The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1895-07-30

present seems 10 De Wdlblu2 lOr
the Big Copper to start up. Now
by the way, this so-called Big
Copper is mammoth property,
situated about 8 miles from
Houston in the mountains to the
southwest of Houston. / visited
these copper mines; they are in
a granite formation, very promi-
nent and easily worked; the ores
are largely of green carbonate,
and as to their prominence, /
look upon that group as one of
the great copper mines of the
world.
Near by there is the Grand
Prize, mine that produced lead
and silver in paying quantities
until the low price of silver com
PEELED it to close down. 1t is
most unfortunate that so fine a
region as Big Lost river cannot
push forward. We're the mines
at Cliff to start up and copper
furnaces to open their fires there
it would be but a short time until
10, 900 people could dwell in hap
piness by the shores of that
beautiful river. AS it is, a hun
CRY expression rests upon the
face of every Houstonite, and the
general feeling seems to be that
no change will come for Custer
county while Grover Cleveland
remains President of the United
States.
Grazing in this fine valley is
quite profitable to a few men,
but farmers obtain such low pric-
es for their produce as to give
little encouragement in that line
of labor. In this part of Idaho
there are three beautiful valleys
running east and west, Big Lost
river, Pahsimari and Lemhi val
ley. They are each about fifty
miles in length, and from four to
twelve miles wide; they lie
alongside of each other, with
high ranges of mountains be-
tween them, and no finer ranges
for horses and cattle can be found
in America than exists over most
of this vast area.
Visiting the camps of central
and western Custer county, al
Bayhorse, Clayton, Custer and
Bonanza, 1 found employed III
mining about 130 men, where
only five or six years ago there
were more than thousand EN-
ployed in the same localities.
At Custer and Bonanza none
of the mines were working a.
the time of my visit. Mr.. Dunn
, was engaged with three or foul
men in piping the side of th'
mountain below the Custer mine
. and in this way washing out th'
broken ore that for the past age
drifted from the rich vein abov,
and mixed itself with the slide
t rock and gravel of the hillside
, In this way he gathered togethe
about 200 tons of 300-onIce sii
yer ore. Custer and Bonanz;
at present feel jubilant over tn
. prospect of having new life in
: fused into their interests by tn,
opening of the Lucky Boy, Gus
ter and other properties by Sal
, Lake parties, who public re
! ports say are about to begin th
resurrection of these old bu
, rich properties.
The country around Custe
5 and Bonanza is a beautiful one
= timber clothes the hills, and ric
!, grasses line all the little valleys
: From Bonanza the new Stat
Y road runs down along Salmo
y river to Challis, the county sef
a of Custer county. Challis, lik
T all the mining camps of the Gu
/ ter region, is dull. The vale
S in which it is situated is q beal
S tifpl one, called Round vale,
S A number of thrifty ranchme
e are doing quite well on the littl
farms, and in the town Die
e Hull, Chris. Morler and Bi
f Eelkner conduct Il very fine ne