Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-06-18
OWNERSHIP ESTABLISHED
Fred A. Shissler and viii E..
Estili Have Kept up Work,

EStiii Rave Kept up Work.
Since the return of Fred A
Shissler from Alaska a quietus ha:
been put upon the dispute over
the ownership of the Excelsior.
Five years ago the Buffalo Humr
took big boom which continued
until several stamp mills had been
erected and all seemed to be paw.
ing big dividends. Several more
mills are lying at the railroad ter
minus ready tn be pnt in this
spring and the boom still goes ON
But all this time the claim referred
to lay close mp to one of he biggest
mines in the district. There wcr,
no corner stakes nor end center
stakes The location or center
stake stood guard over the claim.
to u certain extent, but it was old
and the writing on it was very dim
This stake was simply the stump
ola pine sapling cut off and blazed
On four sides. On one side was
some old and dim writing bearing
the date Of 1892. Old prospectors
passed and repassed the ella IL.
glan need at the center stake and
passed on. When the fact became
generally understood that Buffalo
Hump was showing up mines of
permanent character and value
prospectors became more careful
in their researches. Every doubt
full claim was inspected and the
title looked into. Every mine
that paid dividends or sold for n
good price brought prospeetors all
aroan! it, each one expccting to
find an extension, spur, dip or
an2le OF the main mine, and the
prospector who does 80 is usually
considered very lucky.
When the Zig Buffalo mine be-
gan showing up SO much rich ore
two years ago this claim was the
subject of severe examination. 1t
laid SO close to the mine that the
owners turned n covetous eve to.
ward it. But they were not alone
in the matter. Several prospectors
had sampled and assayed the ore
and found it rich enough to pay.
They too, had their minds made
up that the claim was an old one
and belonged to nobody in partic-
ular. Anyhow, the records of the
district were looked up and it was
found that this claim was about
the first put on record in the dis
trict. The description was COM
plete, seven hundred and fifty feet
from center, each way, south-eas
and Northwest, and three hun
dred feet on each side of center.
The location aud claim was made
in the names of Will E. Estill and
Fred 4. Shissler. These facts
were familiar to several interested
parties as we'll as to the owners of
the mine. The next question to
be settled was whether the claim
had been represented by 500
worth OF work each year since it's
location as the law required. It'll
was reasonable to suppose that it
had not been done as none of the
parties knew anything about either,
OF the men whose names appeared
on the center stake. Consequently
several parties filed on the claim
about the same time with the re-
suit that it WAS matter for law
yers and courts to determine.
1t was at this juncture that Fred |
ohissler returned from his stay Of
. year and a half in Alaska. He
went up to the claim aud went to
work, as usual, but he found his
rights disputed by all the parties
TO the controversy. 1t took him
same time to straighten the matter
out and the mine owners proved |
luite obstinate. They were finally
satisfied by letters from viii f.
Estill to Fred A. Shissler which
showed that Estill had paid $50
each year since 1898 to have the
claim properly represented accord
ng to law. Fred did the work
part of the time and part of it he
aired done, but the work was done
u doubt. Some OF Estill's
etters came from Kentucky, one
Minneapolis, Mimi, one or two
rom Chicago and one from Omaha
Neb in some part of that state
Estill is now living Fred had
lot been TO the claim, himself. for
iearly three years and did not re-
'lize exactly that he had a prospect
If an awful good thing, but Estill
lad kept in touch with things bet
Ter, had more faith in it and warn
I'll Fred in his last letter not to ne
elect the old claim whatever he did
The property as it is will bring a
mug sum of money but Fred wants
% develop it. He got back from
about broke however, and
re don't know how his partner is
ixed, but he says his partner is
lervy and If he has got dollar he
will put it up If he sees any show
o get anything out of it. A million
lollars would not buy the property
adjoining it, today, and Fred may