The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1906-03-16
Review Of Mining Conditions In
Idaho.
Denver Mining Reporter.l

mining industry during February
has been almost overshadowed bv
the rather remarkable develop
ments in connection with the late
assassination of ex- Governor Steun-
enberg. The developments to date
allege implication on the part of
the Western Federation of Miners
and have had the effect of recalling
the days of Idaho's labor troubles,
which resulted in so much crime
and destruction of property in the
C9ur d'Alenes. The effective man
Merlin which the mining industrywas
paralyzed at that time was laid at
the door of the Western Federation.
Strangely enough the new develop
ments come at a time when the
Ceur d'Alene district is at the
height of its prosperity and when
there is but little material evidence
of the critical time experienced
number of years ago.
With the construction of new
mills in the Ceur d'Alene district
a few innovations in metallurgy
are being made. One of these is
the use of Huntington mills, which
have been installed at the Hecla
and Hercules mills. 1t is believed
that greater saving of ore and
less pollution of waste water will
result from the new change. The
Hunter mine and concentration re-
sumed operations toward the latter
part of the month, after having
been closed for some time on ac-
count of lack of water. With the
present abundance of both ore and
water the outlook for this company
is probably the most favorable in
its existence. Operations in the
Thunder Mountain district con-
tinue about as usual. The report
of the Dewey mine for the month
of January, which was made pub
lie last month, showed that 1864
tons of ore were crushed, having an
average assay of 1884. The tail
ings averaved 81 cents, thus indi-
eating saving of 84.1 per cent.
The amount actually recovered
during the month was 81, 257, or
about $500 more than the percent
age indicated. The total cost cf
mining and milling during the
month of December last is now Civ
en- out as 1926 per ton.
The operation of iigging plants
in the creeks of the Ceur d'Alene
district continues to be a source of
profit. Early last month Bannis
ter & Co., who have been operating
such plant at the junction of
Canon creek and South Fork,
closed their plant after shipping
lead and zinc concentrates valued
at about $4,000. This represents
about eight months work and is a
creditable record.
Owing to the necessity of making
new arrangements between lessees and |
owners, the zinc mines on Boyle noun
tain iu Blaine county we're closed
down early in February. The lessees
have been paying royalty of 40 per
cent on all ores shipped from the
mines. The development of the mines
has yielded a product carrying less
zinc and more silver and lead than was
originally the case, and the lessees |
have determined that unless a reduc-
ton in royalty can be obtained it will
be useless to mine the ores. No mill |
ing process is used GU these ores, and
there is already an accumulation of
low grade zinc carrying lead and silver,
which in its present state is valueless
but which with mill could be sepa-
rated into products that are sought
after.
The increase in dredging operations
is keeping pace with the general devel-
opment of the mining industry in Ida
ho. One of the latest plants to be built
is that which will operate on the Calf