The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-10-27
In the Owl Creek Country-Just
Across State Line.
AND IDAHO HAS RESOURCES
Which Are Usually Developed After
Stampede-The Histor of the
Occur d'AIenes, Buffalo Hump and
Seven Devils Repeated-The New
Diggings.

HlSS HIS buudlO HUMP, OeNeu DoVllS
and other inaccessible mining loca-
lions where gold is scarcely to be
distinguished from the country rock,
presents in Owl creek finds another
stampede maker. Prospectors have
been operating in that range, spur
of the Bitter Root mountains, for but
a short time and the Morning Star
ledge was discovered by w. d. Cross
of Denver. we'll known mining man,
on August q, 1908. He was accom-
panied by julius Weiner. Robert
Forbes and Frank Mayer, who were
in his employ, he representing a syn
dictate of New York capitalists.
Owl creek. Idaho. flows into the
Salmon river about seven miles above
It's confluence with the Middle Fork.
1t is a wild broken country and prac-
tically unexplored.
Considerable placer gold has been
taken out of Owl creek and it's trib-
utaries, and Joseph and Graft, who
have been operating on ledge about
three miles above the mouth of this
creek for seven or eight years past,
have extracted considerable gold,
their returns often running as high
as $3.50 week. the product Of the
labor of two men.
The upper canyon is walled in by
steep, PERCEPTIONS mountains. 10000
feet in altitude. The stream tum-
bles over a succession Of rapids, one
fall being 80 feet in height, and the
canyon being "boxed" in and choked
up with fallen timber. has been con-
sidered PRACTICAL inaccessible. Cross
and his associates cut a trail up the
creek and. first finding float in a
small park several hundred acres in
extent, they traced it to the dump
and discovered the big Morning Star
ledge.
Later they found the Mammoth
ledge, which parallels the other and
is fully as large.
The Morning Star group of claims
comprise Cross original discovery.
Both the Morning Star and Mammoth
are true fissure veins. The trend is
northeast and southwest.
The footwall is granite and the Nor
ming Star on top is IS feet wide. The
ore is exposed on the side about 2OOO
feet from the summit. The estimated
width Of the vein by cross-cut at this
point is about 1000 feet. 1t dips
easterly and is exposed at water
level at distance of 1000 feet from
the top.
The ledge can be traced clean into
the schist.
Enough gold bearing ore is in sight
to run 1000 stamps for 100 years.
At the foot of the mountain. just
below the ledge, is little round val
ley containing possibly 1000 acres.
It and the mountains all about are
heavily timbered with yellow pine.
Owl creek here in a distance of
three miles falls $500 feet. dashing
over two waterfalls, one of which is
80 feet in height.
1t is estimated that at least 1000
horse power may be secured at this
point.
The ore need be simply quarried,
dropped through the chutes to the
bins below and ground up at min
imum cost
This valley and the creek bed are
known to be rich in placer. AS high
as 25 cents rnr pan has been taken
from the rim rock.
Streaks of rich free milling ore
seam the vni~~ The ores are prin-
cipally base. however, and will be
treated hv - cyanide process.
AS soon as he had staked off a
dozen or more claims, Cross rode to
Indian creek and forwarded a mes
ing them to come out and see his
find. He arranged to meet them in
Hamilton.
In due time A. D. Rhae, a man of
large experience in the mining world,
arrived. Cross met him and they
Immediately proceeded to Owl creek.
Mr. Rhae was more than pleased
with what he saw. The men were
set to work and 81 claims, placer and
quartz, We're located. They located
claims along Owl creek for distance
of six miles and appropriated all the
water in the stream.
The quartz claims are tied to the
placer. thus securing ideal mill sites
and dumping grounds.
Messrs. Rhae and Cross then came
to Hamilton, where ample funds We're
placed at the disposal of Mr.. Cross to
carry on preliminary work this Win
ter.
A road some six miles in length,
connecting with the road into the Bit
ter Root. will be constructed this
fall and winter A telephone con-
Meeting with Hamilton, will be put in
as soon as possible and application
for a trolley line. connecting with the
Northern Pacific at Darby, will be
made at once.
Work on a 50-stamp mill will begin
next spring, as soon as the machinery
can be gotten in and the three n.y.
draulic placer plants will be put in
operation.
Owl creek lies in the heart of one
of the greatest mineral belts on the
continent. For $50 miles down the
Salmon river from Shoup rich placer
and gold lodges are encountered.
In the immediate vicinity of Owl
creek are Hughes creek, Indian
creek. Mineral hill. Shoup, and just
across the Salmon are numerous
camps along the tributaries Of the