The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-08-08

nave 10 devote To this subject at th,
present time. These events properl,
beiong to a history OF tile county
an there should be an effort made tt
secure such data as Mr.. Sharkey coult
give for future reference.
State Mine Inspector Bell is said {;
be authority for the statement thar
There have been some thirty mil
lions OF dollars taken out OF the Lees
burg placer mines. This statemen,
has been questioned, but Mr.. Shar
key says 1t may be true, but he is moi
Ia position to say. 1t is statet
that there were seven and a half mil
lions turned over to the Unitet
States mint; and no doubt there wa.
thousands OF dollars worth of goIc
dust passed In various ways as q
medium OF exchange which can no,
be accounted for. Some have placed
the output from the placer mines at
nfteen millions, which may be q
more conservative figure than the
greater amount. Until the best Of
the placer mines were worked ou,
Leesburg supported a population oI
from three to five THOUSAND inhab.
itants. with fair sized business
houses, carrying large stocks OF
goods, and was one of the most lively
camps in Idaho. 1t Is true vices OF
various kinds were In evidence in
those days, but as western mining
camps go, it was coE paratively a
moral place. What is meant by q
moral place, is that the place was
not run by desperadoes, and the
tough element as was the case In
the Boise Basin and other mining To-
calities OF those days. The fact that
the first settlers organized vigil
lents committee may have had some
restraints over the desperate elements
which usually congregate at such
places. There were few shooting
scrapes, and very few robberies.
The first store established in Lees
burg was started by David McNutt,
who is still resident OF Salmon, and
Fred Phillips. Soon other stores
were started, so that 1t was not long
until there were fifty or more husi.
ness houses in the camp. Board was
high, ana wages were corresponding
iy high. Meals were from sI.50 to
$500. These meals did not include
many Of the delicacies. but were OF a
very substantial nature. Bacon,
bread and the never failing army
bean were the usual bill OF fare, in
terspersed occasionally with such
vegetables as could be brought in.
If we are not mistaken the boom
days of Leesburg were over before
the wagon road was built from Sal
mon to the camp. When iu is con-
sidered that all the supplies were
taken in on pack animals 1t is not
to be wondered at that the expense
of living was high.
1t may be that Leesburg will never
again see the activity witnessed dur
ing the placer mining davs. We pre-.
dict, however, that IL will not be
but a few years until Leesburg will
again be good town with resources
Of such nature that there will be
stability in its business affairs.
Where there is placer gold found 1t
is natural sequence that there is
source from which this placer gold
must come. This source has been
found. In place Of in veins only 1t
Is In .ast dykes. All that is needed
Is capital to develop the mines.
From trip ovei the diggines we
were impressed with the idea that
while the channels OF the old water
,ources are pretty thoroughly worked
)Jt, yet there Is whole lot of yirgin
srvund which will pay handsome re-
turns with tbe more modern methods
IF placer mining. What Is meant by
more modern methods is by hydraulic
Ind oredginR.
Some weeks ago we had occasion to
large tract Of placer
ground which Is at present controlled
BY Messrs- sam Cary, VIM. Romjue
md Thos. Monroe. In this article
We stated that the ground would go
from three 10 i've cents per pan, but
lid not say at bedrock. Materially
his statement caused considerable
among old placer miners,
Is 1t conveyed the idea that the en-
IRE ground would yield TO this en-
.ent. Oi course IL should be under
,tood that We had reference TO bed
rock and not fur the entire ground.
These gentlemen have control of
,ver five hundred acres, a great share
Il which will pay to work either the
hydraulic or dredging process, and.
10 our opinion there Is some good
,round on these claims which will
say even By the old methods OF sluic-
ny. To satisfy ourselves as to the
Talue OF this ground We spent several
Sours going over the territory. We
made the most thorough test which /
an be made and that was by PAN