Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-08-10
|REAT MINING ACTIVITY IN SOUTH PART
Of IDAHO COUNTY, SAYS R. n. BELL

tomobiles, while $4,000 would trans
form the present road from Mccall to
Edwardsburg into a boulevard with a
very easy grade.o
The snow, he added, was almost all
gone in that section, even from the
highest SUBMITS.
The Edwardsburg road passes
through a most picturesque, heavily
timbered canyon and one of the best
game countries of the state, rich in a
variety of promising mineral that must
eventually result in material advantage
to the business interests of southwestern
IDAHO Bell declared. "The state can
well afford to improve this road and
make the country especially on the
north shore of Payette lake, where it is
the principal land owner. The state
holdings embrace the most difficult
portion of the entire road
Inspector Bell s trip took him to one
of the most remote sections of the state.
1t was made at the request of and at
the expense of James F. Mccarthy of
Wallace, president of the Idaho Mining
association, who is attempting to divert
the attention of some responsible capital
to the central Idaho mining district.
Bell has at different times called at
| tention to the opportunities for some
big gold mining development in that
section, and because of his knowledge
of the country was asked to guide a
party through the district.
Great Possibilities.
This section when opened up, the
mining inspector says, is going to prove
a stimulating factor in the commercieI
advancement of Boise and other towns
in southwestern idaho.
"The primary object of the trip was
the sampling and valuation of the Mos
| COW group of claims on Logan creek,
near Edwardsburg, and the Mammoth
group of claims at Copper Camp and
Big creek, 20 miles further east. The
visit to that district embraced review
of the more interesting development
north of the Moscow group, including
| the Laufer &aDavis, Gold King, Fair
view, Independent and Blaine mines.
~ accompanied Paul Billingsly, ex-
aiming engineer, who had full charge
of the party. He is an active and
practical mining geologist attached to
the staff of the Anaconda Copper COM
pany at Butte. He was assisted during
our trip by George Fowler, also of the
Anaconda company's engineering staff.
"The Moscow group of claims cover
ing a lode, or zone, of gold ore 200 feet
thick with 600 feet of underground
development, was thoroughly sampled
and its geological environments and re-
lations studied and plated in close de-
tail with view of reporting on the
feasibility of it's extensive development
and equipment. The average values of
this great body of mineral is believed
to run about SO in gold to the ton. This
ore is susceptible of cheap reduction on
the ground by modern cyandide and
other milling methods. "A
"The rugged nature of the country
and its remoteness from railroad trans.
portation are the principal drawbacks
to the successful treatment of low grade
ore values in this region. But the ad
,vantages of gravity handling, abundance
of water power sites and the magnifi
cent resources of timber are material
offset to the isolation of the region
If the detailed analysis we made of the
properties indicate a reasonable mar
gin of profit in prospecting on a large
scale, some extensive developments will
probably be made for the purpose OF
determining the staying qualities of the