Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-07-28
FISH LAKE PLACER.
Moon and Martin Wagner Get
on to Good Thing.

falo are enjoying the cool
breezes of "Saratoga-by.the.
Sea" the residents of her little
protege are quite content in
spending the short outing their
busy life affords at their own
Saratoga, Fish Lake-by the
Hump A glimpse at Fish
lake and surroundings any one
of these July evenings just
after the sun has dropped be.
hind the hills reveals a pretty
picture. Half a hundred or
more horses and mules, re.
lieved of their burdensome
packs, may be seen feeding in
the meadows, while the bosom
of the lake is dotted with fish.
ermen's RATS, and along the
shores the campers evening
fires may be seen. 1t is the
prospector's haven of rest, and
in passing through the Rob
bins or Dixie districts he quite
invariably heads this way for
a day or two's recuperation for
himself and animals, a supply
of mountain trout for his larder
and an exchange of ideas with
others of the fraternity, and
the mining men from the Hump
who are likely to be found
here from time to time enjoy
ing a breathing spell. Fish
lake, however, as a commun'
ity will lose its identity soon,
for S. Moon, one of centra
ldaho's pioneer prospectors.
associated with Martin Wag
ner, cashier of the Bank of
Grangeville, has located valu.
able placer and quartz claims
at the north end and on the
east side of the lake, as well as
a magnificent water power on
Lake creek, just above where
the creek expands in forming
the lake. They propose to dc
velop the property and lay the
foundation of a town to be
known as Reno.
Fish lake lies about five
miles east of Buffalo Hump,
and is on the direct line of the
old sFlorence.Dixie trail. 1t is
an sxi issiaasSia az Of Lake creek.
which before arriving INTO the
lake proper forces its way
through a canyon, giving a fall
of about 200 feet in a distance
of 500 feet. The bottom land
along Lake creek from here TO
its source in Buffalo Hump
canyon and for considerable
distance south of the lake has
been taken up for placer pur-
poses, and it is SAID that good
prospects can be PANIED any.
where along its waters. The
mountains, which rise abruptly
on either side of the lake, are
for miles literally covered with
quartz locations. Some oil
these claims have very fine
surface showings, but as yet
little has been accomplished in
the way of development out
side of ordinary assessment
work. The large lodges in the
vicinity of the lake have a
north and south trend and the
outcroppings are easily traced
But further east on the divide
between Lake creek and the
waters of Crooked river pros
pectors affirm that the quart
lodes run nearly due east anC
west. Messrs. Moon and Wag
ner own two claims just cas-
of the lake, the Waneta ant
Wellington located on paral
lei leads, the outeropping o
which would denote them t.
be of quite extraordinary
width. MIR. Moon finds tina
these lodes on the surface WI
yield pS per ton, and is san
guine that with depth, Which
can be economically attanee
by means of a cross-cut tunnel
the ore will contain shippins
values. The Ilecla AMI Ed
son extensions of the Wancts
and Wellington also show tn,
same character of outcrop
pings and offer splendid oppor
tunities for development by