The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-05-16
The Mining FIeIds of Idaho.
[BY W. c. AusTIN.l

that Idaho occupies in the west
ern mineral world is like wagor
wheel, of which Idaho is the hui
her great mineral belts radiat
ing out from her mountain fast
nesses, penetrating her sister
states and enriching them, shall
represent the spokes. Place
yourself before a map and trace
out several of these great miner
al belts. Beginning in the south
ern part of California, the belt
runs through Eldorado, Mari
posa and Calaveras counties,
thence TO Bodie, across into Ne
vada in northeasterly course,
giving birth to the great Com,
stock lode and other camps,
through by Winnemucca, and in
Idaho makes its grand entry at
Silver City and DeLamar, in
Owyhee county; thence on in
through Rocky Bar and Atlanta,
Custer and Bonanza; thence on
to Central Idaho, at Gibbonsville.
Here the opposite spoke to the
great mineral wheel comes in
and penetrates the Rocky noun
tains on into Montana, where it
makes its debut at Butte.
The northern belt or zone was
first discovered in northern Cali
fornia; gave life to such camps
as Weaverville SCOTS and Yreka;
thence on through into Oregon,
via. Canyon City, Granite, Old
Auburn, Baker City and Sparta.
1t crosses with a grand flourish
into Idaho at the Seven Devils;
thence on into Warrens, Florence,
Buffalo Hump, Dixie and Elk
City, where it loses itself to ap-
pear in its opposite spoke in the
Missoula country in Montana.
The belts penetrating Utah can
be easily traced through Cassia
county, Idaho, northward to the
interior of Idaho.
The great northwestern belt
in British Columbia, runs down
through Washington, from Trail
creek country, beginning at Ross
land, thence on through the
Great Republic camp and on into
Idaho, ard here it gives to the
world the great Ceur d'Alene
country, with such mines as the
Bunker Hill, Sullivan Gem mines.
AS these great mineral zones
draw nearer to the hub the inter
vening country becomes more
mineralized, until when Idaho is
reached bands of mineral reach
out from one zone to another,
playing "hide and seek" in the
rock-ribbed mountains that stand
like grim sentinels guarding the
treasure within. The whole
country becomes net work of
veins. There is not hill or
mountain from east to west, north
or south, in the whole state, but
what is mineral bearing. There
is no other country in the United
States that is so little prospect
ed, unknown and unexplored as
Idaho. No other country in the
world can compare with it in
richness. Its grand and beauti-
full scenery, the poverty of Ian
guage makes it impossible to de-
scribe. Words can not paint it.
The poet is unborn who is capab-
lie of singing the sweet song of
Idaho.
From Boise City northward is
one unbroken line of forest, val
ley, stream and lake, and noun
tain upon mountain, some craggy,
grim aud terrible, walled and
turreted, rising sheer walls of
granite, white and glistening in
the sun, thousands of feet in the
air; here and there great domes,
minaret and tower-grand, mai
estic, awful. You feel, as you
gaze for the first time upon
Gods grand cathedral, as if you
stood in His very presence. And
as you catch the smile of the
beautiful valley. with its limped
lake and peaceful river nesting
in security at its feet, you can
appreciate Joaquin Miller, the
poet of the Sierras, who claims
to have given these mountains
the name "Idaho," meaning
Gem of the Mountains, or
Morning Light, where he says:
''Tis not the place OF mirthfulness,
But meditation deep, and prayer;
And kneehng on the salted sod,
Where man must own his littleness,
And know the mightiness Of God"
Idaho is the ideal country for
the prospector. Wherever he
may go, water, timber and grass
everywhere. Every stream alive
with salmon and trout Of every