Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-06-09
OUR BIG MINING CAMP.
Col Bracket Tells All About 1t
to the Peoria, H., Journal.

to the Peoria, H., Journal
After describing the circum-
stances attending the discovery Of
the Big Buffalo by Robbi IS and
Rigley, Col. Brackett continues
When all Florence got what
claims they wanted the news was
given to the world. A stampede
from Grangevillc and the Camas
Prairie set in, and number of To-
cations were made, ia, all OF which
ore bodies were found # III rvelous
richness in gold. The II W began
to fall carly in S ptrni or, and it
kept on showing until the quartz
lodges of the Hump dist let w,r,'
covered il l6 feet deep in midi
winter. That is The way they are
at this present moment--sill COW
cred with l6 feet of snow. But ex-
pcr's and mining men got in lh rc
with the first SHOWS of September
last and sized up the region 50 far
as it was prospect d. They found
" series Of well-dcined gold-bearil &
quartz lodges running north and
south, close together, and paral q
to each other, of immense width,
covering country about two miles
east and west, and running indefi
mite distances both north and south.
All these Lodges, so far as prospec-
ted and the rock assaycd. ran rich
in gold.
Mineralogists and experts now
say there is great mineral belt of
gold-bearing veins running from
Salmon river through the Hump,
and thence north, cutting through
the three branches of the Clear
water, the south, middle and north
forks. This opinion is partly veri-
fed by discoveries of rich lodges
recently made on the lower levels
bare of snow on Newsome creek,
which is north of the south fork OF
the Clearwater, and almost due
north from the Hump, 40 miles
away in an air line. The lodges
there are like those in the Hump,
and run rich in gold.
Mining men and prospectors say
the area Of country filled with
these ledges is surely a vast one.
The Big Buffalo will perhaps be
discounted by discoveries made be-
fore next August in various places
in this vast area of anriferous
lodges. There will be many min
ing camps beside the one at the
Hump proper. Another Leadvillo
will arise ON the edge of Camas
Prairie.
In November, 1898, Captaid Dc
Lamar, the mining king of Utah,
cabled Robbins and Rigley from
Paris Offering $500, 600 for the Big
! Buffalo group Of claims. They re-
fused the offer. In December they
sold out to syndicate in Spokane
for 1915, 900, and the group has
since changed hands for 500, 600.
Just think of a few shallow holes
dug in rocky ledge under Is feet
of snow selling for such a sum!
The Jumbo, three miles south OF
the Big Buffalo, was located by
two men from Florence. 1t sold
two monts after location December
2O) for $4,000. The vein in the
Jumbo is twelve feet wide, and the
ore is richer than in the Big Buff
falo. The Gem City was located
by two almost dead broke prospect
ors in September last, and the own.
ers refused $4,000 for it in Jan
uary following. Ed Hanger and
Henry Won Berge struck a sixteen.
foot wide vein of gold-sprinkled
quartz in the Tallahassee, a mile
and a half north Of the Big Buffalo
They will not sell at all. 1t assays
$5, 900 to the ton. The Winslow
mile northeast of the Big Buffalo
is a magnificent ledge. The own
ers struck a vein of soft, decom.
posed ore SO rich that they made
SIS to 500 per day washing out the
pulverized ore with long tom un-
til the SHOWS drove them away
from their work.
They refused 100000 for this
claim, and now a company to work
it, with ample capital, has beer
formed. Gold is visible to The
naked eye in every chip and frag
ment of this rock.
Two more hustling dead-brokes
Flint and Hawley, located an ex
tension to the Winslow in Septem
ber last, and made good deal O
money pounding the ore in hant
mortar and washing it out with {
gold pan. They are now on Easy
street, able to stand off everybody
until they get the price they ash
for their claim.
And SO the history goes. Arthur
McKenna, a fine prospector O
many years experience in this re
' II A