Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-01-10
1917 SEES MUCH
MINE ACTIVITY
IN COUNTY
DEVELOPMENT AT MARSHALL
LAKE is NoTABLE-NEW
MILL INSTALLED
RICH SPECIMENS OF COLD
Much Prospecting Done in Idaho County
During the Year Just
Ended.

Mining in Idaho county is given an
important place in the mining industry
Of the state by Robert n. Bell, state
mine inspector, in an annual review of
mining activities just issued.
IdahO's mineral output in 1917
amounted to approximately $50, 100000,
realizing excellent profits to the opera
tors and resulting in the development
of many new properties. 1t was by far
the most prosperous year in the mining
history of the state. The final metal
output for the year will reach the fol-
lowing figures, compiled by Inspector
Robert N. Bell: Lead, 100000, 600
pounds; silver, 100000 ounces; zinc,
SO000,000 pounds; copper, 49,
100000 pounds; gold, forty thousand
ounces.
New Enterprises Begun.
The outstanding feature of the year
was the Inauguration of new enter
prises and the installation of more new
machinery for mining development and
ore reduction than during any similar
period in the state 3 history.
In Idaho county season Of marked
activity in new prospecting develop
ment work was experienced at the Mar
shall Lake district, where the Holt mine
was equipped with 25-ton daily eapa-
city mill and is said to have produced
gold values aggregating 100000.
Native Gold Is Rich
The success of this enterprise has in
duced quite a boom in the district and
a number of other handsome specimen
orc disclosures have been made there.
The veins are small, but apparently per-
sistent, and in the Holt mine have car
ried their values down, so far, 400 feet
below the groupings of a vertical vein.
This district is noted for some of the
richest native gold specimen ore that
has ever been found in the west and is
likely to reveal DEPOSITS Of bonanza
importance with further work.
Treat Low-Grade Gold Ore.
At Orc Grande, near Elk City, the
Orc Grande Gold Mining company COM
pleted and put in operation, late in the
fall, an all slime syanide plant of 300
tons capacity for the treatment of an
immense zone of low-grade gold bearing
ore that is said to average SO a ton. |
This installation is in the nature of a |
pilot mill, and its successful sampling /
and demonstration of margin of profit |
on these values will likely result in the
erection of a plant of 300 tons daily
capacity next year.
The ore deposit is a wide zone of
sheared gigantic gangue, from 100 to
800 feet wide of great mineral extent
that is opened by big surface quarry
and glory hole, connected with drift
from the back of the mill 1t presents
steam shovel possibilities in capacity
and the success Of the present plant win
result in the large installation mention
ed and further extensive development
along similar lines. This district car
ries other big zones of low-grade gold
ore that are believed to contain suffi-
,ient average values to warrant opera
ions ON large scale.
At the Dewey Mining Camp
A new test mill of twenty-five tons f
laily capacity was built and put in q
operation during the year on the Dewey a
nine on the south fork of the Clear i
water, near Grangeville, with which h
ests were made on the copper-gold
alues available, with the result that
'lans are now being formulated for 3
financing a much larger plant in the
ear future. This deposit embraces a =
hide zone of sheared green stone, carry
ne several dollars per ton in gold with ;,
considerable secondary copper ore and .
andsome body of chalcopyrite and a.
ornite mineral, with TO 10 percent :;
Upper values ten feet wide at the low =,
st joint of development, where permau n
Mt ground water is in evidence.
Several other handsome prospects, ,,
18th considerable development and +;
milar nature are in evidence in this 49,
icinity that have attracted the atten- ~
on of big mining capitalists who are 90
making the district available e.
18th an extenson Of sixteen miles # n
iilwav construction to connect with w
he Clearwater branch of the Northern
acific railroad
~