The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-25
SALMON COUNTRY
Its Great Quartz and Placer
Mining Wealth.
FINE TIMBER AND AMPLE WATER
Wanton Destruction of Game and D epreda
lions by Rowing Bands OF Indians
Under Permits.

KETCHUM, Ida Feb. %. 1s92-[Special Core
spondence of THE HERALD. There is probably
no mineral locality in the state OF Idaho about
which so little has been said or written as that
in The territory bordering on and ad-
jacent to the Middle Fork Of the Salmon river
and within the boundaries of the three counties
Of Custer. Lemhi and Idaho.
The reason that so little mention has hereto
fore been made of this important mining field is
on account of its extreme isolation. There is no
means of access to it except by trails, diverging
in different directions from one pass in the
mountains to another, guided by the trees
which were hlazed by the fearless placer mine
prospector thirty years ago, as he traversed the
wilds Of what was then the hunting grounds Of
the savage and treachcrous sheep-eaters and
Banncoks, when white mems scalps were not
considered worth cents apiece by the dozen"
Gradually, as these renegade bands of Indians
which infested this then almost unexploredl land
OF the precious metals, became suDdued and
placed upon the respective reservations allotted
to them by the general government the per-
severing prospectors with their pack animals,
PICKS, GOLD PANS AND GUM BOOTS
began to find their way into this wild region
and prospect the various streams and gulches
Jutting down from the mountains. In every in
stance they were rewarded by finding good in
dications Of gold and in many cases in paying
quantities
The discovery of gold along the streams and
gulches led to the finding of some immense gold
and silver bearing lodes, unequalled in size and
grade of ore by any in any other mining section
of the state.
Imagine massive lode or zone, as it may be
termed, W tn immense groupings of mineral
bearing ore traversing along the mountain side
crossing gulch after gulch in its course, and ex-
tending distance upon the surface OF nearly
has
practically demonstrated TO be from twenty
TO $50 feet in width, carrying pay ore wherever
ii has been tested. and some idea OF this vast
mineral belt forming
THE YELLOW JACKET GROUP
can be had. Exploration work has been pros
ecuted upon a portion of this property for sew
eral years past and all the various openings
made show large bodies OF ore in apparently
inexhaustable quantities. There is now enough
ore exposed in the openings Of these mines to
keep mill OF the capacity OF at least sixty
stamps continually running for long time.
The machinery for tenstamp mill with its
auxiliary attachments arranged in sections,
was transported into this mining camp several
years ago on the backs OF sturdy pack mules,
and set in monion after many difficulties.
Though the mill is rather a "Tattle-trap" con-
Germ and has been but indiferently operated,
saving only about ohe-half the gold the ore
contains yet with all these obstacles the pro-
prietors have had TO contend against, the mines
have for the past four or five years yielded The
| OWl6FS HauQSOm6 anu very Satisfactory pEOHIs
above the enormous expenses incident to min,
ing and reducing ores in out-of the-way regions
The ore from some of the mines of the group
above named yield by mill process an average
| of SIS in gold per ton when worked up to near
the assay value, and in some instances il
| yields as high as 500 in gold per ton. In Other
portions Of the mineral belt, the ore carries
considerable silver, but everywhere the goll
predomiuatss.
About twenty miles in southeasterly direc
ton from the Yellow Jacket camp there il
another remarkably large and rica quartz ant
placer mining locality known for the pas
! seventeen years as
KAMEY's CAMP,
having been named for the discoyerer anC
| locator, John Ramey. Doubtless this nam,
Will be recognized by many Idaho pioneers a.
belonging to the courageous Wells Fargo ex
pres 5man VINO, In the early and exciting day!
of the W arrens and Florence GOLD dggngs
made regular trips or mule back between TIT
diggings and Lewiston, taking in the gold coli
which he exchanged for the gold DUST that b,
carried out to Lewiston, perfectly fearless O
the many outlaws and road agents. viii
which the route was infested But he was ma
who did not know the Gaming OF the word fear
! one of the brave and resolIte scouts who, il
1878 guided Captain benardS company o
! soldiers through the wild and almost inacces
aoIe mountains of this section during the cam
| palgn against the Bannock Indians. For NOR
than quarter of a century he has been NOR
or less engaged in blazing trails into the mour
tains that the untirlng proSpector mi hit follow
AT s Veral QlUercnI tunes before there were an
roads through this region he took contracts 10
| delivering Uncle SANS mails, packing them o.
his back into the remote little mining camps
central Idaho. and most or the time performir
the fatiguing
SERVICE UPON sNowsHoEs.
cheerlly bringing to many a lonely miner til
| ore glimpse or touch of tie out ide world tbz
penetrated his seclusion for months at a timt
! making John Ramey a most welcome an
| cherished visitor ut every camp ard cabin. Fl
| Gti IN ha of fI,ay Or
pioneer prospector a a pleasant memory.
Nestled among the pine and hr-clad noun
tains and surrounded by beautiful prairl
basins FORM Dy Silver CT. Elk and Pine creel
the ''Ramey'' group OF quartz and placer clam
are located. Here is aBothe imE.onse looe
gold and silver bearing ore, which have bes
located upon the surface for nearly Two mile
auG traced by the surface groupings almost til
entire distance.
On either side of this large lede of quart
several placer claims have been located a!on
the streams aud basins before Is enioned son
OF which have been cutie extensively worket
and with satisfactory results. IL was the wcrl
ing Of the placers that led 10 the exposure
the most prominent feature oil this valuable loo
of gold ard silver quartz which, now that it
brought to light by the excavations made
working tie placers, presents The appearanC
OF little mountain OF soli ore
Nature in the formation of the earih's SUI
face IN this particular locality, seems to hay
had doub. purpose n view for the benefit
the mining industry, condition which is rarel
presented IN any N ming country. The quar-
/, lode and the DlaCers lie in such close ana Col
yenieGt proximity 10 each other, that from II
same source can be Drawn
THE WATER TO DRAIN TIE STAMPS
which VIII crush the ore from the lode and
the same time the waterlor the Little Giants
, 10 use in washing the Garth from around ii
lode, which contains gold also; and The d.
migrated material which for ages has bee
! breaking loose and been carried down and d
: posted along the bedrock Of the streams al
gulches The gold in all this material can
secured by the aid OF the easy obtalnaDle waite
An abundance of water for quartz crushing al
placer mining on this lode, can be brought |
dumes and bitches from a natural reservoi
situated at an elevation of five hundred or mo
feet above tie natural location for any sut
, contemplated works. This reservoir is
. beautiful sheet OF water called Silver lake ri
appropriately named from the fact that in d
, ferent places along The stream called Slv
! creek. whose fountain head this lake is. the
have been found numerous particles or scales
native silver mingiiug with the colors Of go
/ The grade and quality of the ore OF Il
: Ramey group Of mines is remarkably goo
: about equal values Of gold and silver, and ir
) from any foreign or rehellouS matter. Assn
range from 81 to $50 per ton.
Not hundredth part relating to the wonde
full resources OF this extensive region has bee
! told. For miles along the numerous tributari
! OF the Middle Fork and xtending all along Il
|, line OF the great gold belt through to tbs Lee
burg mining camp, and on through to the Cn
d Alenes. there are vast tracts OF country tn
have not been half prospected nor explored
Attention however has lately been attrac.
to this locality and in the near future it W
swarm with prospectors, and hundreds Of val
9 able claims will be located. The discovery
: these mines and their yield OF precious meta
will shortly make record that cannot be d.
counted by any other section OF the state
: Idaho.
: The Middle Fork is bound to attract more tb,
4 ordinary attention on account Of the unusual
J. large size Gifts mineral bearing lodes. Althoul
: the ores may not be lbs high grade as in 9th
t Idaho mining camps, yet the difference in val
q is more than counterbalanced by
: TIE ENORMOUS QUANTITIES OF ORE
! the lodes can be made to produce and viii
I can be mined and handled exceptionally chea