Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-03-15
Buffalo Hump.

richest and finest lands of Idaho. Canas
prairie and the Nez Perces reservation
have long been known for fertility of soil
and excellent climate. But this region
was so far from railroad transpor.ion that
it remained till now merely the paradise
of the grazer. This country is now at
tracing interest. From every side hear
the murmur and the whisper that pres
age the mining stampede, and feel that
in early summer we shall see the people
aocking to the Clearwater valley from all
over the continent.
i have not been able to penetrate to
Buffalo Hump myself and l must there
fore defer detailed description of the
country. At present seven or eight feet
of snow shield it from curious eyes, and
only those who were fortunate enough to
explore Buffalo Hump last fall know any
thing about the camp. The discovery,
like so many other discoveries. was acct
dental. 1t was in hunting for stray
jackass that Kellogg discovered the
Bunker Hill. When Marcus DAILY bought
the Anaconda he was buying, he thought,
silver mine, and he never imagined it
was destined to make him copper king.
Joe Morris stumbled on the lie Roi while
doing assessment work for others on the
Lilley May. Tom Ryan would have sold
the Republic for $500 the day after he
discovered it. Rigley and Robbins
CHANGED upon the Buffalo Hump gold
mine only because they had been up in
that district doing assessment work on
claims for other people.
Rigley and Robbins have had just the
same kind of luck that befell Joe Morris
and Joe Bourgeois when they located the
great gold mines on Red mountain. For
years prospectors had been chasing the
gold phantom along the Dewdney trail.
All had seen Red mountain and probably
noticed the iron float from which it has
derived its name, but they needed not,
for they were chasing gold, not iron ore.
But the iron ore was simply the covering
of gold mines of fabulous wealth and ex-
tent, the gold mines that have made
Rossland famous and will enrich the
world in the coming century.
Two railroads are bent OH opening this
rich country. 1t will astonsh many to
know that the agricultural country which
the new railroads to Buffalo Hump will
develop possesses more varied resources
than the state of Delaware, and that there
is no finer fruit or meadow land on the
continent than in this favored region of
Idaho.
| And so with the Buffalo Hump. The
gold hunter has been prospecting around
it for forty years. In the early sixties
thousands of prospectors were delving for
gold in the creeks and gulches in the
shadow of this mountain. Elk City and
Florence were famous mining camps in
those days, and in a few years Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s express carried over $4o,-
100000 in gold dust and nuggets from
the district, Miners, prospectors, trad
ers and gamblers carried away great
deal more, so that feel safe in stating
that fully 100000 900 in placer gold has
already been taken out of the Buffalo
Hump country. 1t is strange that so rich
country should have lain neglected for
thirty years, and that chance trip of
Rigley aud Robbins should be response
BILE for once more directing mems minds
to probably the richest gold region in
the United States of America. '-
Buffalo Hump mountain is forty-five
miles from Grangeville by the projected
wagon road. The mountain which gives
its name to the camp is $500 feet above
sea level, but the average prospects are
away below that, the general elevation
probably being $500 feet. The surround
| ing mountains are we'll timbered and
there is abundance Of water for power
and milling.
The country rock is altered granite,
and the veins, which seem to be true fis-
sures, cut the formation. The assures
seem to run north and south and seem to
dip toward the east at an angle of fifteen
degrees from the vertical. There are
probobly twelve parallel lodes running
north and south and easily traceable for
over 10000 feet. Fully 200 locations
have already been made, and when the
snow disappears there will be wild
scramble to locate extensions of these
lodes.
| The character of the ore is similar to
that of the mother lode of California, and
the treatment will be the same. Buffalo
Hump will be camp of stamps, concen.
traitors, cyanide and COLONIZATION. Fifty
per cent can easily be caught upon the
plates OF the stamp mill and the re.
mainder of the gold will be retained in
high grade concentrates.
Three tons of Big Buffalo ore were
taken to the Banner mill at Florence las,
fall and milled. The returns were xI2c
to the ton; as per cent of the value was
caught on the plates and IS per cent OF
Wiley table. These last were in the
shape Of concentrates, which sold to the
/ Tacoma smelter at the rate ef {274,
per ton. These are the returns ihat sent
thrill of excitement through the gold
hunting people of the West.
One of the most famous of these gold
hunters, Sam Silverman, was soon speed