The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-07-29
105 in the shade at Mackay.

is prepared to do all kinds of
work in his line. The work
speaks for itself.
The Custer county Republican
convention is fixed for August 8,
at Challis, to send delegates to
the State convention. Prim aries
will be held in the different pre-
cincts OF the county August 2nd.
The Junction Hotel, at the
crossing of Salmon river, four
miles from Challis, is open for
business. Parties from the rail
road on their way up the river,
do not necessarily have to come
to Challis. and return 4 miles
next morning over the same
road, but will find the very best
accommodations there over night
and longer rest before the
Custer stage passes up the next
morning. Also the outgoing
passengers from points above
can remain there from 4 o'clock
p. N. until the Mackay stage
passes at z p. IN.
Stanley Basin is beginning to
attract attention. 1t is situated
about so miles north of Haley,
ON the way to Thunder noun
tain, and is reached by a good
driving road from Wood river.
Going the trip is made in two
days from Haley; coming. in IL
or IL hours driving. Water,
grass. game and fish abound
from the start to the finish, and
the scenery is unsurpassed in
the world.
Stanley Basin proper has an
average width of about one mile,
and winds through the noun
tains a distance of about eight
miles. About the center of the
basin, at the foot of the Saw
tooth range, Stanley Lake. a
beautiful sheet of water about
one mile wide and two long feeds
couple of creeks that. with
several hot and cold springs
water the whole Basin, making
of it one of the best watered reg
ions ever seen.
The basin itself is good placer
ground. Placer miners have
worked there for 20 years, and
extracted several millions of dol
lars worth of gold. A com
pany has been dredging a couple
of years. Being a close corpora
tion its net earnings are not pub
licly known. On the last run it
cleaned up $3.50 a day at daily
expense of $50.
Mr.. Challis, after whom the
seat of Custer county is named,
is<one of those who has placer
mined there for years. He never
had water over 80 days a year,
1yet made a good profit His
claims are situated on a noun
tain, and they are just bonded to
prominent eastern capitalists
who will bring water IL miles
and use four giants.
Tie placers are not deep but
extensive. 1t is usually 6 or 6
feet to bedrock. OF this about
three feet will pay. 1t is good
dredging ground, as there are no
boulders and no gravel larger
than ones fist. Khe placers are
all located, ex- x-Adjntant General
Weaver being one of the lucky
ones he having 400 acres OF
choice ground.
There are two well-defined
series of lodes in the basin. One
on the east side is massive
vein in porphyry that outcrops
for three or four miles and car
ries free gold. This is doubtles:
the vein that has supplied the
gold in the placers; but it was
discovered only quite recently
as nobody looked for gold il
the porphyry.
On the other side of the BASH
there are numerous veins tina
have a width of 80 to 120 feet
Some of them carry groupings a.
big as a two-story house. anc
cut through the country fol
miles. But the grade of ore il
. low. The prospecting has, how
ever, been too incomplete t.
ascertain the average value o
4 the ore.
Prospecting for lodes in th,
basin began recently Tive
months ago there was scarcely
, dozen men there; now there ar
over $50. The majority of thes
! are prospecting. but Governo
| Charles Crane of Utah is work
! ing quite a force, and Price ar
emp,ca itsNSs. aen. The basin
sitna relaxed its Jas ~ 1e of 66O
: foo.S the lily-pad near "a ..ndaa \
Jake rolled into the watch ssIl;o
I -