
ty value it at $250,000,
A little farther up the gulch is the
Iowa mill, which has lain Idle for
good many years. The Iowa mine,
for which il was erected, was exceed
ingly rich on the surface, but when
the chute was lost the owners could
not carry on prospecting, beng men
of limited means. The general i'm
preston is that tho mine is a good
one, and, like many other practically
abandoned claims, will commence
production again soon.
East of the Gold Hill is the Ohio
mine, owned by a Boston company,
represented by Captain w. |. Smart,
who had quantity of tho ore worked
last fall to prove its value by mill
test. The returns were good in free
gold-$20 per ton. The vein Is six
feet wide, and the ore the same all
through. A twenty-five stamp mill
will be erected on it this year.
Besides these may be mentioned
the Ebenezer and Belshazzar, a few
miles west of the Gold Hill. They
arc splendid mines. In that section