The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-04-08
THUNDER MOUNTAIN DISTRICT.


trict that is at this time receiving
more thought and attention than
any of the new districts of the
west. In direct line it is not
over 20 miles from Challis. AL
though comparatively unknown
up to a few months ago to the
public in general, yet a few of
the hardy pioneer prospectors
were fully cognizant of its loca-
tion and conditions. Isolated as
it was, and in its rough and in
accessible environments, it offer
ed but few inducements to the
man in search of a paying prOpo-
sition. Thus, while under the
keen surveillance of those who
had the good fortune to travel
through that section of Idaho, the
development of ore deposits was
slow, but the few who knew of
its mineral possibilities awaited
the advent of the man with cap
ital and enterprise sufficient to
make the ingress and egress
more convenient. That day has
about passed by, and with the
exception of several days time
consumed in making the trip, it
can be made with comparative
ease and small cost.
But little information has been
given of the early history of the
district, and that little has not
been of the most authentic nat
ure.
Wonder is often expressed that
the riches of Thunder mountain
should have remained undiscov-
cred until the past year. The
fact is that hundreds of mining
men knew of the extensive min
eral district long before the fame
of the Dewey mine attracted at
tention of the public. Both
placer and quartz deposits were
reported from the region OF
Thunder mountain in the early
sos. The placers which were
accessible to water supply were
worked in the early days and
quartz locations were made and
abandoned almost every season
up to the time of the Nez Perce
war in 1877. Even before the
date of this outbreak there were
reports current that Indian rem
egades and white outlaws main
tanned a reign of brigandage in
that region.
In about the year 1875 quite ar
excitement was occasioned by
report that a party of placer
miners had been murdered il
the vicinity of the present site
of the Dewey mine. The depre
dation was charged to renegade
Indians. During succeeding
seasons, and especially after the
Indian war, strange disappear
ances and suspicious of murder
in that country were quite com
mon. 1t is known that white
and Indian outlaws rendezvouset
in that region after the Sheep
eaters were supposed to hav,
been annihilated by Gen. Howar'
in 1873. They resented the in
vasion of the prospector for
period of four or five years afte
j., the war with the Sheepeaters.
Along in the '80s the distric
which is now so famous was stak
ed off by mysterious locators
The claims were relocated ever.
. year about the time the annua
5 campaign of the prospector be
/ gan. The strange names signe
; to the location notices and th
J. fact that the only known trail
d were unused alone would hav
:. made this land of mystery. A
though the average prospectc
is by no means sentimental, b
/, is not altogether free from SUI
;; erstition. At a camp on Nom
j. mental creek, it is said, tn
J. nights were always noisy wit
ID ID the sound of the pick in irreguls
S strokes upon the rocks of tt
y mountainside. Then would con
the sound of a Chinese fiddle an
then of horses feet upon I'll
trail. These ghostly sount
were usually followed by an ear
abandonment of the country
the invaders.
:, And among other mysterie
was distant rumbling lib
thunder. This sound is said
be familiar to the present da
= visitors. This thunder, whiC
gave the name to the district,
said to be caused by freque
rockslides, a natural result of di
integration in an extended ar
of soft and stratified formation.
1t has been known to the pio
eer mining men of central Idal
that very large bodies of gol
hearing rock existed in this di