Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-01-31
EDITOR'S NOTE BOOK.
MemOrHndMUls JOtted DOWM on

a Recen Trip to Eik City.
From Deadwood we ascend a
|low divide which separates the
waters of Crooked river and Red
river. Approaching the summit
we enter grove of splendid tama-
rack timber, among which the axe
of the lumbcrman had been lately
busy getting out 100000 feet OF
logs for the sawrnill of the Relief
Milling Company. We are now
only one-half mile from our des-
tination and, making our way
through these magnificent fallen
monarchs of the forest, soon strike
the down grade to Relief creek.
Through the timber on the hill
slopes shine the bright new build
ings erected by the company, and
as we strike the creek and look
down to the works we are sur
prised at the amount of work
done and the contrast which the
scene presents compared with its
aspects on our former visits. 1t is
just six o'clock, and the steam
whistle sends its shrill voice echo
ing through this once-silent can
yon, as if in welcome of our ap-
proach. But it is only quitting
time, and a little army of work
men are seen vending their way
to the evening meal. The saw
mill was running in full blast, and
u large crew We're also employed
erecting the large ten-stamp mill
building and constructing a 25-fo0t
water wheelwith which to run the
slwmill by water power hereafter.
Large cases of the quartz mill
machinery are scattered up and
down the banks and the creek
bottom is full of huge tamarack
logs ready to be sawed into lum-
ber. On all my previous visits the
creek had been silent as the grave,
and now, through the operations
of the company, it was alive with
human life and activity. / have
previously spent days at a time
here without seeing Il soul, and as
one of the promoters of the pres
ent activity feel a just pride in
effecting such change, and in
Transforming this opce-s ilent can
yOn into home of progress and
development. But we are soon
among our partners and friends
and not much time is left for
meditation or retrospection that
evening.
The Relief Milling Company is
composed of S. w. Smith and
r. G. Thomas, of Elk City, A. F.
Parker, of Grangeville, G. w.
Goodale, of Butte, Mont, and
w. N. Knox Jr., of Mt. Idaho.
These people have built good
wagon road from Elk City to Re-
lief creek, put in sawmill, erect
ed ten-stamp mill building and
shipped in a Kendall mill, con.
centrator, crusher, steam engine
and boiler, pump, and other nee
essary adjuncts to crush and con.
centrate ore from the Cleveland
group of quartz mines, six in num-
ber, which lie contiguous to tho
mill. The Cleveland mine, upon
which nearly all the development
work has been done. was discov.
cred in the early SOS, and has
always been regarded as the best
free-milling ledge in Elk City
mining district. Relief creek was
one of the richest placer gulches
in the district in the early days
! and its geld undoubtedly came
from the Cleveland lode, for il
never paid above, although the
stream was wing-damed for long
distance. The ledge itself lies or
the south side of the creek, and il
exposed for about 800 feet by 9
sluice cut from which the top dir
has been washed, showing a strong
vein of oxidised gold-bearing or,
six feet wide. About 200 feet be
low the sluice cut tunnel hal
been run on the vein for a distanc,
of 75 feet, showing the ledge to b'
fully as wide and Of equally ricl
ore as in the cut above. Thes
workings thus show chute of or
500 feet long and 250 feet deep
which is in itself sufficient t,
make a good mine. About 4O'
feet lower down the mountain,
permanent working and develop
ment tunnel has been run for dis
tance of 175 feet, cutting the vel
at a depth of 80 feet, and shown
a strong ledge of low grade orr
This tunnel is now projected O
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