Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-10-30

have liked. The owners claim a vein
thirty feet wide. From it / obtained
some fine specimens of ruby silver ore.
From this point could look across
Big creek, tributary of the Middle
fork, and see the beginning of the great
porphyry belt, a map of which Mr..
Fisher, of the mining exchange, has,
showing the outlines. This belt ex-
tends eastward across the Middle
fork till it ends in the Salmon river
range. distance of seventy or eighty
miles, and 1t was my purpose TO follow
1t until reached its contact with the
country rock of the country, which is
granite. In the neighborhood Of the
Cleveland lode is a number of really
valuable locations owned by Ceur
dAlene and Portland parties, and from
them secured number of samples,
whose assays will undoubtedly run
high. In the settlements there is talk
of putting up reduction works at these
mines next year.
Twenty miles northeast OF these are
a group of silver-copper mines which
did not visit, but was given samples of.
and am told that there is no question
as to their commercial value. The
veins of this group are said to average
five feet in width. From here we went
to Yellow Pine basin, heavily timber
o. hn IF hna
placer mining, but now abandoned. A
few quartz lodes have been located, and
saw some promising float. Here we
changed our course to the southeast
and assembled the high range between
the Middle and South forks, and for
two days travelled at an altitude of
something like 5000 feet, and camping
out was frosty. We now crossed the
high divide to Middle fork, aud for the
first time saw the Red Mountains, " hich
reminded one of those in Colorado that
contain such rich mineral. These
mountains are streaked in so many
different colors that infer that it is
caused by rapid change in the form
alton, or the presence of large bodies of
mineral, but l could not spare the time
to investigate.
"In crossing to the Middle fork !
found had crossed the porphyry belt
to the south side, where it came in con-
tact with the granite, which was the
ultima Of my journey, and here I de-
sired to investigate. During the days /
remained found that my preconceiyed
theory concerning this correct and
found mineral evidently of high grade
and plenty of it, but to go into par,icu-
lars would hardly be just to myself or
those interested with me until l fully
secure our interests; bnt as soon as the
samples are in which shipped by rail
| will be pleased to show and describe
them more particularly. The character
of the country l travelled over is strictly
mineral bearing, and is only in places
heavily timbered, and 1 saw but few
spots which would give an idea that it
would be in any way fit for cultivation.
I'VE returned by the route we went
in, and saw many deer, and of course
killed few, as We had to depend on
our gun for meat. This gun was tricky;
sometime IL would go of, aud again it
would not, and it once placed me in an
awkward predicament. Seeing large
cinnamon bear, l took shot ut him
and wounded him, and he made for me
or course hunted a tree and waited
knowing that | could not be sure, if
wished to shoot again, of the gun going
off at the proper moment; but fortunate-
ly the bear was too badly hit, and ex
pired by the time he was within forty
feet of me. / also killed black bear on
the trip and shipped both pelts with my
specimens"
you are then of the opinion this is
a mineral field only awaiting investi-
cation to prove valuable?"
Most emphatically. propose to go
there next season when the snow will
allow of crossing the ranges, which will