Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-22
MINING, BUSINESS AND STOCKS
oEAIAAL IDAHO MINES.
Railroad Construction Would Open
Rich Siivcr-Iead Properties.

Among the cloud OF railway rumors
the one which credits the Short Line
with purpose Of extending its
Mackay branch to the Salmon and
down that stream ana the Snake TO
Lewiston Is OF interest because It
suggests that the desrabiity of OPEN
ing up the central portion OF Custer
county may be In the minds OF the
men who plan and build our railway
systems, says the Boise Statesman.
there Is another plan for construc-
ton OF "A line through Lemhi and Gus
Ter counties, the survey for which
was made during the past summer ANA
ihil. What VIII come OF IL no one
Knows, but It Is interesting TO find
mat two projects for building into
the section are among the many ru-
morcd railway extensions Affecting
this state.
There Is no more inviting field for
railway building than is afforded in
those counties, They ana rich IN
many resources, but especially In those
mime products which make heavy ton
mage TOR railway lines. IT Is very
Freely predicted by competent author
tues familiar with the mineral re-
sources of that section that, II ral-
way De constructed through there, the
sllver-lead districts OF the two coun-
Ties VIII eclipse the Occur d'Alenes.
mere are large number OF lodges
OF great siae carrying ores high
grade In both silver and lead. Some
OK these properties have been extern
sively developed aud have tens of
thousands OF ore blocked out,
II has been impractlcable 10 mine
those ores because they will not bears
transportation to the railway. while
smelling on the ground has been ex-
pensive. Much ore has been treated
there, the bullion being hauled out,
mr. he conditions under which the
business has been conducted has rem
dered 1t discouraging, though some OF
the properties so worked have proved
very profitable.
But all the known properties In half
a dozen districts would be worked
vigorously II shipping facilities were
az hand and the districts would attract
the attention OF mining men from
all sections. This Is especially true
In view OF the high price of lead and
the increasing price OF silver.
II is said OF the Sea Foam district
that II has a show far beyond any
thing found on or near the surface
IN the Couer d'Alenes, and where de-
Velopment has been done the results
are such as 10 warrant the statement
that the ore shoots maintain their
size aud value as they go down. In
that district men have kept up their
assessment since 1881. There Is
probably no other district In the coun-
try where such thing has been witt
messed excepting IN cases In which the
property was In producing section
and the work was kept up by men
having an opportunity to find em-
ployment In nearby mines portion
Of the time. There has been no pro-
duction at Sea Foam for many years
and not much at any time, but claim
owners have gone In regularly year
after year and performed their work
because they know they will have for
tunes IL the country ever be opened by
a railway
The recent heavy investment over
I'm the Gilmore district In Lemhi by ].
ID, Wood and Frank j. Hagenbarth
shows what hard-headed mining men
think OF the lead belt that traverses
the two counties. They are so miles
from a railway, but they propose to
develop their property and be prepared
TO operate II when q market for their
ores shall be secured. Probably they
VIII be able TO ship much, Just as the
Gilmore Is doing, but they must have
transportation In order to operate the
mine rs II should be worked to return
them satisfactory returns.