The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-10-28
BASIN COMING BACK
SAYS GOVERNOR HAWLEY
RESTORES FAMOUS OLD PLACER
DISTRICT TO A PLACE ON
THE MAP.

VI JdlHeS II. E1dNleH, VINO mas just re-
turned from a tour of inspection of
the district, with the development of
which he has been familiar for the
past 40 years, says the Statesman.
That long ago Mr. Hawley predicted
that once ii became possible to ship
concentrates out of the Basin at a
mining camp in Idaho. At that time
the Occur d'Alene mines had not been
discovered. The only modification
that Mr.. Hawley now places on his
prophecy is that the Basin win be
|second only to the Occur d'Alenes. The
awakening in the Basin was brought
|about by the construction and opera
ton of the Intermountain railway
which furnished the only facility the
Basin DEMONSTRATION
Transportation.
"The development work | saw on my
trip through the Basin was astonish-
ing to me-" said Mr.. Hawley. al
though it takes a good deal 10 aston
ish me in the mining line. 1t is di-
|rectly attributable to the Intermoun-
tain railway. 1t used to cost $40 ?
ton for transportation and smelter
charges on concentrates from Boise
Basin to Salt Lake. The present cost
Is approximately 81 ton, which gives
A. >rorot TOW IN hppartnnitv m haOdIe
base ores which could not be touched
under the old order of things.
For years development work has
progressed in that region. Depth has
been attained and the presence of
large bodies of ore that can be profit
ably worked has been demonstrated
Now that the railroad is in operation
look to see a great camp in the Ba-
sin, with town of some proportions
in that locality.
The Mother Lode
"a highly mineralized system, g
continuation of the old Gold Hill sys
TEN, is traceable from the Ebenezef
the first paying mine on The west side
of the Basin on Canyon creek. 1t
runs through the Mountain Chief, on
TO Quartzburg, through the Gold Hill
and Iowa, up to the head of Alder
creek; heads over into Boyle's gulch,
through to Grimes pass, and from
there to Summit flat.
THAT is the ore belt which supplied
al the western part of the Basin with
placer gold, while it's continuation
supplied the eastern portion of the
Basin. 1t is the mother lode, and it is
now in process of development.
Many Men Employed.
I'm Grimes pass, about five miles
above Pioneer, are the camps of the
Diana Mines company and the Golden
Age Mining company. The Diana has
big holdings under bond, including the
Big Enterprise, the Coon Dog and the
Baby Mine 1t is working 80 men in
several places. Winter camps are be-
ing built at the Stevenson and Noble
placer claims and two miles up Char
lotte gulch, at the Big Enterprise
The company is running a sawmill,
which supplies lumber for the camp
buildings on which carpenters are now
at work. 1t is also operating a crush
err and taking out concentrates. A few
men are being worked on the Coon
Dog property across the ridge on
Grimes creek. The company is start
ing to open up all its properties on
which extensive development work
had previously been done, disclosing
big ore deposits of gold and silver
lead, zinc and copper.
Opened Years Ago.
"These mines were opened up years
ago, but could not be profitably work
ed on account of the lack of transpor-
tation. They offer a concentrating
proposition. J. M. Ingle built the Big
Enterprise mill Is years ago and took
out a lot of concentrates, which were
shipped to Salt Lake. 1t takes rlch
concentrates to stand a transporta-
ton and smelling charge of $40 a ton
hut any amount of concentrates can
be milled in the Basin which can be
profitably handled at a cost OF 81 pei
ton for concentration and smelling.
"The Golden Age Mining company
is running a stamp mill a quarter OF
a mile above Grimes pass, and Is
working 40 men.
Ore Is There.
"Any number of veins have been
lopened to considerable depth, and the
base ore exposed. The ore is there;
there is no QUESTION about 1T. 1t Is
merely a question of getting it to the
smelter at reasonable cost, and the In
termountain railway now makes tha'
Ipossible. One vein $50 feet wide has
been exposed 1t is not all high grade
ore but the most of it can be concen-
trated profitably.
an time I have no doubt, the In
Itermountain railway will be EXTENDED
from Centerville to Grimes pass dis
lance Of about 10 piles, and there VII
be a town, and a good one, at tina
point. 1t will be the biggest camp II
the state outside the Occur dAlenes.
"The hills are full of prospectors
w. H. Van Meter is opening up sew
eral claims oJhn l. Wells is pros
pecting in the district. ]. T. Hamilton
land Mr. Howard are opening up plac