Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-06-10
PLACER COLD
ON SNAKE RIVER
Government Has Made Ex-
haustiVe Study Of Flour
Gold Deposits

The existence OF gold in the graVelS
forming the terraces along Snake river
and it's tributaries has long been
known. AS early as 1852 attempts
were made by various prospectors to
extract the shining colors or gold
fakes from the coarse gravels and fine
sands along the streams. some of the
earliest workings above the Grand
Canyon of the Snake being in jackson
Hole, north of Gvos Ventre river. In
recent years considerable prospecting
has been done along Snake and Fall
rivers, but very little real develop
ment work has been carried on. Claims
have been located and staked out, but
only enough work is being done to
hold them.
In the summer of 1906 geological
survey party engaged primarily In a
study of the various coal and oil beds
of Uinta county, wyoming, gave incl
dental attention to the occurrence of
gold along Snake river, and a prelimi-
nary report on this subject has been
prepared by Mr.. Alfred r. Schultz,
with whom was associated in the field
Messrs. e. E. Smith, B. A. Iverson
and H. c. Schleuter.
Localities Examined.
The investigations of Mr. Schultz
and his party were confined to that
part Of Snake valley lying in central
Uintah county. Except for. narrow
strip along the eastern margin, the en-
tire area is succession of rugged
peaks and ridges cut by numerous
gorges and canyons, whose walls are
in many places nearly perpendicular.
Elevations range from 800 feet along
the Snake to 1880 feet on the crests
of the Salt river and Nwyoming ranges,
which parallel each other across the
area in a direction east of north and
west of south. On the northeast are
the eros Ventre mountains, extending
east-southeast and wast-northwest,
and connected with the wyoming
range by the Hogback range.
The placers along the Snake COM
prise both stream and bench deposits
None of the stream placer deposits
with the area are at present worked
and in only two localities are the
bench placers systematically mined
The metal in all these. places is a foul
/ gold of high degree of fineness, but
the placers show locally great varia.
lions in the character and occurrenc,
Of pay streaks
Investigations Near Miner.
The map presented by Mr.. Schult:
in connection with his report show,
the distribution of the placer working.
along the Snake between the Davi
diggings in TTinta county. wyoming
and Miner Idaho. and the paper dis
cusses briefly the Idaho holdings, par
ticularly those near the government
dam at Minidoka. This dam has rails
ed the water over an adjacent higl
terrace known as Diamond bar, whicl
represents an old river bed and con
, tains some of the best values in fin
gold along the river. Already com
fpany has been organized for the pur
pose Of taking ADVANTAGE Of the favor
able situation created by the govern
ment irrigation enterprises.
Platinum Bearing Gravel.
, Samples of Snake river concentrate
were examined by the United State
geological survey at Portland, Ore, 4
connection with the experiments o
the heavy placer concentrates of tn
Pacific slope, to determine their valu
In other metals and minerals beside
gold. and nearly all yielded from
| trace to an appreciable amount {
platinum. Two ore three enterprise
now on foot along the Snake will ties
the practicability OF saving possibl
. by-products of the placer grayels /
. addition to their gold contents, an
. the result will be watched with niue
j interest: for IL in any way platinum
I can be made an important factor 1
c the output with any margin of prof
e the country at large will be benefite,
: since there are billions of cubic yard
v OF these low-grade gold and platinum
r bearing gravels. along the banks of tn
. Snake.
Mr.. SchuItz's report, which appear
/ in the surveys Contributions to Eco
: nomic Geology, 1906, contains a lare
amount of valuable information. Pei
sons interested should apply to I'll
Director Of the United States GeoIog
cal Survey at Washington. d. c., Fl
copy Of Bulletin No. s15. which wi
, be sent free Of charge
4