The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-02-18


one important summit to cross,
the Morgan creek pass. at an
elevation of 750o feet, where deep
snow is likely to be encountered
for distance of about six miles
as against 25 to 100 miles of
heavy snow country over the
various other roads.
"Geologically this road to
Thunder mountain traverses the
most varied and interesting Sec
tion of Idaho, while the facilities
1T offers for prospecting. for
hunting and fishing and for wood,
water and grass during the open
season are unexcelled.
THE Oregon Short Line
people have large corps of en-
gineers in the field at the pres
ent time permanently locating
their Salmon River line from
Mackay towards Thunder noun
tain, and it is reported that ac-
tive construction will be com
menced as soon as a % mile Sec
ton of the survey has been com
pleted and the line pushed on to
the Salmon river at Challis as
rapidly as possible.
Leaving Mackay. a first-class
daily stage follows up the valley
of the Big Lost river over a low
grassy divide at Willow creek
and strikes the Salmon river at
Challis, so miles distant.
'At Challis. which is the
county seat of Custer county, and
an excellent out-fitting point, the
traveller may take his choice of
several well established roads
and trails to Thunder mountain.
I'VE will first describe the
Singiser route which viii be the
first to open
Thirty miles northwest of
Challis over a good wagon road
with easy grades, we cross the
Salmon river range through the
Morgan creek pass at an altitude
of 1900 feet, this is the only
snowy stretch on the whole road
and its extent does not exceed
six miles in length all the way
through dense pine timber with
no bald side hills or danger from
from snow-slides. Beyond the
pass, the wagon road extends by
easy grades down Panther creek
to Prairie basin ten miles. thence
over low grassy divide to Silv-
er creek and the waters of the
middle fork of Salmon river, we
land in ten miles more at the
three forks of Camas creek, a
short distance below Singiser.
which is at present the end of
the wagon road.
From Three Forks, there is
an excellent trail down the main
Camas creek 70 middle fork of
Salmon river 16 miles; thence up
Middle Fork to mouth of Marble
creek % miles; thence up Marble
creek % miles to the heart of
Thunder mountain district, max
ing the distance from Mackay by
this route 166 miles over the
easiest road that penetrates the
new district. This route can be
shortened 16 miles by following
an excellent trail up the west
fork of Camas creek over a sum
NIT to Warm Spring creek which
connects with the Middle Fork
river trail at the mouth of Loon
creek.
The last sixty or seventy
miles of this route traverSeS a
country of remarkably varied
mineral resources that should be
of especial interest to the miner
and prospector.
"At Prairie basin a discovery
of beautiful gem opals was made
a few years ago in great boulders
of grey trachyte. These gems
were of exceptional beauty and
quality. They were classified by
| Mr.. Geo. F. Kunz of New York
as being of the hydrophane var
iety and worth $40 per carat, and
in this same vicinity, extensive
deposits of gold. silver, and cop
per bearing minerals exist, some
of them in formations that are
J exact counterpart of Thunder
mountain district.
A SHORTER ROUTE.
Extending from Challis over
the old Custer wagon road UP
Garden creek 10 miles we strike
a trail over a low ridge to ChalliS
\ creek where a new trail is now
being cut out through the Chal
} lis creek pass to Loon creek anc
the middle fork of Salmon river
This trail will be gotten il
, shape for late spring travel anC
, will make the most direct ant