Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-09-14
PROSPERITY IN MINES.
Streets of Mountain Towns Deserted
and Every Man at Work.

P. +. Ellis returned Monday from a
three weeks trip to the mountains where
he had been, most of the time working
on the telephone line between Sites
and Elk City. He managed to steal a
few days off and cover the Red River
valley districts also the Hot Springs and
some of the mining districts. Most of
the sections he covered afoot and says
he certainly enjoyed it.
Speaking of the Red River Hot
Springs, p. E. says since his last visit
there eight years ago many improve
ments have been made by Mr.. and Mrs.
!. c.. Minert, who have the property
leased from the government.
The hotel Accommodations are perfect,
rates $500 per day including baths etc.
For campers, a small fee of 5000 per
, week is made for the baths.
The Minerts and settlers built road
to connect at the Alberta property so
that a team can drive thru, the road
is very steep tho for four miles and hard
to travel. Some time ago the county
commissioners made an appropriation to
have a water grade road built from the
Finley ranch to the Springs, a distance
| of 2 miles, this amount was worked out
! also lot of work was done by the set
tiers and the Forest department, there
remains only about three miles of road
to be opened up to complete it. 1t is
thought that the Forest Department
will finish this work next year. 1t
would seem that this should be taken
up by the department. at once as it
would then be possible for people from
all the outside sections to drive in by
team or car.
Another improvement needed is tele
phone connections with the outside
world. 1t seems the forest department
have the wire on the ground so next
year the line can be built.
| Sometimes | think the people of this
part of Idaho, and for that matter the
heads of our state and government
don t realize the great public benefit
of these springs as an asset to Idaho
| Every means should be used by both
the county and forest department to
make the Red River Hot Springs as
easily accessible as possible to those
outside.
Mr.. Ellis visited the Hercules, Black
Pine, Mineral zone and other proper
ties. At each of these properties he
says wonderful results are being shown
he brought out several samples or ore
which are proof of the high grade
ground they are workingt in. At the
Hercules, with j. G. McDermid in
charge, about Is men are working, about
600 feet of tunneling has been cut, also
about $50 feet of shaft and about SO
feet of raise ground is being cleared for
sawmill and stampmill
The Black Pine is still showing up
fine on their new strike, with a full
crew working. Manager G l.. l.. Bias
kett has about Is men working on the
Mineral zone properties with a stamp
mill putting thru ten ton of ore day
Extensive amount of ore blocking has
been done which gives them enough ore
in sight for some time to come
The camp generally speaking is on a
better basis than ever before and it
would look as if the right men had
taken hold of the properties.
In coming thru Newsome / met A. s.
johnson and he informed me that sew.
eral properties are opened up employ.
ing 30 to 40 men.
The good road question is live is.
sue with the people inside and every
one seems to be lined up in favon of
bonding along the lines on which the
county is working. The people feel
that we have been paying taxes and in
terest long enough for roads in the
southern part of the state and getting
no benefit in this section of the state
Sites Enterprise.