The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-08
NEW ROAD TO
LOST PACKER
Custer County Rejects Bond
Issue Plan and Company viii
Organize to Do It.

After four months of hard work trying
to convince the people OF Custer county,
Idaho that il would be to their ever
lasting gain TO vote a bond issue IOI ll0
partial cost OF building about Inn ~
three miles of new road between CH all-7
and Loon Creek. 10y way of Parker noun
tain r c. Rowe. the representative Oh
the Lost Packer Mining company, CdIle
down from the north yesterday moi iliuS
with the information that the proposition
had been defeated by the narrow margin
Of fifteen votes. the TancninS interests
as opposed to the mining interests DelnS
responsible. As the cost OF tle iOau
would be only about S5,OOO, ana as the
Lost Packer company alone was WHINE
10 stand for a good portion OF lhe eA-
peuse, Mr. Rowe feels keenly disappointed
at the defeat of the proposition, pafllcu-
Tarlv as il would have beneflted the
farmers and the rancheTs to degree
little appreciated at this time, through
the building up Of the country ana Ihe
consequent broadening of the market TOT
their products. III.
lust the same" declared Mr.. Rowe. fhe
county commissioners have promised 70
aid us IN every way possible under tne
law and II is therefore planned 10 organ
ize a toll road and development company,
with a modest capital, TO construct the
road and prospect the rich mineral Couh-
try through which il will pass sur
Vevs indicate that the road VIII nave an
average grade Of not exceeding per
cent, while at no point VIII II go over 3
per cent. This road VIII make the Loon
Greek district accessible all the year
round and forever remove the notion that
the country is hard to mine in because OF
the long winter season and impossible
roads As compared with what II costs
the Lost Packer company 10 operate un-
der present conditions the saving VIII
amount to not less than % per cent on
haulage costs alone. As a toll road the
proposition viii pay wen from the mo-
ment it is finished and, as the county
would have q right to buy 1t within 1--WE
years the people could soon have the
benefit of IL at a tritlinE cost should II
be deemed wise to exercise the right con-
ferred to the county by law. In the
meantime the shareholders in the pro-
posed 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 WOul1
have been simply a matter OF convenience
TO the Lost Packer company, as argued
by many, is ridiculous. The road viii at
once open up for all the year round trat-
fic. the Middle fork Of the Salmon river
country, the Woodtick Creek region, the
Sheep Mountain country and the SeafOa-n
district and give farmers and miners,
alike, the opportunities Of their lives 10
make money The company that 1t is
proposed to organize to build the road,
viii take advantage of the building to
prospect and acquire mining ground of
value that is now practically worthless
and the company, we figure, will be a live
corporation from the turn-lOose."
Mr.. Rowe states that the Lost Packer
mine is opening up splendidly at depth.
During the past six months the ore
bodies on the sixth level have shown an
Improvement in copper values aggregat-
ing fully per cent, the ore now averag-
ing close to Il per cent in the red metal
with corresponding increase in the gold
values as well Raises through the ore
bodies from the 700 to the 400 are now
being made. while he work progressing
in the tenth tunnel level will make con-
necuOns with the lodges some time dur
ing the fall. The company is planning the
installation Of "A smelling process that will
materially reduce the costs of making
high-grade matte or bullion and, on that
account there is little likelihood that the
present mating plant viii be placed IN
commission this year, and at any rate no.
until after the new road, by way OF
Parker mountain, is constructed.