Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-05-10

timber. The mine is i'll broad heavily
timbered basin in which are three HIGH
buttes uear together in a row east and
west. The buttes too heavily clad in
timber and under brush. A creek on
the side of the west butte cuts throuph
these lodges. The ore had been exposed
by the action of the water, till the great
le'lges stood out like metal ribs that
supported the mountain. Robinson had
found these lodges i'll 1864 before he
went to Lewiston and was grubstaked by
Ut. Kelley to go to the first Occur
d'Alene strike. He had sailed the
lodges with this rich ore on some prior
visit as he admitted to me and he picked
mp the samples of rich ore with other
samples of rich ore which broke off of
the solid body of quartz. While the
body of the ledge was rich the SAMPLES
used to salt the lodges were much richer
first met Robinson in San Francisco
i'll 1865. He formed that year the FIRST
company. When met him after his re-
turn he told me Of the circumstances of
desertien after he had led the party of
which Senator Hearst was a member to
the mountains of Idaho. He said not
only the white miners organized in
companies to follow him but the savage
Indians were put upon his trail TO run
nm down and rob him of his property.
He deserted the party, he claimed. for
self-protection. He always asserted
however that he would pay all damages
that had resulted to his friends from fail
IRE to locate the property when he
opened his great mines. He never con-
cealed that he had disappointed his
friends, which lie deeply regretted.
In the instances in which he deserted
the representatives of the companies he
had organized, he was driven to do so by
fear of being hanged. He had heard
threats against his life in one instance IN
the event the lodges were not as rich
as the samples exhibited. He had per-
petrated fraud perhaps with malice, per-
haps i'll the abundance of faith in his
discovery to induce men of means to
help him. In any event, he admitted
that he was afraid to lead this party
to the location lest, growing dissatisfied,
would lead to vengeance which, though
undeserved, seemed probable.
Mr.. Robinson never abandoned the
idea of opening up these great lodges,
and the idea of compromising his friends
for their losses was ever on his mind
while on his death-bed. / believe that
he would have given to the world great
mining camp if his life had been pro-
longed few years. The development
of the great Buffalo district confirms the
opinion l had nursed into hope long
years ago. These lodges are we'll defined,
and they show free gold, and they carry
tree gold and sulpherets and pyrites.
They are in mineral belt that possesses
as many possibilities as the Salmon dis
trict. believe that, if Robinson had
lived that region would have been pro-
ducing its millions annually to-day.
AS for myself bought an interest in
the Robinson mines in 1871. was a
member of company of 81 men who
paid not less than $50 each and some of
them as high as $1,000. About the time
~ got TO Ogden the story was circulated
that Robinson was a fraud and then
trouble began. They put him under
guard until he got to San Francisco.
There he was permitted to visit friend.
When he returned from the visit instead
of joining the company and going to
Portland he took the train for the east
and was next heard of in Chicago. This !
he did to save his neck from the moose,
which he felt was for him when ever the
inevitable disappointment came for he
knew that no ordinary ore would satisfy |
the expectations of the over wrought
tenderfoot gold seekers that composed
his party.
The Robinson lodges are not lost | |
have known of their exact location since
1872. will make this public offer, and
it is the last will ever make: will go
to the Robinson mine with any party
that will demonstrate that they represent
capital sufficient to develop the property
will require one half interest in the
property free from assessments or costs
for development. do not intend to lose
my interest by freezeout game. have
had experience Of this kind and want no
more. II cannot get square deal these
Lodges may remain lost for twenty-seven
years more, as they have since 1872. My
knowledge cost me f2ooo. will share
interest and knowledge with any u,an
who can and will develop one of these
lodges. do not guarantee the ore from
Them to be fabulously rich, like the
samples that Robinson displayed, but /
have had many assays made of the ore
from the real Robinon lodges, and the
average runs from 1888 to $3.50.