The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-04-24


During the past week Cballis
was visited by a party of railroad
men, who, from all that we could
learn, appear very anxious to
build the Idaho Midland railroad
from Butte, Montana, following
up the Salmon and Boise rivers
to Boise City, Idaho.
This party was composed of
Ihos. W. Bates. of Boise, pro-
moter of the Midland; Edward
ID. Watson, New York capital
ist; Mr.. Jackson, of New York.
Consulting Engineer; Hon. D. T.
Miller, of Boise, road reporter.
and Robert Bell, of Salmon, min
ing reporter, arrived in Challis
last week from Lemhi county,
where they have been viewing
the resources along the proposed
Midland route for the past week
or ten days. Their object in
making this trip was to see if
the reports sent them by Messrs.
Bates, Miller and Bell relative
to the resources on this end of
the line were overestimated, and
to take personal observations.
Mr.. Jackson is the one to whom
it is left to say whether or not
the route is a feasible one. He
is very outspoken as to its feast
bility, and his word as to this
feature Of line is law with the
capitalists who are to furnish
the money to build the road.
On Monday morning of last
week, the 10Th, Mr.. Bates left
for Boise, as important business
called him there, without having
an opportunity of seeing much of
Custer county's resources. All
of the other gentlemen of the
party, accompanied by Hon. R.
w. Osborn and DIR. Franklin, de.
parted on Tuesday morning last
for Bayhorse and the up river
mining towns, but did not go as
Bonanza or Custer, returning to
Challis on the following day, and
took the stage for Blackfoot,
stopping en- route at Houston.
From this latter point they go
direct to Boise to make tour OF
inspection over that end of the
| line. Messrs. Jackson and Bel
we're the only ones of the party
that went up the river as far as
Clayton.
At Bayhorse the entire party
we're shown through the Rams
horn mine. This wonderful prop
erty, with its millions of dollars
of ore in sight and on the dump
was a great surprise to these
gentlemen. They visited briefly
other mines in this district, but
as they were entirely satisfied
with what they had already seer
of the resources on this end 0.
the Midland, they did not deem i
worth while to go further, realiz
ing as they did that Bayhors'
was only on the edge or the be
ginning of the great mineral bel
of Custer county which extends
for hundreds of miles, and Il
over this vast scope of countr!
thew could not spare the time, al
important business called then
elsewhere. -,
Messrs. Watson and Jackson
and in fact all of the party, wer'
sepyces sepy essalSd and ptSasd feasibility Of tn
proiect. Mr.. Watson said us
You may tell your people tina
if the Boise end of the line prove
near as good, after examination
in resources, as this end OF tn
Il
nroposed line, the Idaho INDIAN
railroad will be built. and tina
worl, will be commenced on
rioht away" Mr.. Watson state e
fnrther Yes, we are full
satisfied with what we have seer
and find that the reports TO u
have not been exaggerated I
fact. they have been underestl
We are sorry that these gentle
men did not have time to WIS.,
tha numerous other districts {
the t county-mining and agrlc9,
tnral~for t by so doing they woul
have been better able to luoge
the t,, wonderful resources OF th,
vast vas Inland Empire, but as the
time was limited, and they ma IA
already seen enough to luse,i Jul
bhe building of the road. an
we're satisfied, it was sufilcien