The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-06-10
GOLD ALONG SNAKE RIVER BIG ENGINES N sERv|Cf
Stream and Bench PFaCers Mau
Be Worked

The existence of gold in the gravels
forming the terraces along Snake
river and its tributary streams has
long been known. AS early as 1862
attempts to extract the shining colors
or gold flakes 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 eros Ventre
river. In recent years considerable
prospecting has been done along
Snake and Fall rivers, but very little
real development work has been car
ried on. Claims have been located and
staked out, but only enough work has
been done to hold them.
In the summer of 1906 a geological
survey party engaged primarily in a
study Of the various coal and oil beds
IF Uinta county, Wyo., gave Incl
dental attention to the occurrence of
gold along Snake river. and pre-
liminary report on this subject has
been prepared by Mr. Alfred r.
Schultz, with whom he was associat-
ed in the field, Messrs. E. E. Smith,
r. A. Iverson, and H. c. Schleuter.
The investigations of Mr.. Schultz
and his party were confined to that
part of Snake valley lying in central
TTinta county. Except for narrow
strip along the eastern margin, the
entire area is a succession of rugged
peaks and ridges, cut by numerous
gorges and canyons, whose walls are
in many places nearly perpendicular.
Elevations range from 500 feet along
the Snake to 1880 feet on the crests
Of the Salt river and Wyoming ranges,
which parallel each other across the
area in direction east of north and
west of south. On the northeast are
the eros Ventre mountains, extend
ing east southeast and west-northwest
and connected with the Wyoming
range by the Hoback range.
The placers along the Snake COM
prise both stream and bench deposits.
None of the stream placer deposits
within the area are at present worked.
and in only two localities are the
bench placers Systematically mined
The metal in all placers is flour
gold of a high degree of fineness,
but the placers show locally great
variations III lIe IdClcl dllu oNNui
renee of pay streaks
The map presented by Mr.. Schultz
n connection with his report shows
he distribution of the placer workings
along the Snake between the Davis
diegings in Uinta county, Wyo., and
Miner, Idaho. and the paper discusses
briefly the Idaho holdings. particular
" those near the government dam
1T Minidoka. This dam has raised
the water over an adjacent high
terrace known as Diamond Bar. which
represents an old river bed, and
which contains some of the best values
in fine gold along the river Already
company has been organized for
the purpose of taking advant-
age of the favorable situation
created by the government irriga-
ton enterprises.
Samples of Snake river concen-
trates were examined by the United
States geological survey at Portland
Ore, in connection with the expert
,1ents on the heavy placer concen-
trates of the Pacific slope. to determine
their value in other metals and min
Il dis DcSIucS SoIu anu iiSpAAS
yielded from a trace to an appreciate
amount of platinum. Two or three en-
terprises now on foot along the Snake
will test the practicability of saving
POSSIBLE by-products of the placer
gravels in addition to their gold
contents, and the result will be
watched with much interest; for If in
any way platinum can be made an
important factor of the output. with
any margin of profit, the country at
large will be benefited. since there are
billions of cubic yards of these low
grade gold and platinum bearing grav-
els along the banks of the Snake.
Mr. Schultz's report. which appears
in the surveys contributions to
Economic Geology, 1906" contains
large amount of valuable informa- |
ton Persons interested should ap- /
ply to the director of the United States
geological survey at Washington. D. c. !
for a copy of Bulletin No. 315, when
will be sent free of charge.