The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-20
IDAHO MINING NEWS.
Copper from Lost River Mines to Be
Treated Here.

Treated Here.
KETcHUM, Ida, Aug. 1S.-Unless in
dications are altogether deceptive, the
whistle of the big Philadelphia and Idaho
smelter here will again resound through
Wood River valley some time about Sep
TENDER l. Negotiations are pending
which are likely to result in blowing in
the furnaces for long run on copper ore
from the Lost River mines, located thirty
seven miles from this place.
Residents of Salt Lake viii be inter-
ested in knowing that the copper matte
from monthly product of l 800 tons Of
ore from the mines is to be treated at the
refinery now building in their city.
Hard times have been experienced by
the people OF Alturas county generally for
about six months. Not singly but by
wholesale the partially developed mines
and noted producers of that vast area
known by the name of the Wood River
country were compelled to close down.
The North Star mine, which has an output
Of $500, 900 worth of the white metal and
is owned by the smelling company, was
the last to be shut down. That was about
June /. At the same time the smelter
was closed for an indefinite period. Re-
sumption OF operations was supposed to
be dependent on the rehabilitation of the
white metal. Although the wealthy
syndicate that owns the reduction works
has thirty patented claims in the Wood
River country--a majority OF which may
be termed mines-a large quantity of ore
from other mines has been treated at the
srnelter. During the winter the company
ran almost exclusively on ore from the
famous North Star group, located six
miles east of Ketchum on the north fork
OF Wood river. 1t is now operated en-
tirely by leasers, of which there are two
sets. giving employment to fourteen men
all told. The winter run of the smelter
was a God-seud to Ketchum as about
sixty men were worked. After the COM
pany decided to suspend, Contractor
Clark started in and has had a half dozen
men engaged in cleaning up.
If the plans now under consideration
are carried 10 a successful issue, it will
mean much for the town. Mines will be
added to the list of producers which
have hitherto been regarded as
prospects, although phenomenal; mi
ners will be given employment,
men and teams viii. be engaged in haul
ing ore and a large force worked in the
smelter. A matter of greater Importance
to the people OF that section will be the
demonstration IN a practical way of the
claim so long maintained by many that
this section has important mineral re-
sources other than its famed silver de-
posts.
Prospectors who overran this section
since 1850 paid no attention to lodges that
did not show high values in silver. Some
gold bearing lodes were more or less de-
veloped but the ore is refractory. An at
tempt was made by the Philadelphia and
Idaho people TO work the output of some
of these claims, their own among the
number. The character of the ore was
such that failure attended these expert
ments on account of the high percentage
of zinc.
The Lost River country was prospected
at an early day. 1t was not until the fall
of 1889 that any locations were made on
what is regarded as a veritable mountain
OF copper. Then a couple of miners
staked out claims there. They
did 8 little work and proved to
the satisfaction of number of
enterprisirg men that the huge blow-outs
and chimneys of ore that showed on the
surface indicated that vast ore bodies OBJ
tanned with depth. By purchase, Colonel
n. j. Sharp, state wagon road commits
sioner. and A. J. Pierce, of the lSilUer
Messenger, both of Challis, acquired an
interest in the properties Other loca-
tions were subsequently made, but the
entire district is controlled by few men.
Colonel Sharp alone being interested in
twenty claims. Aside from the assess
ment work, absolutely nothing he's been
done in the way OF opening up these de-
posts save on the original four locsitions.
On these the time and work expended has
been insignificant. A forty-fve foot shaft
is the deepest workings on the property.
In that the ledge was srt at depth OF
thirty-fve feet, exposing an immense de-
posit- Cross -cutting AID shallow shafts
at other points, az xell as short tunnels
RIM into the siyie of the mountain, af-
IL b. 81. La -. =