The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1904-03-18
GEOLOGY Of IDAHO.
Favorable Analysis by Mine
Inspector Bell.

In the introduction Mr.. Bell in his
annual report for 1908 says:
The geology Of Idaho compares
more closely with that of Colorado
than any other mining state in the
proportion and distribution of its
rock formations and contains all the
series of rich metal values and other
mineral products that have been SO
productive in Colorado.
The writer has for years looked
upon Colorado as the precious metal
mining school of the world. have
been grati6ed in travelling over Idaho
to find that many Of our most sue
cessful mines are being handled by
Colorado men, who brought ripe
experience from the Centennial state,
and that the enormous undeveloped
mining resources of Idaho may soon
equal the present magnificent yield
Of Colorado in the value of the pro-
ducts Of its mineral fields, is not alto
gether dream as shown by the rap
id increase of our past years output.
There has been agood many in
quiries made to this department dur
ing the year for geological map of
the state, and it was my intention to
prepare something giving the gener-
al outlines and proportions of the
different formations, but that feature
had to be deferred for the present
owing to the stress of other office
work.
1t is hardly to be expected that a
subject involving such-a lot Of tedious
and laborious personal investigation
! as this does can be made very def
mite in one short seasons work and
the description will doubtless be in
adequate for some counties. The in
formation given about any mining
enterprise or district is derived cith-
er from personal investigation or
! the most conservative authority.
Idaho is one of the best watered
and best tinbered states i'll the union.
! This statement can not be appreciat-
ed by travellers on either Of the main
/ divisions of the Oregon Short Line
which travcrses some of the large
desert areas Of the Snake river valley.
| From the northern rim of this great
valley, however, to the extreme
| northern limit OF the state, the coun-
try is practically covered with con-
tinuous forest growth, and embraces
some Of the finest numbering sections
| in the world. The state is drained
principally by three great river sys-
TENS that ramify through its remotest
corners and combined form stream
navigable for big freight steamboats,
below where the waters leave the
state at Lewiston to form one OF the
main branches of the Columbia.
geographically, the whole state
with the exception of the broad
Snake river valley and some inter.
mountain basins of comparatively
small extent, is rough aggregation
Of mountain and canyon-a deeply
eroded broad plateau, remnant evi
dences of which still remain along
the western borders of the state ane
form rich agricultural districts. There
are no very definite range system.
except the main Rocky Mountain.
Bitter Root divide that forms til,
border line between Montana ant
Idaho.
The extreme elevations rang
from HOO to Is, 900 feet above tn
sea level. The numerous stream
and their tributaries run on steel
grade and the available water powe
is practically unlimited.
There are three broad geological
features. The whole central nortl,
). ern part Of the state, with some YER.
limited boundaries and island-likc in
clusions Of crystalline scdimentar,
and igneous rocks, is occupied b.
granite formations that range froil
| Archean to early Tertiary in age
This is probably the largest connect
f'l area OF granite in the Unite