Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1902-01-23
THUNDER MOUNTAIN.

THUNDER MOUNTAIN.
Description Of the Famous Dis.
trict and It's Ores,
The locality known as Thunder
Mountain is situated near the CEN
ter Of the southern half OF Idaho
county, in high mountainous re-
gion, where the waters of the
western tributaries Of the Salmon
and the streams flowing southwark
into the northern tributaries of the
Payette river take their rise.
The locality is approximately
1855 miles in northeasterly direc-
ton from the city OF Boise, aud
about an equal distance from the
mining districts in the Wood river
country, and ITO miles southeast OF
Grangeville.
The mountain itself is one OF
the lowest, if not the lowest of the
elevations in the mountain district
where it is located. The peculiar
formation and the character Of the
deposits found there are among the
wonders of geological discoveries
For a distance of several miles in
length and between limits of from
three hundred to four hundred
feet in width body of highly min
eralized matter is found, every por-
ton of which, SO far as has been
examined and tested gives values
averaging from So to SO per ton.
This does not include the value of
the rich pay streaks that have been
encountered, which go away up
into the thousands of dollars per
ton. These rich pay streaks are
found scattered through the mass
of mineralised matter at irregular
intervals. AS yet the mass has
been penetrated only to depth of
1870 feet, with the result that the
values increase regularly with the
depth attained. These values,
though apparently low, so far ex-
coed the cost Of reduction that the
estimated profits are almost meal
culable. This, taken into account
with the practically inexhaustible
quantity Of milling material so
easily mined and SO easily brought
to the places Of crushing and re-
ducticn, places the results beyond
the power Of computation.
One striking popularity of the
formation around Thunder Noun
tain is that nothing resembling
what can be properly called a well
defined ledge has yet been found.
The whole is conglomerate mass
with an average width of 300 feet
and without well-defined limits of
any kind; on the contrary, every.
thing indicates that the entire
mountain is the result of the vio-
lent action Of waters of primeval
interior sea or lake. Specimens of
all the runway rocks as well as of
all the sedimentary formations of
the earth's crusts are here found
in indiscriminate confu-
sion. All the gold, thus far found,
has the character of placer gold;
that is Of gold that has washed and
worn by attrition with the rocks.
Specnlations are cheap, but it is
safely within the possibilities to
predict that when the greatest pos
sible depths have been attained
there will be found immense de-
posits Of virgin placer gold, but
slightly mixed with sand and
gravel. In the meantime, we have
to accept and operate upon the
everything mass, which, with what
is known and from present indica-
tions, will keep our miners busy
for the next fifty years at least.
Within a radius of twenty-five
miles from this central mineralized
belt at Thunder Mountain, and in
every direction from it discoveries
are daily being made, and new
operations are being inaug-
urated.
The field is SO vast, and the re-
suits already secured are SO new
and startling that it is difficult to
write soberly on the subject.
Everybody who goes and takes
look at the scene comes back say
ing, 1T is the biggest thing on
Comparatively little is known
about Thunder Mountain as vet.
The marvellous revelations will
come next season, with the advent
OF the iron horse into that region,
and with the clean-ups of the mills
that are going in.
-
Just a COmparison