The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-06-21
COUNTY RESOURCES


Custer county, Idaho. ofe vAsL Inducements to settlers and
capitalists. Its beautifui scenery. its enerprisng people, its var
led resources. and its brilliant prospects not inaptly commemorate
the name of General Custer. whose dashing. romantic. yet produc-
tive career has become a part of our national history. Thirtyfvc
years ago. when placer mining was in its prime and quartz mining
in its infancy, the territory now embraced in its confines was
known only to Indians and an occasional party Of prospectors
travelling to n from Montana. To them a wilderness. to the max
ers of maps it was UNEMPLOYED" In 1852 placers were actively
worked in Stanley Basin, on what is now our western border; and
in 1869 a few yentnresome men found rich ground on Loon creek
In 1870 other pIacers were discovered aud yielded handsomely. but
until quartz claimed attention, five years later, the region now
forming Custer county was practically unknown. From 1875 to
1879, the fame of its rich mines spread Notwithstanding capital
lists and increasing its population-until the following year, by
Legislative enactment. Custer county was created. and has thrived
since that time, until today it has a population of 5000 people.
and has the following towns
Chanis-County seat. farming. stock. raising. fruit and mining
Mackay-Mining and farming.
DEMONSTRATING and Stock-raisiDg
Bay~horse-Mining.
C~layton-Mining farming and stock raising
Custer-Mning.
S~tantey-Placer and quartz mining. aud grazing land.
Custer county also has numerous large valleys where farming
and stock-raising is pursued TO a great extent, viz Big Lost Riy-
er valley; Thousand Spring; Round; Pshsamaroi; East Fork; An
! telope and Stanley.
Custer county embraces in irregular outline about 5000 square
Il miles, and it is as large as the State of Connecticut. and larger
than Delaware and Rhode Island together; situated in central Ida
no. it Is reached by the Oregon Short Line railroad on the east.
and this road will probably be extended to ChaIis next year. The
: Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone company have a line from Black
i foot to ChaIls. The resources of Custer county are found IN is
II mines and its agricultural and grazing lands.
Il Mines, Mills and Aiming.
u Custer county IS q OF Inc richest mining ecuOn IN the NOrIo,
! but at present it needs better transportation, and capital to develop
jits rich mining districts. In some states and territories mining
and agriculture, though progressing hand in hand, arr yet nearly
independent of each other. The farmers market is widened Is
the miner. TO be sure but not relying on home consumption ex-
clusively, he can exist and prosper, but in this county the miner
and farmer depend upon each other 10 a great extent. Let us for
la moment call the attention of the capitalist to some of the most
important mining districts and mines in the county. viz Mackay.
| with its great copper mines; Morgan creek; Garden creek lead and
silver mines; Bayhorse district with It's famous Ramshorn. SkyarE
and dozens of rich lead-silver and gold bearing mines; Poverty
Flat; Centennial Flat East Fork; Clayton; Slate creek Thompson
creek; Robinson Bar; Stanley Basin, with placer and quartz; Fish
ler gold mines; Sheep Mountain and Seafoam. with their hundreds
of rich lead-silver mines; Loon creek, placer and gold quartz MIN
= les: Washington Basin gold mines; and the celebrated Yankee Fork
district, which is gold slver ores. and embraces within its confines
hundred of mines, the most prominent producers at this time beins
the Lucky Boy and Yankee Fork. Custer county also has severa
: quartz mills and smeIters-fve quartz mills at Custer; a dredg'
, boat and min at Stanley; a smeter at Clayton;concentrator at Bay
horse, and a new SOOton smelter at Mackay. In Custer .ounty ha
nearly 5000 located mining claims. and yet the vast region has no
IN been half prospected.
O