The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-09-19

IHe second type, known lOcaliy aS
the "dike" deposit, is somewhat less
common, and while not responsible for
much of the lode gold so far produced
may prove eventually to be the more
important. Ahese dykes or zones are
mainly pegmatitie in character and con-
tain frequent narrow ribbons Of vein
quartz together with interlacing vein
let's of iron oxide, doubtless derived
from pyrites. The felspar in the dikes
is usually kaolinized, giving the ma
terial crumbly texture
Belts Traceable for Miles.
Varying in width up to 1000 feet and
traceable for miles, some Of these belts
or zones are known to be gold bearing to
the extent of several dollars per ton.
One such deposit from which about 10,-
900 tons of ore has been milled shows an
actual recovery of between So and 50
per ton. Similar deposits elsewhere in
the district for they occur at nearly
all the camps, show evidence Of 90 to $5
material in large quantity. Taken to-
gether the quartz veins which perhaps
reach their most characteristic develop
ment at Buffalo Hump and the dixie de-
Iosits best shown near Orogrande and
Elk City, give abundant evidence of a
widespread goldbearing area or series of
areas.
Reverting to our main question, then,
how comes it that central Idaho is not
producing gold for the national Golfers
at time when gold is SO sorely needed
And the answer is furnished by the
simple statement-lack of transporta.
tion. To illustrate, take our own ex.
perienee. In company with W. L.
Wakely Of Grangeville, than whom nc
man ever had a better companion for q
trip of this kind, / undertook to travel
by team and blackboard the circuit of
the camps mentioned, and this not in
winter, spring or fall, but in August
when the roads are at their best, with
the result that we were never able to
average better than three or four miles
an hour and with one or two notable ex-
ecptions it was never possible for the
horses to move out of a walk.
Freight Cents Pound.
The last thirty-seven miles of the re-
turn trip from Newsome to Grange
vile on the main trunk road to Elk
City was made in a Ford-time, five
hours and the driver out for a record at
that. The result is freight rate from
the railroad terminal at Sites, of Sc q
pound, or $50 a ton to the less remote
Joints, or as / pointed out to the gold
conference, a crusher costing 1926 in
Spokane had freightage bill of $625
against is when it reahed mine n "a.
ELK City.
Nothing but placer mining or bonanza
quartz mining can thrive under such
conditions. The placers of central
Idaho have been exhausted and the cost
of development has prevented all but
the most superficial bonanzas being dis
covered and from these about $3,000,000
lode gold have been produced. Through
out the whole region we found no work
ings or greater depth than 450 feet, mere
surface scratching it would be regard
ed in the gold mines of California OF
Australia, and at this point the district
has been marking time for ten or fif.
teen years. Furthermore, there is nc
reason to think that the district will not
continue to mark time until some reason
able method of transportation is avail
able, such as the proposed auto road uI
the South Fork of the Clearwater from
Grangeville or Sites.
In central Idaho the northwest pos
sesses one of the greatest undeveloped
potential gold-producing areas on the
continent, but this great resource viii
remain locked in the earth until ade
ouate means of transportation are avail
able.