The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-12-04

~ North Side and signed by
n large number of citizens and
companies doing business in
the county has been presented to the
state utilities commission at Boise re-
questing that an order be issued re-
quiring the O.-W. r. & N. company to
restore the washed out track from
Prichard to Paragon, along Prichard
creek, distance of IL or IA miles,
and to establish and maintain train
service over the same. 1t has now
been almost two years since this
track was placed out of commission
by the high water, which occurred in
December, 1917, and in January, 1918.
Since that time the people of Murray
and all those engaged in mining along
the line have been subjected to great
Inconvenience and loss through the
failure of the railroad company to
rebuild the line. Soon after the dam
age was done the railroads Of the
country were taken over by the gov
ernment and since that time it has
been practically impossible to secure
much needed improvements and ex-
tensions of railway lines. With the
prospect of early return of the rail-
roads to their owners, it Is believed
that a more enterprising and liberal
policy will be adopted in the matter
OF providing adequate railroad trans
portation facilities to meet the busi-
ness requirements. However, as the
O-W. r. & N. company Is not famed
for ready response to the increased
demands of traffic, the petitioners
have taken the right course in ap-
pealing to the utilities commission
for relief.
Business in Sight.
1t would not be fair to the district
t. be served to decide the question of
restoring the Prichard creek line on
the basis of business actually in sight
today, for naturally after two years
without transportation and suffering
from the deplorable conditions due to
the war, there has been everything
to discourage business activity and
mining development. But even un-
der these adverse conditions, much
has been accomplished to prove the
merits of the North Side as a mining
the restoration of the railroad Is JUS
titled and that the people are entitled
to transportation. Even under the
present difficulties, ore shipments
have been irregularly made in spite
OF the necessity of hauling ore from
II to Is miles to the nearest railroad
point. Under these circumstances
only the high grade ore can be ship
ped and at best the freight charges
absorb most of what should be the
miners profit. Here are few of the
mines which are in position to make
shipments If the railroad is repaired
or which will soon be on a produc-
tive basis:
Bear Creek.
The Bear Creek Mining company
has a mill of $50 tons daily capacity
and a large body of ore opened up
|
that insures steady operation if ship
ping facilities were what they should
be. The company has been closed
down for the past few weeks on ac-
count of water shortage, but to avoid
future delays on this account the
management now has under consider
alton the installation of electric pow
er. Shipments have heretofore been
made by hauling the ore to the rail-
road at Delta, a distance of IL miles.
With dependable power the Bear
Creek company could doubtless keep
it's mill running steadily and would
be justified in doing so If the long
wagon haul could be eliminated.
Paragon.
Before the washout the Paragon
company had made record of ship
ping upwards of 40 carloads of con-
centrates, and an extensive plan OF
development Is now being carried out
which will make available additional
large tonnage. This company uses
the Black Horse mill and could prob
ably be turning out concentrates now
If railroad facilities were provided. In
spite Of the uncertainty regarding
transportation the company is going
ahead developing the mine at heavy
expense, hopeful that by spring the
railroad will again be open for traf-
f1c
Monarch.
Leasers are working on this prop