Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1901-12-19
ELK CITY.
A Pioneer Mining Camp of Old Idaho
County.
MANY GOOD PROPERTIES THERE
Live Trading Point With Many Wide-Awake
Business Men.
ID PROPERTIES
FOIHl w IIH wa
Business Men.

Elk City, while formerly placer
camp, pure and simple. has, during
the past few years demonstrated
the fact that it is to be one of the
foremost quartz mining camps OF
the North West.
Difficulty Of transportation over
mountain roads has served to keep
out capital which would otherwise
have been employed in developing
the mines lying in embryo over the
district.
The building of the N. +. Il. r.
to Sites, so miles from Elk City.
has somewhat lessened the draw
backs and the probability Of a rail-
road at some not far distant day
running through to Montana, will
draw it still nearer to transpOrta-
ton.
Being centrally located between
the Dixie, Big Creek and Buffalo
Hump Camps, Elk City is dis
tributing point Of large territory.
and it's growth during the past five
years may be noted by the facts
that at the end of it's decline as q
placer camp, some five years ago,
the town consisted of but few old
log cabins, and now boasts of two
hotels, three general stores, a livery
stable, meat market, drug store,
carpenter shop, laundry, shoe-shop,
blacksmith shop, dentist, physician
and three saloons.
Its citizens are progressive and
public spirited and always con-
tribute generously towards any
thing tending to the development
of the district.
A telephone line is under con-
struction and before the appearance
of this article, will be in operation
connecting the city with Grange
Vile.
Several placer properties have
been worked during the past few
years, most Of them successfully.
Buffalo Hill, owned by r. d. Leg
gait of Butte, has been worked
continuously since the discovery OF
Z gold in the camp, in the early six
ties, as also has American Hill.
During the period between 1868,
when stampede to Montana took
place, and 1888, when prospectors
turned their attention to the quartz
of the district, the Chinese had
complete possession of the camp
and worked ground that the white.
would not formerly touch. How
ever, their methods were all Of the
simplest kind, and it was left fol
the last few years to show thai
there was yet gold in the hills
which could be extracted by NOR,
costly methods.
A large hydraulic plant was in
stalled at Buffalo Hill, and an by
draulic gravel elevator at American
Hill, six years ago. and both thes'
properties have worked to advan
tage since then.
Gold Hill, another gravel mine
owned by the Cook Bros. an,
Brownell, has been in course Q
improvement for ten years, an,
bids fair to turn out a goodl
amount of dust next season.
The Little Elk Placers, locate
on the creek Of that name, an
owned and operated by H. Ritten
house, represents a different kin
Of gravel mine.
While American, Buffalo an
Gold Hills consist of deep banks {
auriferous gravel, the Little Ell
property is shallow ground, from
to 8 feet deep, lying in the cree
valley. 1t covers six claims, of 2
acres each, extending several mile
along the stream, and the pa
gravel, SO far as can be determine
by careful prospecting, underlie
the total of the six claims, to til
depth of three feet or more. Thi
has been worked by an hydrauli
plant for two years, but owing t
difficulties encountered througl
lack of dumping facilities, tn
method will be changed, and tn
gravel handled by dredge, or al
elevator of some description.
Ternan Hill, owned and operate,
by Henry Ternan, has been sue
eessfully worked by both old AM
new methods.
On the Michaelson Gulch Dig
gings, Mr.. w. B. Laird is installin,
a large plant which will be read,
for operation in the spring.
The Red River Dredge, bull
three years ago by the Buffers Bros
of Michigan, has lain idle the pas
year, but next year will resum,
work on the Lower Meadows.
Deadwood Gulch, owned by Jas
Witt, is producer that has mad,
record for itself, and its day is
far from past.
Ali the aforementioned proper
ties have taken fresh impetus from
the new methods of gravel mining
perfected in the last decade. AL
though the gravel mines have been
the chief bullion producers up to
the present, the future of the camp
must be based upon the extent and
value of its ores. Many gold bear