The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-02-08
Article on the Past Career of the
Seven Devils.
SPREADING NEWS ABROAD
One Way In Which This Section Ia Being
Brought to Outside Attention.

T, A. Merritt in Northwest Magazine, January:
The November issue of this maga-
zine contained an illustrated article,
descriptive of the Seven Devils Min
ing District in Washington county,
Idaho, which treated in a general
way the mining and other resources
of that richly endowed region, and
gave illustrations Of some of the
most notable mines of the Seven
Devils camp, among them picture
showing large outcrop of high grade
copper ore at the Peacock mine.
The Peacock, the first property
discovered in the camp, has changed
ownership since the November issue
at the stated price of one million
dollars, or at that rate for nine
sixteenths the Peacock group of
mines, which included the Helena
and White Monument. This famous
group Of mines was secured by the
Boston-Seven Devils company
through Chas. Whitcomb, their
general manager, and they are to be
developed Immediately on large
scale The Boston Seven Devils
company have been operating in
the Seven Devils region for
some time, and are vigor-
ously developing the South Peacock
and Decorah mines. The purchase
of the Peacock group at such large
figures by a company SO well inform
ed in the district, speaks in the
strongest terms of the vast richness
of the region
1t might be in place to here give
: bit of history relative to the early
, discoveries of the district The
, Peacock, Helena, and White Monu-
ment mines, now known as the Pea
8 cock group, all Of which showed
large outcrops of high grade copper
ore on the surface, were located by
= Levi Allen and l. |. Lewis, who
shortly afterward obtained patents
thereon. Mr.. Allen subsequently
induced Mr.. Albert Kleinschmidt, of
Helena, Montana, TO visit this then
secluded region. Mr.. Kieinschmidt
sampled the mines thoroughly and
= had assays made by Henry Price, an
assayer of San Francisco, which
showed high values in copper and
gold. Mr.. Kleinschmidt was so
thoroughly satisfied that he i'm
mediately purchased large interest
in all the then known mining claims
in the camp, and the district at once
came into public notice. After he
had completed his purchases he set
to work to develop the mines, and
. he built frst-class wagonroads, so
= that the camp might be easily reach
d ed from the outside world. A road
> from the Peacock mine to Snake
river was constructed at an enor-
nous outlay, the road being about
e twenty-five miles long and winding
). around the great Seven Devils Noun
it tains, descending at least Z, 800 feet
" from the White Monument mine to
2. Snake river, on grade of about
seven per cent, or 800 feet to the
mile. This road is masterpiece Of
engineering and workmanship 1t
S connected with steamboat at Snake
J. river, which was built near Hunt
P ington, Oregon, to carry ore from
i'll the landing down the river to the
railway. The heavy decline in the
price Of copper in 1890 stopped this
les enterprise, and the boat was taken
en- down to the Columbia river.
m; Although the men interested in
p the mines were compelled to abandon
+" their scheme to transport their ores