The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-04-19

ore shipments from Pine creel
averaged nearly 100 tons pei
day, and the amount wa,
steadily increasing. Two mills are
in operation on the creek, ore re-
serves are being enlarged, and at least
two new mills are planned for this
season. A recent careful estimate
placed the amount of ore actually In
sight on Pine creek at over SOC, ,000
tons. Scores of prospects along the
drainage Of the creek are being de
veloped 1t is estimated that over 200
men are engaged in mining. And yet
with all this showing of shipments,
ore in sight and extensive mining ac-
ing shipped from Pine creek. Why?
Chiefly because the county COM
missioners have absolutely ignored
Pine creek in the matter of road i'm
provement
/ Last summer, when there could no
longer be a question raised as to the
Importance of Pine creek as a min
eral producing section, the deplorable
condition of the wagon road, which is
the only means of delivering ore to
the railroad and for taking in sup
plies, was repeatedly called to the at
tention of the county commissioners.
one of whom lives at Kellogg and
must be familiar with its condition.
People of Pine creek protested against
the neglect to which they were sub
jected by the county authorities, and
the commissioners were urged to give
some attention to improvement of the
road while the conditions were favor
able for such work. But no attention
was paid to these appeals. The COM
missioners We're too busy building
boulevards for automobile tourists
and highways radiating from Wallace
which serve the section that delivered
the vote that placed them in Office.
The rains and melting snow have
now placed the Pine creek road in a
condition that renders it impossible
to haul a load over it, and even If the
commissioners were disposed to do
anything to relieve the situation, it
is impossible to do it now. When
the road dries out, it will still remain
libel upon the richest county in the
state and which depends upon the de-
velopment of its mineral resources.
The road should be rebuilt through
out its length, giving it a solid road
bed, properly drained. VIII the COM
missioners do it, or will they continue
to deliberately ignore that section of
the county?
Railroad Believed Probable.
No late information has been res
oeived regarding the railroad up Pine
creek and if the showing made by the
mine owners association has made
favorable impression upon the O.-W.
dence of it so far as the public is con-
cerned. Perhaps the county commits
sioners are waiting for a railroad to
solve the transportation problem, hop
lS thdt IL Will JUSTLY lhcIl III mann
tanning their attitude toward the
wagon road, but good wagon road
will remain a pressing necessity re-
gardless of the railroad.
In view of the large amount of tom
mage in sight and the certainty that
the ore bodies of Pine creek are of
permanent character, such as prevail
in all parts of the Coeur d'Alene dis
trict, it is impossible to believe that
the O.-W. r. & N. company will de-
cline to enter that field this summer.
If it does, then the conclusion is in
evitable that some other reason is
back of it rather than a lack of busi-
ness in sight and assurance of future
business. The company owes some
thing to the district that is contrib
uting so heavily to its earnings, and
while railroad company Is not ex-
pected to extend it's lines through
considerations of this kind, still a dis
matter that is so essential to the de-
velopment Of the mining industry
would be rewarded by more kindly
attitude from the public. But in view
of the willingness Of the Pine creek
miners to pay special freight rates on