Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-08-08

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Correspondence Of the Statesman.
SAwTooTH, Idaho, July 29.-From
the summit OF the Sawtooth noun
tains the country presents a grand
view; mountains surround us and
the lofty peaks that tower toward
the sky, covered with perpetual
snow. seem to be standing there as
guards of the wealth that is stored
in the mountains below. The pos
sibilities of the great slope that ex-
tends from the Sawtooth to the
Snake river are promising, and the
development Of the mines of great
Importance TO the business interests
of Idaho. The mines have produced
millions and yet one can scarcely
see that the ground has been
broken. We have travelled for sew
eral days without seeing as much as
a prospector's cabin.
Rich lodges of ore have been To-
Gated in almost every gulch, but the
absence of cheap, rapid transit pre-
vents further operations. Numer-
GUS claims have been located and
large lodges of low-grade ore discov-
cred, but abandoned because the
owners were too limited in means to
spare time and money to hold them.
The distance from the railroad is
such that low-grade ore can not be
shipped at profit, and at pres
ent those claims are worthless. The
mining here is in about the same
condition that il was in Colorado Is
years ago. The country needs a
little attention from the public purse
by way Of good roads and trails.
and then the development of the
country will begin.
The Jones placer diggings are
now being worked by the new own
ere and the results are very encour-
aging, ehowing pay dirt from grass
roots to bedrock at depth Of 60
feet. Quartz mines carrying high
grade ore are being worked near the
summit and shipped by pack train
or wagon to Kctchum. The min
eral slowed away in these noun
tains will be wealth producing for
generations to come.
There are large belts Of timber on
the South Fork Of Boise river and
its tributaries. A portion Of it is
only suitable for railroad ties, tele-
graph poles and dimension lumber.
The best yellow pine is on the trib-
utaries and will require consider
able expense to reach it after rail
road is constructed.
Scenery is an interesting feature
where passenger travel is large, and
fine summer resorts are also sources
Of revenue. If granite mountains
towering castle like, hundreds of
feet high, studded here and there
with pine trees and shrubs and
washed at the base by stream Of
water, while on other side noun
tain gradually sloping back to the
summit, covered with waving grass
and flowers or n heavy growth of
timber, with beautiful lakes in the
vallies and springs or sparkling
brooks that come dashing over a
precipice on their way to the river
from the snow-capped peaks above;
if this is scenery that pleases your
eyes, then this section of country
can not be surpassed
The large lakes with fine fish,
warm springs, dry. cool summers,
good hunting and the broad vallies
of the Salmon river will at no dis
tant day make this summer resort
where the tourist will find sport and
scenery, the business man quiet and
a bracing climate, the invalid
strength and health, where the only
sound that can now be heard is the
shrill cry of the ground squirrel, will
be the summer residence of the rich.
These mountain homes for summer
will sell at a premium when reached
by rapid transit and their beauty
and healthfulness known.
No other railroad project in Idaho
to-day will stand in comparison for
practibility with the Boise and Butte
route. This line when completed
will cross the State in the center,
traverse tv o of its principal streams,
pass through the heart of its best
mines and mining territory. as well
as the large timber belts on the
Boise and Salmon rivers. II will
be so located that the few branch
lines necessary TO reach the rich
mining districts remote from the
main line on the tributaries of the
streams will bring the whole re-
sources Of central Idaho to one COM
mon center, without loss in distance
TO the through lines to the Pacific
Construct this line and thousands
of people will inhabit these noun
tains through which we have passed
that are covered with waving grass
pastured only by deer and elk, and
filled with almost an unlimited
quantity Of precious metals, unavail-
able for want of cheap transit Boise
City can then advertise its agricul-
tural and fruit lands with the pro-
ducts of the soil in the markets of