The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-06-21
Heath and Seven Devils Mining Outlook


suited IN surprise, tor where we
had only hoped to see few fairly
good prospects, we did find an enor-
nous area generously mineralized,
with not a poor prospect among them
all, and not single case where de-
velopment did not give greater en-
couragement. Because our visit was
restricted, it is impossible to give
more than general idea of the Sec
ton. and especially is this true be-
cause OF the great scope of country
embraced in the district which is now
demonstrated as of great value. Cam
bridge, the terminal of the Pacific Il
Idaho Northern Railway, which starts
at Weiser, is the natural supply point
for this district, and in its progress
and development the people of this
thriving place are intensely interest
ed. There is (aDd that's natural
enough h)considerabl talk Of smelter
for Cambridge. though this will
hardly come for some years, as at
this time there are no properties of
capacity for shipments for some time
to come. Whenever development
has made mines smelter will be
necessary for this and Seven Devils
districts, and it would seem that
Cambridge is an ideal situation for
such an enterprise, and one of
the greatest reasons for saying this
IS that, outside of natural site and
advantages. her people are willing and
anxious for the establishment of such
a plant The new town has grown
from absolutely nothing to 800 or
400 inhabitants in six months, and
with many large and well-stocked
stores as well as two big forwarding
enterprises who care for the ores and
goods of the upper country The
town is IN the famous and beautiful
Salubria valley, where are farms of
great merit, we'll watered and exten-
sively cultivated by AN enterprising
people. Stage lines converge in all
directions from here (the o. |. Co.
to Council and Seven Devils, and
Vic Haller to Heath and Ruthburg)
and altogether it is good and per-
manent town.
There seem to be two distinct form
ations and carrying two distinct min
erals in this district. The eastern
portion Of the district, capped with
lava upon its peaks, is granitic in its
base of formation with intrusiOns of
altered forms, and interrupted with
dykes of more or less magnitude Of
porphyry, lime and their allies.
There are here found both the crys-
tallized limestone and the dolomite !;
the perfect porphyry and many of its
metamorphisms; granite in all its
stages, from the firm, glistening
specie SO common, to decompo-
sition so saturated with the teachings
from the copper deposits as to be al
most indistinguishable; and in and
through this formation, where there
is vein of apparent value and body
carrying mineral, there is also q
great quantity of garnet-quartz, this
being the universal vein matter OF
this portion of the country. At one
of the properties was noticed an in.
truslon of schistose material. AL
these are found in the district, but
the general formation, the base of al
others. is granite, porphyry and lime
Getting a little to the west of the
central portion one finds great con.
glomerate belt, wherein are leads Of
good body and value, with heavy iror
Gaping, and some manganese, while
in the western section, where the
lead copper occurs generously, the
manganese is prolific with not sc
much iron. 1t would take weeks O.
careful study to give this section it'
proper classification throughout, bu
it onlv takes little time to become
convinced of its value III mineral. In
cluded in the minerals of the camp il
found chalcopyrite, bornite, MALACHI
ite, lead carbonate, galenite, brom
ides of both silver and copper, brittle
silver, ruby silver and gold, boil
free and in pyrite, the former onl,
in heavily oxidized material. Wher'
these minerals occur it is noticeable
that the surface shows almost abnor
NAL width, with good returns from
the assayer even on material taken q
the grass roots.S,4t is the general rul
, that the ore is in'the contacts, thougl
there are several handsome fissur
veins. In the western portion of tn
camp the lime is more noticeable
though its extent is that of the CAM
and more. 1t is safe to say that thi
copper belt is a continuation of tha
' cropping so pronounced in the Sever
Devils, and that the bodies are per
manent seem beyond question, as i
every case of development there ha
. been a large increase in value an