Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-01-13
THE BIG BUFFALO GROUP

The BIG BUFFALO GROUP
Particulars Of the Sale Of this Yalua-
bic Property.
From Tuesdays Daily.
As stated in the last issue of the
FREE Press the various interests
In the Big Buffalo group, in the
now famous Buffalo Hump district,
have been placed in the hands of
that well-known hustling mine
promoter, Samuel I. Silverman,
who is acting as purchasing agent
for Butte and Spokane capitalists.
The consideration was $500, 900
for the group, with a side consid-
GRAFTON of $4,000 to be paid to
other parties to clear the title.
The terms of the sale were as fol-
lows: e25, 900 to be paid Febru-
ary l, 1899, $25, 900 April 1, 1899,
500, 900 January l, 1900, $175 900
July l, 1900, and $175, 900 Janu-
airy l, 1891.
The owners between whom this
vast amount of money, the largest
sum ever paid for an undeveloped
prospect in this or in fact any other
country, will be divided among
B. r. Rigley and c. F. Robbins,
of Florence, the original discover
ers and locators, and A. F. Nc
Kenna, Del Butterworth, Mike
Green, Frank McGrane, Henry
Wax, George X. Reed and w. w.
Brown.
The Big Buffalo claim was the
first discovery made in this now
famous district. 1t is near the
summit Of the big hump and is in
fact itself monster yhump'' of
ore whose very immensely caused
1t to remain untouched for years
while prospectors passed over it
and even camped upon it little
dreaming that the knob of the we'll
known Buffalo Hump hill was a
giant ledge of high grade quartz.
The ledge is from 20 to 40 feet
wide and runs the length of the
three claims, A, 800 feet, and::on into
other properties for an indefinite
distance. It is not strictly free
milling ore, mill tests showing a
saving Of about 40 per cent ON the
plates and the balance in concen-
trates at the rate of about 40 to 1.
The ore is immensely rich in plac-
es, assays being obtained showing
values of several hundred dollars.
But the real merit of the property
is that the average of the ore
throughout the length and breadth
of the three claims SO far as tested
is probably about $50 per ton. The
trend of the ledge is northeast and
southwest.
The Big Buffalo group, includ-
Ing three claims, the Big Buffalo,
the Merrimac and the Orc Elmo, is
the property for which Captain De-
Lamar's superintendent recently
offered $500, 900, but owing to un-
satisfactory terms of payment the
owners refused to sell.
Although late in the season when
this vast mountain of gold-bearing
ore was discovered there have been
recorded 1913 mining claims. The
enterprising business men of
Grangeville and Florence have
combined interests and subscribed
a liberal amount of money to open
and maintain rawhide or tobog-
gon trail from Florence to the
Hump. The work Of opening this
road is under the management of
w. II. Palmer. Owing to the se-
verify of the weather and heavy
snowfall the work has not progress
ed as rapidly as had been hoped
for but is now nearing completion.
No trouble is anticipated in keep
ing the trail open as there are now
several tons of freight in Florence
awaiting transportation. There
are two companies at present OPP
Grating in the camp and two more
awaiting an opportunity to get
supplies in over the new trail.
1t is not advisable for prospect
ors to attempt to visit this section
now as the snow is very deep and
there are no accommodations or
supplies in the camp to be had for
love or money.
Arrangements are being made
to put in a saw mill in the immed-
late future so as to supply all de-
mands for lumber.
The influx of mining men and
mining capitalists into this WON
derful mineral belt this season bids
fair to rival the Klondike rush of
'97.