The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-01-05

Lake Tribune there appears an arti
Gle from the pen of State Mine In
spector, r. n. Bell, on the mines O
Idaho, a portion of which is of inter
est TO Caldwell. especially in view o
the prospect of the building of tn,
San Francisco and Butte road, as thi
city will be the supply point for tn,
camp until the railroad is extended
beyond the Snake river. The cam
is about so miles from Caldwell
nearly due south. The proposed
road will run about rs miles from
the South Mountain district.
The following is what Mine In
spector Bell has to say about the
prospects Of the camp:
One of the most extensive ant
promising silver-lead prospects in the
State of Idaho has recently been ia.
ken over on a working option by Mr.
Wayne Darlington, former State En-.
gineer, for wealthy Eastern syndi.
cate. This is known as the South
Mountain mines and is situated neal
the extreme southwestern corner OF
Idaho in Owyhee county twenty-five
miles southwest of Silver City. This
property consists of fifteen patented
claims and is owned by Mr.. George
A. Sonnemann of Spokane, Wash,
and Is being developed by force oil
twenty men at the present time. 1t
is interesting from the fact that II
bears a marked similarity, both geo
logically and INTERNATIONALLY, to the
famous Broken Hill silver lead zinc
deposits of New South Wales. South
Mountain is an isolated uplift that
rises to an extreme elevation of 5000
feet in broad plateau of Columbia
basalt. 1t is about ten miles long by
five miles broad and presents an an
ticlinal arch, the crest of which has
been broken by a fault and eroded
to deep gulch now forming the bed
OF Williams creek which practically
traverses the center of the uplift in
northwesterly direction. Parallel to
the bed of Williams creek and climb
ing over the highest crest of the
near its source there is
belt or zone of white marbelized
limestone showing blocky structure
with black lines of silica and impur-
ties and presenting the appearance
Of a much-altered original sediment.
It's general strike is northwest and
turning sharply to the
east, where it crosses under the high
EST crest of the mountain near the
head of the creek. 1t is from one
to three hundred feet wide
md makes a distinct white line read,
ly traceable for ten miles. 1t has
/ dip to the southwest of about sixty
iegrees and is flanked on the hang
ng side by one thousand feet OF
'chist succeeded by a like width OF
sneiss, which in turn is succeeded by
wide belt of granodiorite and the
'ame series on the footwall side
rhe schisted formations are doubtless
IN altered phase of the more massive
,rano-diorite. 1t is evident from the
position of the limestone that it rep
esents a sharply buckled fold or sad
lie reef deposit and that other sedi-
may be found in depth.
The Sonnemann property covers
he choicest mineralized section of
he limestone for two miles of its
curse. and consists of combination
4 the best old claims that formed
he basis of big mining excitement
n Nevada in 1878, when the camp of
'outh Mountain had a population for
short period of one thousand peo-
lie. which was based on the discovery
( some very high grade gold and
ilver-bearing lead ore A small
hirty-ton smelter was built at that
ay and one-quarter million dollars
'orth OF bullion run out, and like
mount of crude ore shipped to the
abroad at Winnemucca, New, which
as the nearest shipping point at
nat day.
The rich lead ore strike occurred
with extensive brown
essen groupings. but wherever the.
lad carbonate ores were followed
own to water level. which proved
cry near the surface. they changed
massive mixture of marcasite,
galena, zinc blend and a
of copper sulphide. which |
roved too tough a metallurgieal |
roRlem for the early-day operators.