Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1901-11-07
A MOUNTAIN OF ORE.
The Thunder Mountain Mines are Fabu.
lousy Rich.
A Big STAMP MILL ERECTED
And Will be Crushing Ore About
New Years Day.

And Will be Crushing Ore About
New Years Day.
Two prospectors named Walter
Moore and Charles Campbell were
here last week direct from the
Thunder Mountain region, and
were very free in expressing their
opinions that Thunder Mountain
is the richest mineral zone ever
discovered. Quartz as well as
placer is there in abundance, and
they verify the oft-repeated state
ment that the Caswell Bros, the
discoverers, took out more. than
$4,000 by ground-slucing the de-
composed porphyry which lies upon
the slope Of the fabulous mountain.
They also declare that fully 50, 5OO,-
600 in ore has been blocked out by
the tunnels run into the mountain
since Col. Dewey, of Boise, took
hold of the property. The mate
rial for the stamp mill is now
nearly all on the ground, and u
small army of men are working to
get it placed under shelter before
the storms of winter set in. 1t is
expected that the mill will be
crushing ore early in the new year.
Speaking of that section Mr..
Moore said: "The main
Thunder Mountain claims are at
present owned by Col. Dewey, of
Nampa, who is backed by Pittsburg
capitalists, and they will exploit
the mine as speedily as possible
to its utmost productive capacity,
and are prepared to spend hundreds
Of thousands of dollars with the
assurance that it will be returned
to them with an immense increase.
Tunnels have been run into the
mountain, and the old workings
enlarged, and an immense stamp
mill is being placed in position
after being packed to the mine on
mule back from Boise. Transpor-
tation facilities are very poor at
present, but it is likely that two or
more wagon roads will be built in
to the camp by next spring from
the southern counties Of the state,
one from Boise and one from Wood
river. Thousands of tons of ore
are on the dump awaiting the start
ing of the machinery, and as soon
as the operation of crushing begins,
the camp will be steady producer
of gold bullion on a large scale.
"Most of the ore opened up by
the main tunnel runs from $3.50
per ton and upwards, but a streak
has been uncovered for distance
of 40 feet which yields from 500
to $500 to the ton. This streak is
about seven feet in thickness, and
is believed to extend clear across
the mountain. have seen chunks
of this ore in which stratas of pure
gold as broad as my hand were
visible. From the northern face
of the mountain a tunnel has been
run for distance of 300 feet.
From the face of this tunnel
branches north and south have
been run, and in all Of these
the ore holds good. The value OF
the mine is not only in its quartz,
for there is gold all through the
hill, and on the surface good wages
can be made with pick and shovel
and sluiee boxes.
1.-THE faith of the hackers in the
big mine is displayed in the pay
ment of 100000 at once, when
they had the privilege of waiting
several years if they had SO de-
sired. At the time the property
passed into the control Of the pres.
ent ownership it was bonded ii
the sum of 800, 900. A few
months ago the first installment O
$4,000 was paid. The Pittsburs
people who are behind the euter
prise sent out an expert to repor
upon the property, and he gave
such a glowing description of i
that they determined upon tn,
payment of tho entire bond a
once. This has been done.
eve located six claims durin,
our stay, but owing to the scarcit,
of labor we were unable to get an,
development work done upon on
property, but will return earl
next year with our own crew an,
inaugurate some systematic de
velopment work. On every sid
of the mountain the ore and soi
are the same as where the mai
tunnel enters, and I believe W
have claims that are worth vat
sums of money, time alone wi