Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-01-08
R0SSiAND AND
TRAIL CREEK
phenomenal Development I'm This
voted Gold and Copper District.


- rivers, an average sized mountain
s,ream called Trail" creek, from which
the greatest gold producing camp in
America takes it's name, flows into the
latter waterway.
miners in the late sixties as the celebrat-
cd Dewdney trail. which was built to
connect Hope. on the Pacific coast, with
the then fabulously rich placer diggings
on the Wild Horse creek in the east Koot-
enay.. the trail following the creek from
its mouth to its source. about 10 miles.
However, 1t is not thought that these
early pioneers ever found evidences of the
vastness and richness of the present Trail
creek camp. The first authentic account
of the value Of the matchless mineral de-
posits were the discoveries by party of
prospectors, with George Bowerman, who
Is well known in Spokane, at their head,
IN the summer Of 1887. Bowerman located
the Lily May and sunk q shaft 20 feet
deep before abandoning the location in
which the ore had temporarily played out.
The Lily May was relocated in the sum-
mer of 1889 by oliver Bordeau, who has
held the claim until few days ago. Bor-
deau worked the claim during the winter
of 1889 and 1890. In July, 1890, Joseph Morris
and Joseph Bourgeois who had been in
Bordeaus employ during the previous
winter, started on prospecting trip in
the direction of what Is now known as
Red mountain and there in one day To-
Gated the LIE Roi, Center Star, War Eagle,
Iron Mask and Virginius. a group of five
claims that today are held at the good
round sum of $10,OO0,0OG.
Topping Buys the LIE ROi for 1880.
At that time Nelson, on Kootenay lake,
and distant some go miles, was the only
recording office in the district. While
there having their claims recorded, Morris
and Bourgeois met K. s. Topping, and,
under the law being unable to hold two
claims on the same lode, and as the lie
Roi, Center Star and Idaho appeared to
be located on the same lead, they gave
Topping his choice of the three in con-
sideration of his paying the recording
fees $12.5O on the group. Topping chose
the LIE Roi, as the ore from the claim on
assay showed slightly better gold value
than either of the others.
Topping made a trip to his purchase,
carefully sampled the vein and armed
with splendid samples and assay certiti-
Gates, he hied himself to Spokane. where
he succeeded in persuading syndicate
u 0pOkdHe IHeH, Will OllNeT buIdHl d.
it's head. to take hold. A bond of $4,000
was taken on 1890 of the mine. Suisse
quently Mr.. Durant sold his interest in
the LIE Roi and bought the Center Star.
oliver Durant is certainly the pioneer
and father of the camp. In the winter
of 1S9O-91 the LIE Roi company had car
load Of ore packed" on mules backs to
the Columbia river, and from thence
sheipped to one of the many smeters at
Butte, Mont. This ore gave in gold and
copper the magnificent returns of $50. 40
per ton. However, regular shipments did
not commence until three years later, as
the cost of transportation and treatment
was excessive. In the interim, how
ever, a great deal of desultory develop
ment work was being done on the LIE Rol,
War Eagle, Josie, Center Star and Nickle
Plate claims.
Formation of the District.
The prevailing rock is a green stone in
all it's various refinements of nomencla
ture, but mostly desrite, syenite. porphyry
-desrite of all shades and textures. ow-
ing to it's constituents. viz: feldspar, py-
roXene and hornblends being variously
proportional At a distance from the
veins the country rock appears to have
a lighter color and a coarser texture. The
whole of the country rocks have a joint
age more or less distinct. The lines OF
jointage or cleavage appear to be more
numerous near a vein and the rocks there
have a short, sharp blocky appearance
which does not obtain SO much as at {
distance from the lodges. large portion
of the country rock particularly neal
the veins, shows iron in small flecks, il
the form of magnetic pyrites. with a few
specks of chalcopyrite. Several eruptiv'
dykes very similar to the adjacent coun
try rocks, though lighter in color owint
to an excess of feldspar, traverse differ
ent sections of the camp The genera
contour of the country is by no mean
abrupt, but the hills appear to have beef
rounded Off by nature, and luXurian
timber and underground cover the create
part of it. Winter does not set in unit
late In the year. and though there Is al
most a continual downfall of snow, tn
winter is mild, and there is but yer.
short period of excessive cold. The gen
eral strike of the veins is east and west
and their dip near the surface between
60 and 70 degrees, though on sinking Of
some of them, notably the LeRoi, tn
veins become almost perpendicular
The Veins and Ore.
In all places these veins are strong, tru
and very easily traceable, showing con
siderable ore in the shape of cappin
mixed with ore. They vary in width fror
three to so feet. In some places veins a
wide as SO feet have been found, but the
are unusual These veins are, as a rule
covered with a strong greensboro Gaping
heavily impregnated with pyritic or whit
iron, to a greater or less degree. TIL
lines of jointage of the cap rock ar
usually filled with a decomposed mass O
red oxide of iron, very dark in color. TIL
ore is generally found under this cappini
at a depth of a few feet. The genera
opinion of mining engineers Is that thes
veins are true assures. The ore is a mas
sive mixture of copper and iron sulphide
consisting of pyrite, achalcopyrite. pyr
rholite, arseno-pyrite and mespeckel. will
a quartz and calcspar gangue. This or
Is not often crystalized, but is usually il
a solid amorphous mass 1t carries one t.
three ounces in gold, three to 10 per cen
copper and a small varying amount of sill
yer, usually less than 10 ounces to thu