The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-09-18
Harry Darlington Returns From
Idaho, Where He Spent Past
Four Months.
MINING INDUSTRY IN INFANCY
Tells of the Primitive Methods Used
i'm the Early Days to Secure
the yellow Metal.

ager of the Manhattan Ely Copper
Co., returned to Ely yesterday after
an absence of four months spent in
Idaho, where he has been inyesti-
eating and inspecting number of
properties that are more than ordi-
narily promising.
after the rush to California in
the later '40's, many of the argo-
nauts returning toward the east,
wandered into Idaho, where they
prospected the country to a certain
extent" said Mr.. Darlington to the
News last night.
sThese men were searching for
gold, and for gold alone. They were
responsible for the opening of the
gold placer and quartz district about
Rocky Bar and in the Mountain
nome country.
During the few years following
1860, more than $50, 900, 600 in gold
was taken from the placer and quartz
districts about Rocky Bar and Noun
tain Home. These properties were
worked with the primitive methods
then in vogue, and the work was not
carried out to nearly the state of per-
fection that now characteriZes all
classes of mining.
Working, as they did, with the
primitive Mexican arastra, unable to
handle any but the high grades OF
gold ore, the miners of that day were
unable to follow tie lower grades be-
low the water level, or to base ores.
The result was that many properties
that were still in ores that may be
handled by modern methods at hand
some profits, were abandoned, and
the old workings remain today, mute
evidences of the primitive mining
methods then in vogue.
MANY of these properties were
worked intermittently by the people
living in the districts, during the Win
ter months, or during the dull sea
sons, the men operating them being
satisfied with the small returns that
would come from simple methods OF
mining and handling the ores. For
some reason or other, no general
campaign of development was ever
inaugurated, though a number OF
large corporations and interests
worked certain of the properties.
1.-The leading mines in that vicin-
ity are the Elmore and the PittsDurg
mines. The Elmore is owned by
friends and business associates of An
drew Carnegie. There was friction
between the interests in the mine for
many wears, and it was not operated
This friction has now been eradlcat-
ed, and the property is being over
hauled and will be ranked among the
great gold producers of the west
within a short time.
.The Pittsburg is owned by jim
Lockhart of Pittsburg, and his asso-
ciates, who are prominent in the
councils of the Standard Oil company
This property is now being re-opened
During the period these mines were
operated, up to Is years ago, they
produced an aggregate OF $l5,ooo,-
900 in gold"
Mr.. Darlington took particular in
terest, while in this section, to eX-
anime the old arastras and other
primitive appliances which were used
by the miners of the old regime
While there he secured on an aband
oned property that is now being
worked at a handsome profit, tog
gle used by the miners in lowering
their gold bearing quartz from the
mine down the steep mountain sides
to the valleys below, where the ore
was crushed and treated. In ar
abandoned working, considerable dis
tance from the surface, he picked VI
an old wedge made of red iron, al
most resembling copper in its ap
pearance He also brought back
number of other relics.
''The interest that the people O
Idaho are taking in irrigation ant
the reclamation of their arid lands
is remarkable, in a sense, but in an
other sense, when the results OF II
rigation are seen, their interest is no
so remarkable" said Mr.. Darlington
"In the vicinity of Mountain Home
$4,000 acres of water rights nave
been purchased during the last teV
years. J. H. Garrett has expended
100000 in the construction OF a 81
gantic reservoir, and system OF dam
and bitches, which will be completed
and the water turned into the sys
tenn within the next two weeks. I'M
will reclaim and put under cultlva
tion $4,000 acres of land in one o
the most fertile belts of the state.
"I was in Pocatello and vicinity TO
80 days. The government is survey
ing for reservoir site at that point
to irrigate 40, 900 acres of land. AT
northwest, as far as Mountain Home
he can see vast tracts of land that ar
now under cultivation, which but
few years ago were barren or over
grown with sagebrush and grease
wood. Idaho is state where ever.
foot of land that is available for cul
tivation, is being. or will be irrigated
either by the government or by pri
vate enterprise. :.
"The mining industry is still in 1t
infancy, and promises to make ldah
one of the richest in the entire wes1
The state has a great future
While in the Rocky Bar country
Mr.. Darlington secured the Liso
group, formerly owned by a French
man, who had worked the propert
at profit for As years. The pror
erty will be developed by Mr. Dal