Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-01-08

aole increase in such short time?
iheh also, during the year of 1896 the
iieihze smelter was completed and blown
III Inc smelter was originally designed
as loo-ton plant daily capacity The
capacity OF the plant has been doubled
| twice In II months and improvements
under way will again double the pres
eht capacity of the smelter When these
improvements are completed the Trail
smelling Company will have one of the
| largest plants in operation in America to-
day. D. c. Corbin and his associates in
MS western enterprises have also an
nounced their intention of erecting a $50
ton plant for the reduction of Trail creek
ores, at point adjacent to both the line
of the Spokane Falls & Northern and the
Red Mountain railway. Northport will
probably be the point.
Transportation Facilities.
The completion of the Columbia & Red
Mountain railway into the town of Ross
land has given the Trail creek camp the
best transportation facilities and the
easiest mode of communication with out
side trade centers yet possessed by any
one of the many mining camps in south
ern British Columbia. Though 1t is true
that the construction of the Columbia X
|
the past year greatly lessened
the difficulties of transportation
the facilities and capacity of the road
have never been equal to the thousand
and one demands made upon it. 1t was
not until the Red Mountain road was an
operating line that Rossland and the Trail
creek camp enjoyed anything like ade-
quate transportation facilities. Even now
} freight is blockaded. The construction OF
d, the Red Mountain railroad has also add
ed another spoke to the wheel of pros
perity that is revolving so rapidly tC
Spokane's renown. 1t has made Spokane
the virtual headquarters of Rossland'
mining men, and the acknowledged trade
; center of the whole Trail creek region
Withal Trail creek is easily accessible,
=, from any point of the compass natur,
having so ordained it.
Output for 1896.
Without Il doubt the output of the pas
l. year did not come up to the highwate
e mark of 100000 predicted early in tn,
5 year by some of the camps most san
guine admirers. However. 1t has not beef
= through the fault of the mines, but
combination of adverse circumstance
y that cropped up. Lack of adequate an,
c competitive transportation is the prim
e cause of the failure. Secondly, the lon
e option on the War Eagle, during whic
period little or no ore was produced from
# that great Nine was another importan
: factor However, under such circum
stances, it is most gratifying to admirer
t of the camp to know that the wonderful
/ output of 1895 was more than doubled
t, True sources for the exact figures are no
: open to the writer, but a careful estimat
Vt places the output for the year at the goo
IL round sum of two and three-quarte
e millions of dollars Trail creek today
in a position to double these figures dun
Il ing the present year.
n The City of ROssland.
It There are 10000 people in the Ira
e creek, 5000 of whom live in Rosslano
r Rossland depends for it's support on tn
e mines and it's business prosperity hang
on the monthly pay roll. BY actual cour
it it has been established that there are t.
J. day over 1900 men employed in thte mine
1t of Trail creek. These men are averagin
d 50 per day, so Rossland has a regua
monthly pay roll of $45, 900. These figure
r are exclusive of wood choppers, railroa
r men, teamsters and clerks, who are ais
drawing monthly stipend. 1t is safe
IF say that today Rossland has a pay 70
lie of between $4,000 and $780, 900 per year
n The remarkable development of til
is past year has been more noticeable
Rossland than at any other point in tf
district. From a small inconSequenti;
IS hamlet of 1000 inhabitants without an
al one of the comforts, luxuries and boor
r. of an effete, modern civilization. Ros
l. land has assumed the proportions of
E. town of 5000, and with it's railroads graz
e. ed streets, water, electric light schoo
n and churches, it has quite metropolis
j. air
ut Every merchant in the place who HI
n been here the major portion of the yea
at | expresses himself astounded at the ra
es idity with which Rossland's trade ar
rs Importance grew, and says that the d
velopment in the mines fully justifies II
# statement that Rossand will, in the spa
ty of a year, be the most important pla
at in the Pacific northwest. With its ne
b. railroad facilities and the prospects
H. additional smelters for the quck and e
yg peditious treatment of the ores, Rosslar
looks forward to the future with con
al dence.
If Adjacent Districts.
H. Not less remarkable than the develo
~ ment Of producing mines in the immedia
as vicinity of Rossland have been the ra
pushed afield, and the discoveries whit
have been made in other parts of Il
ba Trail creek mining division. Wherev
nj the formation in which the Rosslal
=, mines were discovered has been foun
-, claims have been located and surface d
J., velopment work done. And already o
"a of a chaos of locations, mineral ION
IN have been defined which bid fair to equi
&C if not to rival the basin of Trail creek
nj Development work on Murphy, Sulliva
ct Champion and Bear creeks has prov
,,a the existence of immense deposits of go
NJ bearing ores. Space in article of til
kind does not permit minute descripti'
Nv of these new camps; 1t suffices to say tn
they are zones of undoubted merit al
- boundless possibilities.
From present indications, 1t would see
nd as though the Columbia river, betwe'
the 49th parallel and the main line
~ the Canadian Pacific railway, was abo
Re to become the outlet of gold producil
country which will pale the luster
California, Australia or the Rand.