Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-10-29
Yet this un.

OF their rlcn aSSOCiatAOu' ACs e"'s W.
promising looking topography, unless
all signs fail, covers the solar plexus
and chief mineral center Of one Of the
richest gold zones in the world.
The survey plat Of the district shows
between 500 and 600 claims, scattered
over belt Of country 8 miles wide
and 10 miles long. The closer de-
fined and more important area is con-
81 Tered by local interests to be, about
two miles by six, with the Big Buffalo
vein forming the side of the belt, and
the Mother Lode the east side. This
remarkable zone is said to carry .
parallel fissure of important size and
value, every 600 foot claim, containing
values of from $40 to $40 per ton in
gold.
The strike of the veins is practically
north and south. They are all nearly
vertical, and some Of them run to
enormous size. The general dip is
to the east, but the Big Buffalo and
Atlas veins has dip Of about 80 deg.
from the horizon to the west.
The ore shoots are usually very
strong and clean as far as developed,
and show the richest values in the
widest places. The intervening
stretches between the ore shoots are
filled with altered granitic gangue, and
white quartz, carrying light values.
The walls are usually smooth, hard
and frequently polished. They gener.
ally carry gouge varying from thin
streak Of clay to band Of talcy mat
ter foot or more thick. The quartz
and mineral is frequently banded next
to the walls, and more massive in the
center Of the vein, and shows occasion
al cavities lined with small but perfect
clusters Of quartz crystals, which point
to the source Of the mineral As being
derived from ascending solutions
through preexisting open spaces. The
rake Of the ore shoots in one of the
mines is to the north at an angle of
80 degrees.
have no official authority to say
anything about the Buffalo Hump
Mining Company's property, yet l
know Of no reason why should not
repeat public knowledge and impress
sions of their holdings.
This company is said to have II
patented claims in the district, and BY
we'll posted local authorities, its Big
Buffalo vein is still considered the
King Bee, or rather should say, the
Cat Bird of the district, and to have
a cross-cut at its bottom level that
shows vein Of ore, 10 feet between
walls, containing an average value Of
between $40 and SIS per ton in gold.
The lower level Of this mine furnished
some pockets of specimen ore of phe-
nomenal value, some of which are still
floating around camp. I saw one
piece Of white quartz that was as large
as an egg, and contained fully half Of
its weight in coarse wire gold.
The property is equipped with a
small hoist and a Io.stamp mill which
was run for nearly two years, and is
said to have produced gold bullion to
the amount of $a5o,oo from a stope
OF oxidized ore, above the 6o-foot level,
that was 7 sets high, by 7 sets wide,
oy 100 feet long. From part Of thi:
operation tailings pile said to con
tam 5000 tons, carrying an average
value OF IS per ton was saved. OWING
70 the enormous cost of pumping !
shaft, located in a swamp, this oper
alton was discontinued until a drain
tunnel could be put in.
From the Big Buffalo shaft the main
FORK Of Sheep Creek has cut its course
along the soft gouge Of the vein and
formed V.shaped trough about &C
feet deep for 5000 feet, at which
point It has dropped SIS feet, and !
large drain tunnel has been started On
the vein, which is now in over aoe
ieet' and being pushed ahead at The
rate OF a set day. 1t is a splendid
specimen of mining work, and credi
to the men that -