The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-01-22
CUSTER
COUNTY
ORES

Precious ore deposits ln northwest
ern Custer county Idaho, are de
cribed by j y. Umplehy, of the
United States geological Survey, ia
Bulletin $40, recently issued AZ re
suit of d geological reconnaissance 10
the Lnun Greek, Yankee Fork and
Bag Horse mining districts. Tne
area includes several promising IRE
deposits and few mines where con-
siderable tonnage is blocked out,
Waiting more advantageous transpor-
Iation facilities.
The ore deposits comprise gold
placers and lodes carrying gold-silver,
gold-copper, silver-eorper, and lead
silver ores. In most of the deposits
the ore is Of excellent grade, little of
that witch mas been mined atfording
return of less than $50 10 the ton
md some Of IL $500 or 300. Perhaps
uost CT the production OF the area
has come from ores worth $50 To 500
to the ton.
Northwestern Custer county, ac-
cording to Mr. umplsoy, 10 certain to
| produce large auIouuts Of silver, lead,
copper and gold In the future. The
/ deposits of the Bay Horse district are
a considerable tonnage IL actually
| blocked out. Many Others Ars made
quateb developed and much Of the
intermediate territory is compara.
/ lively unpfospected. Ia the Yankee
FORK district httie ore il In signt
and any important future production
| from the Shnots now recognized is
problematC, but la heavily timber
ed area where such bonanza deposits
nave been found here IL ever the
! probability Of uea discoveries The
Loon Geek district contains gold
placers which will probably be work.
d in toe near future In addition
to these there are gold.copper veins
one ~ which has been explored TO a
/ depth OF 900 feet, and throughout
this vein the ore has varied In value
from S2h 10 500 to the on with no eyi-
dence OF impoverishment with depth
Toe area Of dololL itic limestone near
the mead Of Deer Creek is also
thought TO oe promising held 10
winch TO prospect for lead-sllvef pros
pecS.
1t - highly probable that in a
rough country like northeastern Gus
ter county new deposits viii he found
when uiuing again becomes active
hnetner such activity will precedc
the advent Of railroad is. doubtful.
foi the larger properties are held by
companies which for many years have
shown no inclination TO rOb Tn,
known deposits The advent of a
railroad however. would doubtless
promote II lining activity
The arsa is oue tar more worthy
the attention ot the prospector thar
mang which are being more adequate.
IS explored. Few sil,er lead deposits
snow prominently at The surface,
not only because they are slightly leo.
resistant than the inciOsinE rock.
hut because the oxidation products.
cer4yrite au4 sand carbonate, are
earthy IN appearance and commonly
break up Int small fragments. 1h'
absence u quartz Eangue impilts
toe absence Of the irnn-stairen quartz
fioat winch nas led ths pruapectur Il
most deposits uf ore Inc silver.
copper aud gold COPPER deposits are
more readily recognized. because cop
per stains accompany their outcrops
anu H. j. proba nie that fewer Of them
ha s-been overlook The gold sill
ser veins outcfop fairly distinctly al
tue surface and their hoat is iron
stained, 80 that ueN hiscoy ries af,
not very probable New discryer3e'
II auy of tbe types - deposits. boa
.ryer. ale possible, for niDst 81 a.,
.arrai. weil tiaiDeTe1 sna pHuy 81
the upper slopes are cpsefed by q
mantle OF drift.
4 copy ol bulletin 80 mas be nae
ire, on Application 70 the director 81
the Geological SuTs s. hashin- ton
D. G..