The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-19

attention Idaho is receiving at Inc
hands of the United States geological
survey is hailed with joy by mining
men all over the state. They recognize
the incalculable benefits this young
commonwealth viii acquire by the ex-
tended advertisement the national gov
eminent will give the mineral resources
of the state; in their minds eye they
see in Idaho the second Colorado of the
west. for they realize that what the geo.
logical reports did for Colorado they
will also do for Idaho.
The interior of this state is prac-
tically an unexplored region. At only
rare intervals have prospectors pene-
) trated into the heart of unknown Idaho,
and these brought stories of the rich
ness of mineral wealth of that iso-
lated section which seemed almost in
credible. Recently, however, an organ
tied party spent several months pros
pecting there, and their accounts of
the latent resources of the wilds of
Idaho fully bear nut the statements of
the few proSpeC, ) who had preceded
them. The stories told by the eXplor-
ers, if they may be so called, found
their way into print and, as a result,
the government took the matter up,
sending a re onnoiSance party into the
field. This party is still in the field:
and although their work for this sea-
son is only Of preliminary character,
the engineer in charge has already sent
in reports that have fully decided the
director of the geological survey at
Washington, Charles D. Walcott, TO
make extended investigation in. that
section.
Henry Gannett of Washington, D.
c., chief topographer of the geological
survey for the entire United States,
and r. n. Goode, of San Francisco,
chief of the Pacific division, embracing
California, Oregon. Washington and
Idaho, arrived in this city a few days
ago on an official tour Of inspection.
They reported Director Walcott was on
his way to Boise for the purpose of
looking over the field, in order that he
might all the better plan the work with
particular reference to the extended
geological research it is proposed to
prosecute in Idaho.
Arrangements have been made for a
number Of the leading mining men of
the state to meet Director Walcott
y here.
1t is understood that in addition to
the interior or unknown" portion of
the state, special attention will be
given 70 the Boise basin country, the
lSs
RAILWAY TALK
The air has been surcharged with
railroad rumors for some time, and il
is now believed something tangible will
shortly present itself. A scheme that
has been talked of not little for the
past year or two, is a railroad from
Boise to Silver City and De Lamar i'm
Owyhee county. The alarming scarcity
of timber in the vicinity of these two
mining camps and the exorbitant rates
OF transportation Incident upon a fifty-
mile haul by wagon, makes the con-
struchon Of a railroad. and right
away At that, imperative. In fact the
mines of that section cannot long con-
fdnue operations unless they Ye con-
nected with railroad
Coupled with this railroad enterprise
is a plan to build a f1ume to connect
the almost inexhaustible timber
oelt OF Boise Basin with this city. Logs
could be shot down the f1ume to Boise
where they would be converted into
mining timbers and every variety of
lumber. 1t would then be shipped ia
treeless Owyhee and, in fact, all over
southern Idaho, section that is now
supplied almost wholly from Oregon.
A POWER SCHEME.
Another feature Of this enterprise is
scheme to utilize the water brought
through the fiume for the generation
of power. Engineers estimate sufficient
power could be obtained in this man.
ner to operate all the machinery with
in a radius of fifty miles of Boise for
years to come. Electricity is contem-
plated
A number of prominent eastern capi-
tal.sts are said to have become deeply
interested in this series of enterprises.
1t has been feared trouble will arise
over an attempt to consolidate too
many interests, but Boise people are
perfectly willing to permit the exercise
of grasping proclivities on the part OF
the powers behind the throne, even in
q Superlative degree if they can get
i the railroad. They realize its construc-
. ton means a city of 10000 people here
in a very short time.
The survey of the Seven Devils rail-
road has had a decidedly stimulating
effect upon that section. A number of
capitalists, including the Merritts, of
Duluth, who are backed by Rockafel-
Ter, have bonded several Of the gold
mines and purchased others. A Michi-
gan syndicate has had representatives
looking over the wonderful copper re-
sources Of tie Devils. 1t is understood
the syndicate has bonded the Peacock
group OF copper mines, the richest in
that district. The great bulk of the ore
per cent. copper. Lack of transpcrSa-
ton facilities alone accounts for the
failure Of this mine TO be known as
one of the greatest copper producers
in the United States.
A RICH DISCOVERY.
An immensely rich discovery was
made recently in Willow Creek district
near this city. Dan Levan, Of Cald-
well. located a ledge of deeomposed
quartz which he uncovered for a dis
tance of 300 feet. He sunk in several
T. places, ascertaining the average width
of the ledge to be 215 feet.
The quartz is so rich it can be worked
at profit in a hand mortar In fact,
in seven hours, Mr.. Leyan pounded
out 81 in gold, using a very small NOR
tar and washing the dirt in an imper-
feet pan. Assays of the ore run from
81 900 TO 81, 400 ton. The discovery
caused no little excitement AS Levan
Jumped the claim, the property will
likely be tied up in litigation for some
time. A company of San Francisco
capitalists has made the owners of the
principal mines in the district, includ-
ing the Levan property, a proposition
.rto 5uy their mines and put up a large
b-mtfl. NEGOTIATIONS are still pending
IN Neal district, eighteen miles from
i Roise. the Homestake mine, owned by
! Charles Balbach,' of Omaha, is turning
ont an average of $1,000 a week with a
small force and ten stamps.
The Hidden Treasure. owned by
Mountain Home parties, has proven a
bonanza A 120 hour ron was recently
made in a five-stamp mill! The clean
1lp amounted to 81, 400. The ore mills
an average of $40 a ton. The Hidden
Treasure was considered a very ordi-
nary property until a short time ago.