Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-06-24
ETA City Mining and Wagon Road Prospects.


Elk City Mining and Wagon Road Prospects
CD. Calvin arrived here fromChicago
Saturday and left for Elk City Sunday.
He lie superintendent of the Chicago
company who have been prospecting
the Red river meadows for the past two
years, and was accompanied by Mr.
Lowe, an expert who is to make fnal
examination Of the property. If his
decision is final the hosting works,
derricks, and other machinery will be
shipped right away and large force Of
men put to work Immediately. We
hope that Mr.. Lowe will find every.
thing rs represented, because the COM
pany behind him is solid one and in
the event OF their operations being sue
cesefut, other Chicago money for other
mining enterprises in the same neigh
borh0od will be forthcoming. Mr..
Calvin enquired very earnestly about
the prospects Of wagon road into Elk
and was much disappointed to learn
that there was no prospect of construc.
ton being made this summer. Should
the legislature which meets this winter
fail to make an appropriation available
for the construction and completion OF
the ELK City road during the year 1898,
then We think the Taxpayers of Idaho
County ought to take the matter into
their own hands and authorize the
county commissioners to undertake its
construction aud to levy a special tax
for that purpose in April, 1898, when
other taxes are levied. The time has
come when wagon road into Elk City
ts vital necessity to the prosperity of
Camas Prairie and of the camp. The
development work which has been done
there in the last few years has shown
up good quartz properties of permanent
depth and value. The men in there
have grown poor in this labor, and now
that they have made the showing they
are entitled to that assistance which q
wagon road can give in making the
camp accessible to capitalists and pro-
viding for the transportation of ores
and machinery and the necessaries of
life. The Elk City wagon road problem
must speedily be met and solved. The
tariff on lead and low price of silver is
closing down silver mines all over Ida
no and other north western states, and
the tendency of mining Investments is
towards gold quartz camps. Elk City
has the ores which capitalists are now
hunting aud wagon road in there will
De the means of introducing men with
money to visit the camp who otherwise
would not care to undergo the fatigues
trail.
We should like to see this matter
carried into the coming county election;
let the people 20 to the primaries of both
political parties and elect delegates to
che county conventions who will vote
for q platform" pledging the candidates
Tor county commissioners ~ undertake
the construction of this necessary work.
The matter Of bringing it before the
people Is very simple. The central com.
mittees of the two political parties in
Issuing their calls for primary elections
could state that an expression of opinion
was desired on this subject, and recon-
mending that the people vote for or
against delegates who are known to be |
In favor of or against county expenditure
on behalf of the Elk City wagon road.
II delegates favorable to the proposition |
were elected. then declaration by the |
couaty conventions would pledge the |
candidates and in 1898 the road would |
be assured. On the other hand, if the |
sentiment of the people is adverse to
the enterprise, then the men of Elk |
wih know what to expect. and will
shake the dust from their feet for other |
regions where they will not have to |
spend their lives in poverty.