The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1904-11-10

refers to the Lesshurg district as
follows:
AT Arnett creek, In Leesburg
basin, the Thompson mine has been
worked by lotion Huntington. mill
in a desultory manner for several
years. 1t Is opened on similar big
zone Of gold bearing iron stained
granite found In the bedrock Of
rich placer claim that is quarried
promiscuously and is said TO mill
from - to 81 per ton. On the same
creek half a mile further up the
Haidee mine, owned by Senator
Shoup and Others, has been under
going development for year past by
deep crosscut tunnel, now In over
l goo feet. 1t Is said to show SOD feet
of mineralixed granite carrying values
of from 81 to % per ton, and big
mill equipment Is contemplated for
1t In the near future. y
While Mr.. Bell is often profuse, and
sometimes extravagant in his des-
criptions, he underestimate the I'M
portance OF the Leeshurg reef, and is
wrong In his geology. The auriferous
bedrock Of the old placer field Is not
a granite, but 1t Is glacial con-
glomerate formation for high and
constant gold values.
This bedrock was formed by the
glacial erosion OF many kinds Of rocks
from mountain sides into a lake bed.
Then followed volcanic action which
LETT sand and ashes to be carried into
the crescent basin by hot water. The
heated fluid brought gold values
which were precipitated In the per-
yious formation. Finally the sand
covering of the conglomerate was
crystalized into quartzite. These
formations were then fiat, but they
were later broken and tilted when
Leesburg mountain was uplifted.
The overflow of heated water brought
gold to the conglomerate before the
sand covering came. This gold was
associated with an iron sulphide and
the highest values were left on the
surface and in the fractures and cav.
tiles. These spaces had been partly
filled with clay before the enriched
solution came, from their volcanic
|, sources. This fact is proven by the
development of the various mines In
the district. The rich ore formed
l In the pervious sections OF the weir
filling, is the result OF saturation and
precipitation. The more vitreou'
I quartz found In this vein system |:
! crystalized clay that was imperyiou'
{ to the enriched water.
When the upheayal came, Thu
! breaking up of the lake bed left larg'
areas OF the soft original surface o
the conglomerate exposed. This sur
face had been horizontal contac
between the.glacial and the volcani
strata that had filed the lake TO tn
depth of perhaps 400 feet In tha
contact and In the lower conglom
crate stratum many millions wer
concealed until, by chance this geo
logical disturbance exposed tn
wealth. Not less than $50, 600, 90
were taken from about 30 ACRES O
Leesburg basin In 10 years, followin
the discovery I'm 1866 This gold wa
deposited In all the waterways tina
cut this conglomerate. The upheass
left this sedimentary bedrock title
up against Leesburg mountain.
shows evidence Of violent disturbanc
which left sections OF the old LAX
bed at various angles. At the Col
Flint mine the gold bearing ccntat
is almost perpendicular In a lars
section OF the lake bed that was LEI
on edge. This Is the only point
the district where the contact OF
zone has been exposed at depth, |
development. A distinct vein syste
is revealed by this work. The col
tact vein Is shown to be partly fil'
with fine character OF gold-bearir
quartz which is somewhat buncby,
mass OF soft oxides. This charact
OF quartz make up the bonlders al
specimens that have been found
, such profusion throughout the oil
trict. These boulders have been ha
vested like pumpkins and nIilled
a profit.
The Shoe Fly ore body which yield
sIOO, 600 was a transient bunch I
moved perhaps from fiat contact G
, zone In some slope near by. I
Rapps creek cluster of 10 tons
boulders yielded 5000 from the u
OF an arastra. These golden bould'
! were spewed out of soft conta
from the pressure OF the quartz
/ upon the congiomerate.
This contact vein system Is prov
TO extend all over the old placer III
by the float that Is widely distribl
cd. As the old surface Of the CT
glomerate carried clay compou
1 the contact quartz lode must
bunchy and 1t must become 8
when oxidized, and exposed.
this reason there could be no or
= pings OF this ore In place. The S
. rich ore wasted and fed the plac
. and the punches became transit
boulders. The hard conglomer