Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-08-11
OUR HUMP CORRESPONDENT
Tells Of Strikes and Development Work
in Idaho COunty'S Great Camp.

The strike made ON the Hobson's
Choice Friday still continues to be
the leading topic of discussion
around camp. In fact, it has quite
o'er-shadowed SO important an
event as the arrival of several pros
pective buyers. Hobson's Choice
is number I in tie now famous
chain of claims that, beginning
with the Monte Cristo, extend al
most due south along the face Of
Vanderbilt hill and end-well,
goodness knows where, for the
Last Chance and st. Louis are
southerly extensions, and the man
who embarks in the next blue
print enterprise will doubtless weld
many more links to the chain.
Along with Deputy Recorder
Richardson your correspondent
visited the Hobson's Choice yester-
day and found the owners of the
properly, Nick Ingram, l.. X.
Yates, w. II. Palmer and j. c.
Moore. working hard, and natural
ly, in the best of spirits. An OPP.
ton on the claim, given some time
ago to the Toilette Mining company,
Of Spokane, expired July lst.
The company wanted GO days ex-
tension to prospect the lead more
thoroughly. The boys had expect
ed the deal to 60 through and did
not relish the idea of waiting &C
days longer in suspense, so they
declined to grant the extension, be-
iieving they could prospect the
lead themselves and get quicke,
and perhaps better returns. Eight
days ago they started cross-cu,
tunnel a short distance below thu
outcroppings on the hillside, ant
today they are knocking down thu
finest grade of concentrating or,
from the face of their tunnel tina
has probably ever been encounter
ed in the camp.
The extent of the ore body o
course cannot be accurately deter
, mined yet, but judging by the out
groupings and dips of the foot wal
seven feet Of ore when the hanging
, wall is reached would seem con
, sentative prediction. And it j
. more than likely that the ~ fee
of remaining vein matter will con
, tribute largely to the present or
| chute once any considerable dept
: is attained.
On the st. Louis, Fountain
t Wheeler are prosecuting the lea
and taking out ore that pans hand
somcly. This claim has been III
der option to a Spokane compan
6 and it is said that the owners re
, fused the offer of a $1,000 bonus &c
S a 30-day extension.
The Last Chance is now SUI
p posed to be under bond to the To
{ etc company. Like the others i
this rich belt the Last Chance ha
: a marvellous surface showing and
+ likely to become a bonanza to il
v owners.
Homeward bound we passed til
n workings on the San Francisco
which is under bond to an Englis
@ syndicate for $50, 900, and o
which the second payment has a
ready been made. Letter, Flocl
Davis and Jarron were the luck
f prospectors who rushed in owe
h the hills from Florence last fall an
: secured this prize. There has jul
j. been enough of prosecuting don
4 on the ledge here to make a beat
' tiful exposure of ore.
: The Gem City adjoins the Sa
Francisco on the north, and the
comes the Alhambra. Both claim
were located by Greenwalt, A,
: otte and Carney, Florence pro-
pectors. Part of the interests i
= these claims have changed hand,
A force of men are now at work O
the Gem City and the dump is co,
: cred with nice looking ore.
On the Alhambra the lead hi
: been proved, the character of til
> ore being similar to the San Frar
cisco product.
On the st. Paul we found Nj
! Nelson cross-cutting the lead an
1 shoveling out ore on the dunn
some of which fairly glistened i
I the sunshine. In examining tn
deccmposed portion of the quart
plenty of free gold is plainly Wis
BILE to the naked eye. The tunnt
, on the St. Paul is now in 100 fee
and work is suspended but ikel
, to be resumed soon, as it is expect
ed the foot wall of the ledge will b
reached in about 30 feet. In lei
ting the contract for the tunnel tn
distance was underestimate
, proper allowance not being mad
for the dip of the ledge. In tn
crOss-cut Is feet Of ore is nov
shown and it will surely take 1
feet more to reach the hanging
; wall. A number of 5000 assay
have been made from st. Paul ore
There are a number Of men inter
ested in the claim, among WHOM
are Mr.. Culbertson, S. s. Glidden
James Turner, the original locator
land Ed. Ehranherp of Rurke