The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-07-13
LOST PACKER ROAD.


(Salt Lake Hernld)
After four months of hard work
trying to convince the people OF
Custer county, that it would be
to their everlasting gain to vote
bond issue for the partial cost
of building about 33 miles of new
road between Challis and Loon
creek, via. Parker mountain, e.
G. Rowe, the representative Of
the Lost Packer Mining COM
pany, came down from the north
yesterday morning with the in
formation that the proposition
had been defeated by the narrow
margin of 50 votes, the ranching
interests, as opposed to the min
ing interests, being responsible.
AS the cost of the road would be
only about $25, 900, and as the
Lost Packer company alone was
willing to stand for a good por-
tion of the expense, Mr.. Rowe
feels keenly disappointed at the
defeat of the proposition, par
ticularly as it would have bene-
flied the farmers to a degree lit
tie appreciated at this time,
through the building up of the
country and the consequent
broadening of the market for
their products.
But the road is going to be
built. just the same," declared
Mr.. Rowe. THE county COM
missioners have promised to aid
US in every way possible under
the law and it is therefore plan
ned to organize toll road and
development company. with ~
modest capital, to construct *
road and prospect the rich ~7sited
eral country through whicr
will pass. Surveys indicate ,:s.s.
the road will have an avtssis:i
grade of not exceeding 6 9 R:ii:
cent, while at no point viii
over 8 per cent. This roaq "a f.e.
make the Loon creek distrf@ nap. aS
cessible all the year round 81
forever remove the nution -s
the country is hard to mine III
because of the long winter seas
on and impossible roads. AS
compared with what it costs the
Lost Packer company to operate
under present conditions, the
saving will amount to not less
than % per cent on haulage costs
alone. AS toll road the prop
osition will pay we'll from the
moment it is finished and, as the
county would nave right to buy
it within five years, the people
could soon have the benefit OF it
at tritiing cost should it be
deemed wise to exercise the right
conferred to the county by law.
In the meantime the sharehold-
ers in the proposed company
will stand no show to lose, as the
! road will pay itself out in tolls
, within a short time.
, THAT the building of the road
would have been simply matter
of convenience to the Lost Pack
er company, as argued by many
is ridiculous. The road will al
. once open up for all the yeal
. round ira fic. the Middle Fork O,
, Salmon river country, the Wood
! tick creek region, the Sheer
!, Mountain country and >the Sea
! foam district, and give farmer
' and miners, alike, the opportun
. tiles of their lives to make mon
ey. The company that it is pro
O posed to organize to build tn,
the road, will take advantage O
the building to prospect and &C
quire mining ground of value
= that is now practically worthless
and the company, we figure, viii
0 be live corporation from tn
n turn loose"
n Mr.. Rowe states that the Los
Packer mine is opening up splen
J. didly at depth. During the pas
o six months the ore bodies on tn
k sixth level have shown an i'm
provement in copper values ag
# gregating fully per cent, tn
s ore now averaging close to l
per cent copper, with CORES
; ponding increase in the gold val
y ues as we'll. Raises through tn
ore bodies from the 700 to tn
400 are now being made, Will
!. the work is progressing in tn
~ tenth tunnel level will make con
= :, nections with the lodges som
- u time during the fall. The con
= pany is planning the installatio
'e of a smelling process that wi
maiyeaally reduce the costs {
r-lT the heHdl 5UWade matte
~ for S1.OO. VIM '''''