The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-11-06
Custer County Minerals.

dTY u1eQtiOU, DeCduSS Tile dbtSu-
ton given to ores and mining
matters was a great deal more
than ordinary, as was also the
exhibits. Idaho, however, was
not fully represented, as but one
county-Custer, the exhibit of
Robert Bell-in any measure dis
played her mineral resources.
That county showed to great ad
vantage, and deserved even
more attention than she received.
We shall only treat of the miner
al exhibit and give first place to
Custer county, because eminent
ly deserving the honor. This
exhibit was made by Robert Bell,
nominee for state mine inspector,
and was gathered in six weeks,
and the ores comprised large
variety of ideal smelling mater
erial. One collection consisted
of three pieces, weighing 900
pounds, of galena ore from the
property of the Clayton M. & S.
Co., carrying average values of
65 per cent. lead and 100 ounces
silver. A piece of gray copper
ore from the Skylark mine, own
ed by the same company, shows
800 ounces silver and 20 per cent
copper. A 150-pound specimen
Ramshorn, taken at 1000 feet,
carries /, 400 ounces silver and
% per cent copper. An elegant
specimen of high grade copper
ore from the Rosencranz mine,
Copper Basin, and similar ma
terial in great variety from the
Blackbird district, shows the
various transitions of copper
values, from the spongy oxidized
surface quartz to high grade
bronite at 300 feet. The finest
collection of this ore was from
the Brown Bear mine, recently
sold to the Franklin syndicate
for 5000, 900. Besides the rich
gray copper ores exhibited from
the Bayhorse district, the camp
} also sends a magnificent assort-
ment of lead minerals, including
galena, hard and soft carbonates
lead running high in silver
that could hardly be excelled by
} any other district in the state.
The richest piece of galena in
the collection weighs IS pounds.
and is as fine as steel. showing "a
per cent lead and 125 ounces sill
: yer, being from the South Butte
mine, near Clayton, and recent
discovery. Among the milling
J ores were some magnificent
specimens weighing so to 10C
pounds each, from the Lucky
Boy, at Custer, carrying $50 gold
/ and 100 ounces silver per ton.
/ From the Bonanza district, near
by, 75-pound piece of Montana
mine ore gives assay values OF
7 $50 gold, 270 ounces silver. A
g select piece of argentite from
t this mine weighing 8 pounds
e carries an assay value of 19,00(
q ounces silver, so ounces gold
: The Charles Dickens mine is rep
i resented by specimen full o.
Y native metal and giving value
S of $50, 600 a ton. Stanley Basin
e was represented by a collection
of free gold bearing porphyr.
: from great dykes 10 to 80 fee
r wide, showing values from S. tC
$50. Accompanying these ar
g some beautiful specimens o
= green and purple fuorites, ant
e also rich specimens of quart
& carrying $500 per ton in FIRE,
u gold, all being taken from shal
e low surface workings, and recen
II discoveries in that region indi
II cate a combination of the sam
;. conditions giving such wonder
t. fully rich results in Crippl
d Creek, as the precipitation O
l. gold on porphyry strongly III
}. dicates the crystal forms of tel
l. lurium minerals that may be eS
1t pected from depth. In additio
/, to these, Mr.. j. w. Waters ez
1T hibit was a magnificent exhibi
Ie of gold nuggets and Dust fror
,e Stanley Basin. Mr.. Bell ais
le displayed from the placer claim
le of Stanley Basin some roug
N crystals of sapphire and co
lection of high grade cinnabaI
st with 65 per cent quicksilver. A
so a specimen of stream tin froI
le Prairie Basin. In addition I
Te the valuable smelling and mil
a. ing ores. Mr.. Bell showed som
so remarkably interesting economi
re minerals, including tiuorsps
i and a piece of roofing slate in
S. slab 3 feet square and thin as
S shingle; baryta, used as a pair
N pigment, and high grade spec
ic men of granite, all of which wi
r in time add greatly to the valu
Id of the mineral production of th
state. with those tranSpOrtatiC