Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-07-03
FLORENCE TO THE FRONT.
Description of Quartz Mines
Which May be Big
Producers.

Description Vi S{uaTtZ MhhCS
Which May be Big
Producers.
The old camp of Florence, Idaho,
is again attracting attention, after
a lapse of many years. Then it
was a placer excitement, now it is
quartz lodges, the sources of the
wonderful supply of placer gold
discovered early in the COS. Then
a town of G,000 people sprung up,
and there were in 1868 43 business
houses in the town. After the
excitement died away the town
was deserted and the houses one
by one torn down, and the virgin
soil upon which they were erected
has in the intervening years been
carefully washed by the old tim
ers who remained.
Walter II. Hill, a mining engi-
neer of Grangeville, Idaho, is in the
city, and gave the following inter-
esting account of present develop
ment in the district. Mr.. Hill
said
Florence is situated on a plat
eau $3.50 feet above sea level. The
first quartz discovery was made
two years ago. While looking for
the sources Of the early placer
gold, miners traced them up
through the tale seams. There
are now fully 200 claims located
since that time, in an area of Is
square miles, and the entire
| country is located solid within
that area. The formation is soft
granite, carrying large quantities
of pigmatite. There are no ig-
neous rocks in that section, it be-
ing archean granite of the Eozoit
age.
"The lodges vary from seams o.
tale to five or six feet. The trends
of the veins are east and west, dip
ping to the south, while the ore
chutes dip east. The latter are
very numerous, but do not extent
usually more than 100 feet.
"The character of the ore is rib
bon-banded quartz, and is FREE
milling. The deepest mine in tn
district is 100 feet, and the char
acter of the ore is not changed il
that depth. There is two-staml
mill in the camp which has beer
run for eight months, and ha
crushed 234 tons of ore, showing
an average value of $50 a ton.
"The principal properties are tn
Gold Bug group of six claims
owned by S. s. Glidden and F. r
Culbertson. The ore from tn
group mills $3.50. The Banne
group, owned by the same parties
mills SAB a ton. The others ar
the Gilt Edge, Red Bird, Ozarl
Waverly, Blossom, Elkhorn, JOSS
phine, Poorman group, Hi-Yu, S
Charles and numerous other
Ore from a number of these claim
has been milled, and the loves
value was $40 ton.
"About eight miles from IL
main group is the Bullion basil
| in which is situated the BulliC
|, group of mines, which carry son
, gold and $50 in silver at presel
prices. The Bullion has lar.
ore chute, four feet wide, ar
0 there are several hundred tons
5 ore in sight. 1t is developed to
depth of 275 feet by tunnel. I'll
r property was worked in the car
|. days, the ore packed out to. Grne
n vile, So miles distant, from when
n it was shipped by stage to Lew
t ton, and thence by river to POI
land en- route to the Selby wor
at San Francisco.
"Warrens is another old plaC
camp, so miles from Florence.
has had the only gold quartz pl
" ducing mine in Idaho county, a
% has been worked for the past
y years. The property is owned
5: Geo. Riebold. and is now und
II bond to f. w. Johnson of BOi
:. for 100000. The mine is equ
N ped with a five stamp mill, hoi
is saw mill and everything compile
W 1t is developed $50 feet by sh
n and an adit tunnel 1870 feet lol
&c This mine has produced S275,O
Ill Most of the ore mills 500 t
~ and from that up to $1,000.
:; Riebold recently brought
ne Grangeville $4,000 in bullion,
OF product of rock that went $50
w ton.
1t "The country is easy of acc
to and can be reached in two an
ng half days from Spokane. III
70, dreds of people are going in,
25 day at present is a
A. act;uota,, CnoEapa RaviaU