The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-04
IDAHo's GREAT GOLD BELTS
Information For Miners and Pros

While this portion of Idaho is very
/ generally accepted as a silver-lead
mining region, says the keystone, OF
Ketchum, Ida, and has been given
over mainly TO the silver and lead in
dustry, at the same time there is album
( dant evidence to show that we are also
in the midst of vast gold bedring
zones and belts.
Much of the silver ore produced in
this as well as in the adjacent coun-
ties contains more or less gold, which
can be accepted as proof that there
are goldbearing belts and auriferous
reefs in the same vicinity. If miners
/ and prospectors have not. observed that
where the base ore veins carry gold to
the amount of So to $40 and upwards to
the ton, there is always to be found in
the same neighborhood porphyry and
granite reefs and dykes containing
gold quartz, they should at once begin
TO wake UP to the fact and govern
themselves accordingly.
While silver and lead mining was
profitable in this country the prospect
or paid little attention TO mineral veins
that did not show galena or other
bases in the groupings, for the reason
that it was a pretty general belief that
there were no values in rock that
showed no bases. In other words, it
was not expected that gold could be
found around among the silver, lead,
anthony and copper veins, and Lodges
not carrying any of these minerals
were simply passed by as barren-"he
quartz" and bull quartz" in pros
Dectors' Darlance.
But by looking over the different
mineral fields of the west it will be
noticed that wherever there is base
mineral belt there is also somewhere
in the same neighborhoOd a gold quartz
belt or district. Sometimes these occur
on the line of the base belts. where
the formation changes from silver-lead
bSa ring rocks OF lime, slate, etc, to
gOld-bearing porphyry etc; but more
generally in parallel dykes and in
wider and more extensive ranges of an
entirely different formation.
That there is in this section of Idaho
more gOld-bearing than Silver-bearing
formations; that we have various and
extensive gold belts" all around us
and in our very midst there can be no
doubt, for there is abundant evidence
to prove it.
Mr.. Cal c. Clawson, assayer and
mine reporter. of ketchum, has re-
Gently favored the keystone with re-
suits of assays of gold rock in different
localities within this county and across
the line in Custer county. made dur
ing the past summer and fall. He has
dlSO Idh6Il the GJdlllS 10 SAdIillle InuCH
of the country referred to in order TO
satisfy himself that this is a gold as
well as silver-bearing region, and he
predicts that the day is not far dis
tant when we will begin to realize that
our gold-bearng reefs and belts are
among the richest and most extensive
in the state.
Beginning on the north and west,
there is the Fisher basin commonly
1iSf1-ictl lying
between the Salmon river and Ger
mania basin. where there is quite an
extensive belt of gold quartz. in some
instances carrying copper Not being
free milling" in the common accepta-
ton of the term. there is little being
done in that section, although the field
Is large. extending. mainly in granite
and porphyry, TO the bend of the Sal
mon below Stanley basin, and in which
are gulches that produce flour gold.
On tributary of East fork of SAL
mon, in Washington basin. a few
miles south of Pigtail, and near the
end of the Ketchum and Germania
wagon road, are several groups of gold
mines, the principal ones and best de-
veloped being those of David Fayle and
George Z. Blackmon. These parties
own several claims each, and for sew
eral years past have been developing
them with all the energy their means
would allow.
The veins. of which there are about
L, so far as discovered, are formed
in porphyry reefs lying in the vicinity
Of and sometimes joining, the silver
and lead ore belts. The veins are in
the main of great width. often ten to
80 feet between walls, and usually sew
eral feet Of ore that assays from SO
to $50 and upwards in gold with
scarcely trace of silver. Assays of
Fayle's veins made during the past
season give as high as three ounces
gold per ton down to one-haIf ounce
One lot of ore in quantity save s3f
in gold a mixture of the average mill
ing samples from what is considered
free milling went SIS per ton. There
appears to be vast quantities of the ore
that goes so per ton.
The BlackmOn group lies in the same
belt with those of Fayle's. assays about
the same. and is in similar formation.
In some portions of his claim the ore
veins are as high as 80 feet in width,
prospect we'll in free gold by paintings,
and assays from $40, or half ounce. to
several ounces. Recent assays of il
feet Of ore on one vein give results of
$40 per ton: and the bottom of one
shaft in five feet of ore, assayed nearly
$50 or an ounce and half in gold.
These claims of Fayle and Black
mon are fairly developed with tun-
nels, open cuts, shafts. etc, to depths
of from ten to over 100 feet. and in
some cases from 100 to $50 feet deep
below apex of the outcropping lodges
There is abundance of ore exposed in
the veins of these two groups to JUS
tify the erection of stamp mills. There
is no lack of timber in the district
and on and about the mines, with
running streams near, and no danger
from snoWslides where the mines are
located. If one wishes to see large
veins of gold quartz. extending several |
locations in length, he can be gratified |
by visiting Washington Basin
Coming to this side of the Galena !
divide, gold quartz is found in the |
Boulder district; and in different To-
calities on Upper Wood river gold |
bearing veins have been encountered
in the search for silver mines.
On the Smoky divide. on east and I
west sides, are porphyry belts in which |
have been found float rock rich in |
gold, and some gold veins were dis /
covered some years ago, but on which |
there has been very little prospect
ing.
over on Smoky at the Hot Springs, !
lir. John Worswick of Bellevue has a |
fine group of gold quartz mines. Mr.. /
" orswick has done much work on his !
mines, and they show we'll under de- !
Half dozen assays made |
rom these by Mr.. CiawSon last fall. /
rom q large body of milling ore. gave
results ranging from one-half ounce |
gold to over four ounces gold per ton. !
Several assays went over three ounces
rol1 nor fon This ic raToba l,I1- tho H.,