Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-08-11
Elk City Paper Comment on
Future of Mines
[EASERS MAKING MONEY
lnexperienCe and Mismanaoe-
ment Cause of Failure

In speaking Of the future of the
mines Of Central Idaho the Elk CITY
Mining News speaks in the following
sensible vein and has the situation
sized up just about right. The reason
Tor failures IN that camp in the past
IS well explained and reasonably ac-
counted for.
For several years past this country
has seen failure after failure, on what
seemed to be mine from any stand
point, until mining men were very re-
luctant to invest in this part of the
country, but the past few months have
wrought wonderful changes.
"Men who were mere conyersant
with conditions here never gave up.
Old properties that were worked, mills
built upon them; some of them produc
ing thousands of dollars, and then
closed down to become industrial
monuments, have fallen into the hands
of men who know how to ''do things,
and are now working, and all making
good.
"Iake the American Eagle on
Seigle creek, when it was first opened,
the showing was second to none. 1t
had one year Of prosperity and pro-
duced thousands of dollars. Then
the company thinking anyone could
make money for them, changed man
agement. They ran few months,
did no development work, lost their
ore, and closed down in debt. 1t laid
idle for several years, until \. w.
Boyd, the former manager, succeeded
in getting lease on the property and
went to work to pick up the ore where
it was lost. The present showing of
ore blocked out only shows how sue
cessful he has been, and incidentally
that the mine was not worked out.
This property is now starting on a
more successful run than it ever had.
Take the Jumbo mine in Buffalo
Hump. This property was a great
producer for several years, was finely
equipped, good water power-every-
thing that tends to economic mining.
put it made a most disastrous closing.
Then it too was leased by Salt Lake
and Nevada miners men who were
strangers to this section, and the same
success is repeated. The leasers have
opened up an ore shoot in the Jumbo
that far excells any previous encount-
cred, and this too with only doing
thirty feet of dead work
''The Crackerkack in the Hump is
another example. As fine a showing
as any one ever looked at when it was
first opened a great big, strong
vein, carrying good values. But it
went the same way as the others,
closed down in debt Then the Mines
Syndicate was organized and took it
over, and are now operating it very
satisfactory.
at may we'll be asked what was
the cause of this? There can only be
one answer, it was simply mismanage-
ment
ut is no doubt fact that the
former management tried to make a
success, and did the best they could,
but try as hard as one would they did
not have the proper knowledge of min
ing. This is the whole secret. They
were not miners in any sense, conse-
quently when any problem came up,
as lost ore faults, caving stops and
many other things, they could do
nothing, and in great many cases
they never had the foresight to have
men under them that could.
But this is all changed. There are
more mining men in Central Idaho
now looking for property than ever
before. There are more prospects,
just turning to mines than were ever
opened up in any country.
Take such showings as the Buck
horn, Gilt Edge, Gold Bug, Wonder,
Franklin group, Harmon 4 Morrow S
Howard & Lackey, the Seventeen and
several other properties in the Ten
Mile district They are the equal of
any prospects that ever had pick
stuck in them.
.The South Fork mine is another
property when with their new equip
ment ready to run will give good
account of itself.
.sThe Center Star group now under
,re>;,. oxfa,,n;ya Jayp1nnmnnf has