Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-10-02
STRUCK THE GOLD
Recent Strikes in the Old Florence
Camp Cause Excitement.
BANNER AND GOLD BUG
Ledge Cut at 125 Feet Depth
With Splendid Results, and
Mill to be Erected
at Once.

spokane Review, Sept %.
Recent rich strikes in the Flor
ence mining district, in Idaho, are
causing much excitement in min
ing circles. +. X. Culbertson re-
turned from the camp last night,
and stated that a great many
strikes have been made there
within the past few weeks.
The biggest strike is in the Ban
ner. They struck a ledge last
week showing Is feet width of vein
with 12-foot pay streak of gold
bearing quartz of a probable aver
age value of S15 to 500 to the ton.
A half interest in the property
was purchased and the other half
bonded in June last to S. S. Gid
den and Mr.. Culbertson. "a force
of men have been at work driving
a crosscut tunnel to the ledge"
Mr.. Culbcrtson said, which was
struck last week, with the result
stated. The property has a shaft
down 55 feet, with drifts 80 feet
in each direction, from which 20
tons of ore we milled, giving re-
turns of $40 to the ton of the
amount milled. The vein where
now cut with the crosscut tunnel,
gives depth to the property of
1875 feet, perpendicular height,
which at present is the deepest
working in the camp"
The same parties have bought
another group of eight claims,
adjoining the Banner, known as
the Gold Bug group. Develop
ment work has been going on in
these claims since last June, the
ore from the Gold Bug being con-
siderably higher grade, Mr..
Culbertson states, than that of the
Banner, in fact; the highest grade
ore yet struck in the camp, a mill
run of 55 tons giving S5S to the
ton.
"Assays have been obtained
from this property" says Mr..
Culbertson, "as high as ~ 4-1O
ounces of gold. A 2O-inch vein OF
$40 ore was struck week or &c
days ago, and from all indications
the Gold Bug gives promise Of be-
ing one of the biggest mines in the
camp.
"a 10-stamp mill is to be erect
ed at once, with the intention o.
working the ore from both of these
properties.
"The Banner group consists O
three claims and the Gold Bug o
eight, making one solid group
with no intervening fractions o
claims.
"The Ozark Mining Company o
Moscow have just completed an(
put in operation 5-stamp mill
in which they are working thu
ores from the Ozark mine. A
seven-foot ledge was struck on THU
property about two weeks ago
from which the owners are re
cciving satisfactory returns, ther'
being enough ore in sight to run ;
mill of double this capacity TO
several years.
"Among the other promisin.
properties in the camp is the Poor
man group, owned by George K
Reed of Grangeville, Mr.. Baird
the stage proprietor, of Lewiston
and others. This property has
shaft 65 feet deep and tunnel 30
feet long, of which about 100 fee
has been run in ore two and {
half to fonr feet wide. The or
from this property runs high il
silver, as well as carrying consid
erablc gold.
"The Bullion mine, owned b.
Mr.. Wax, merchant of Grangeville
is a property on which consider
able work is being done. 1t wa
first opened up about 90 years ago
and from it ore was packed on
and shipped to San Francisco
This is also a silver proposition.
"With these exceptions all tn
properties in the camp are golt
bearing quartz.
clarence Cunningham Of Mul
ray, WHO Is lulcTSotco WIN Yam
bell & Finch, has a bond on tn
Homestake and two others. III
is at work sinking shaft, and RI
ports from the property are Ell
couraging. This is low grad
proposition, but shows vein frol
80 to so feet in width, exposed ft
a distance of 1000 feet in length
If the entire vein will pay to mi
it will be a big proposition even {
a low valuation per ton, havir
water power right at the mine
operate the machinery.
"From the recent st rikes In;
have been made the permanent
of the camp is assured. A wage
road has been constructed to ii
camp and the stages are runnir
with mail facilities.
FLORENCE first came into pror
inence as a placer mining camp
1861. They were strictly pc
mans diggings, with little surfa
ground to remove to bedrock. II
camp was one of the richest in Il
west, common wages paid to mi
ers being SO to $40 a day, a,
uofh;n0 short Of Oupoa diCuinps