Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-09-09
INDICATIONS or = GRAVEL BED

shaft, at the depth Of 81 feet, gives
encouraging indications The bot
tom is quartz sand SO loose that the
men at work "Wednesday night sank
down in it to their knees. A big
stream of water boiled upall the
pump could handle, and for awhile it
gained on the pump. Yesterday,
however, the pump kept it down,
and could have handled larger
stream. It is believed that good
deal of this is standing water and
will soon drain out. This loose ma
terial and flow of water is an indlca-
tion that gravel is near and that
wash exists below. This same bed of
loose sand was struck in the shaft
sunk in 1869, at the depth of about
100 feet. Having no pump, work
had to stop in that shaft. All the
stratas crossed IN this shaft pitch to-
ward the old shaft, which accounts
for the sand bed in this new one be-
ing struck at less depth. The 9TH
er shaft was sunk nearer the creek
and on lower ground than this one.
All old miners were confident that
gravel existed just below the loose
sand struck in 1869, but they couldn't
reach it without pump, and pumps
were not to be had il those days.
The contractor is now working under
difficulties, having poor boiler and
great difficulty in keeping up steam
to keep the pump going. He went
up to the Sub Rosa yesterday to get
the boiler of the Sub Rosa mill, and
it is also his intention to put in an
other pump. He took the contract
very low and has had many draw
backs that we're unexpected, the first
of which was very hard material for
about twenty feet. Morrell has ac-
complished what no other man in the
county could have done. 1t is to his
energy and rustling qualities that the
company owes its existence. He
worked up the whole thing, which
took time and hard work Getting
machinery together from here and
there, and with no capital to work on
and putting the miscellaneous mass
Of machinery together successfully
was itself quite an undertaking. Or
| top of all this he has contract or
his hands that is an elephant. Nc
man could hardly have afforded te
have taken the contract at the figures
he did if the machinery had been
placed on the ground for him, and
put together with no expense. Be
sides all this he has put In his time
gratuitously from the time he began tx
solicit subscriptions early last spring
until the starting of work on the shaft
Taking into consideration the fact
that the company owes its existence
to his incessant labors, they ought te
come to his assistance in a substantial
manner. Through worry and over
work he is an invalid and has been
oon6pad RI b;o had Cor sayar.l Jayr
and is now barely able to getaround
Because he took the contract too low
is no reason why the stockholders
should allow him to be crushed under
the weight of it. A very little "helr
from each of the stockholders would
be nothing more than an act of JUS
tice. If the stockholders realize
handsomely on their shares they car
thank Mr.. Morrell for their good for
tune. If they come up with little
more they ought to do it with gooe
grace, for then they will be out but {
very small per cent. of what he ha.
contributed gratuitoasly in the way
of rustling for subscriptions and get
ting the enterprise organized. If ths
stockholders object to giving him aid
more stock ought to be sold to hell
him out. But the first plan woulc
be better. The possibilities of tn,
enterprise are great, and if rici
ground is struck the present stock
holders would be better off than if
greater amount of stock were disposet
of. If pay is struck the stock nov
held and undisposed of eau be solt
for big figures. Everything is en-
couraging. The fact that rich grav
ell has been struck in every camp il
the world having a false bedrock, b.
sinking through it, and that the Basi
is the only section left to be testet
for deep placers underneath such
bedrock, is sufficient foundation fo
upboppIaj faith Go ,t mould ha