The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-03-08
came in like a lion.


Challis nowadays.
John p. Dudley is in town from
Blackfoot where he spent the winter.
Shareholders in the White Knob
Mining company met in special session
March End to vote on proposition to
issue bonds in the sum of 81 ZOO, 900
against it's mines and smelter at Mack
ay, the same convertible into stock at
par, and mature in ten years later.
One-half of the big issue is to be appli-
ed to the redemption of S500,OOO in
bonds already outstanding, the re-
mainder to liquidation of floating in
debtedness and for use as working cap
ital. Since the proposition was launch
ed the shares have broken from 1925
to S5.75.-Salt Lake Tribune.
&C. E. Gable. manager of the Golden
Sunbeam company's mines and mill on
Jordan creek, says the Salt Lake Trib-
une, who is in Salt Lake at present,
says the effort of the company the
present season will be TO increase the
capacity of the plant to 300 tons daily.
At present the management is reduc-
ing 30 tons daily with an Allspass
machine, with a second is upon the
ground and will be put in commission
in short time. The Sunbeam group
comprises an immense porphyry over
flow in which are contained gold valu-
es varying from s4 to So per ton, the
proposition free-milling one, while
the expense of mining is confined to
quarrying. He reports a very large
tonnage of this low-grade ore at the
surface, and with adequate equipment
has no doubt of dividends.
We hope the Prospector, if they
want to move, will move right to Chal-
lis, and not stop at Crystal. As they
are now located nothing can prevent
them from getting all the patent min
ing advertising in the western part of
the county. If they move here we will
get our share of it. Besides this is a
good field for two newspapers, we
have as many as 200 people all told in
Challis, and there is big money in the
newspaper business here. But we are
told some of the present county officers
want Office again, and a new candidate
or so wants to enter the fold, and they
want an organ to boom them into office
for nothing. But we do not believe
the Prospector nor Ravenel-gone as
superintendent-can save all of them.
The MESSENGER has been in Challis for
20 years, and has settled down and
made it's home for few years more.
"A few words relative to the mines
of Custer county. The official statis-
tics for the year 1903 of the production
of the precious metals in Idaho, by the
Inspector of Mines, Robert N. Bell,
shows rapid increase in this depart
ment of industry, and a total produc-
tion of S2l ,O56, ,O76.S7, When it is tax
en- into account, that Idaho has less
miles of railroad than any other State
in the Union compared to its area, and
that many of its productive mining
camps, like those of Custer county, are
distant from railroad points from so to
100 miles, the production of the State
can truly be said to be phenomenal.
Custer county, with $3.50, ,s3s.37 to its
credit, stands fifth in the value of its
output. This shows decrease from
the production of 1902 of, roughly,
500, 900, accounted for by the closing
down of the Clayton smelter during
1908; leaving no inside market for the
Bayhorse ores. Many of the mines of
Bayhorse district have not been opera
ted for several years, due to the de-
transportation, leaving the production
of ore to "leasees" without capital,
who have paid high rate of tribute
in most instances besides. The clos
ing of the home market has discourag-
ed this class of producers to some ex-
tent, on account of the delay incident
in getting return for ores exported.
Another condition enters into con-
sideration also. The Salisbury mines,
and those belonging to the Clayton
company, with others, have been held
under bond for the past year, with q
view to merge all into one company
and no work of consequence has been
performed on these mines, pending the
result of this deal.
Owing to recent developments, and g
favorable prospect of this enterprise
being consummated in the near future
the outlook for an increased produc
tion for Custer county in 1904 is ex-
tremely fiatteriug. Several new and
substantial mining company's have
been formed within the past year, and
! wherever any serious and intelligent
mining has been done, good results
have followed. Certainly the decrease
iu production indicated is not due tc
the depletion of the mines; for If this
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