Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-03-17
BOOM FOR BUFFALO HUMP.
To Be One of the Worlds
Great Mining Camps.

Great Mining Camps.
Oregonian.
~ expect to see one of the worlds
greatest mining camps spring up at
Buffalo Hump. Idaho, said Henry
E. Heppner, mining expert, who,
for more than 20 years, has been
mining and prospecting in the
Northwest. For the past eight
years he has spent the mining sea-
son in the Grangeville country,
and he is pretty well acquainted
with the region so far as it is pros
pected. His home is in Portland.
"The quartz of Buffalo Hump is
far richer in gold," continued Mr..
Heppner, ethan any that ever came
under my observation before, and
no one can foretell the development
of the coming few years there.
Buffalo Hump will surely be in
the front rank of the worlds min
ing booms, and there is every
promise that it will fulfill eApecta-
tons. 1t will be another Butte
City"
For many years it has been
known that there were gold lodges
all through the Hump country,
but the reports indicated that they
were of low-grade ore, of which
there is a great deal in Idaho. and
that they were worthy Of no atten-
ton until modern transportation
facilities should be provided. With
the advent Of railroads it was ex-
pected that extensive mining oper-
ations would be pushed. Last
August two prospectors, knocking
about on the mountain, ran across
specimen of quartz that quite as
tonished them with the wealth o
free gold it bore. They pushed
their Investigations little, ant
the result was that they located
some claims and FASTENED out will
the news of such a gold strike al
has seldom been made in the West
"The first three claims located
on the ledge were first sold fo
$3.50, OOO," said Mr. Heppner, "ant
recently they changed hands AGAR
for $3.50, 900. / think $50 claims
must have been located by THU
time. Miners are stringing intt
the country, though the snow ii
still six or seven feet deep all Over
the mountain, and prospecting il
out of the question. Where open
ings were made before the snow
fell, work is being steadily prose
cuted. Preparations are being
made to take in "a 10-stamp mil
over the snow, it being deemed
easier to do that than to build {
suitable road after the snow goes
of in June:
ssThe best ore Is in blades, and il
SO rich that men can make goot
wages pounding out the gold il
hand mortars. In the selection o
claims little heed was given to til,
previous selections, except to avoit
double locations, and there are ;
great number of fractional claim.
wedged in between the full claims
In some instances it has beer
found that over-measurement has beer
practiced, and correction of the line
gives choice slices still nnoccupied il
some Of the most valuable localities.
at Is about DO miles from Hutttlt
Hump to the prairie at Grangeviue, from
tDt, ~, I ST. &c ~ miles
Is expected that Graugevile viii be l
railroad town before the end OF the year
and facilities will then be at hand fol
accommodating the Buffalo Hump boon
That is mighty pretty country 1t {
regular paradise at certain seasons OF III,
year. Right now i'll Grangeviile they
are digging trenches for water pipes .ant
the farmers Whereabouts are beginning
their spring work. Food raised up Their,
tastes better than that from any othe
place in the world. Beef fed on the
grass that mats the hiilsides about the
upper extrenities of the Camas prairie
is sweeter and juicier and tenderer thar
any ever heard OF anywhere.
There is one thing about that country
that is humiliating to Portlander
Spokane and Seattle are better known
there than is Portland, though the u AIDE
of that region gravitates to Portland, a.
naturally as water runs down hill. Bui
trade drummers from Spokane overfui
the country, and even those from Seattle
are more numerous than the Portland
commercial travellers. No pains seem
to be taken to push Portland trade there
while other cities are aggressive and per
sistent at all times TO the last degree
If Portland could be made 10 realize
wha, vast field in Idaho is being neg
lected, believe there would be achangt
in the situation. This will not be Z
spasm, like the Klondike boom, which
Portland exerted herself SO much t
share, bnt it will be permanent thing
and worth more to Portland than !
dozen klondikes."
February Briefs from The
Y, M, c. A.