The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-11-13
OLD CHLORIDE CAMP
HAS BRIGHT OUTLOOK
WALLACE MINING MAN ENTHuS'
ED OVER ORE DEVELOPED
SURFACE SHoWlNGS.

cih iIC III hlO SOSai
district recall the Chloride excite
ment" of about 80 years ago., which
created quite a stampede from all
parts of the northwest and attracted
many from this district. The excite
ment was caused by the discovery Of
rich chloride of silver ore near the
shore of Lake Pend dOreille, in Bon
ner county, at a point not far from
the Shoshone county line and just
over the divide at the head OF the
North Fork of the Occur d'Alene
river. The rush to the new discovery
resulted in building up almost over
night a typical mining camp having
a population of 500 or 600 people, the
most conspicuous feature of which
were 2S saloons and gambling houses,
dance halls and other kindred attrac-
lions for the entertainment of the
throng that flocked to the new camp.
1t was a bona fide discovery all right
and shipments of rich silver ore were
made, but the low price of the metal
coupled with the high cost of trans
portation to the railroad made profit
impossible at that time, so the glory
OF Chloride camp was of brief dura-
ton. 1t died almost as rapidly as it
sprang into existence, and today there
is hardly a vestige left to mark the
spot where it once flourished.
Chloride Coming Back.
While Chloride camp, such as has
just been described, has gone never
to return, the chloride mines, so-call-
ed, are giving strong evidence of
coming back. In fact, three of them
were never abandoned, the best
known of which is the Weber, so
named for the d%iscoverer who is still
one of the chief owners. The other
chief owner is Isl Donnelly, a pioneer
of the Occur dA.lenes, who left his
home at Eagle and Joined the rush to
Chloride 30 years ago. He acquired
an interest in the Weber mine and
from that date has made his home at
Lakeview, a few miles from the mine,
There, dwelling in one of natures
most enchanting spots, far
from the madding crowds ig-
noble strife Mr.. Donnelly has
been tireless in his efforts to
place the Weber mine, in which his
confidence has never been shaken,
on a productive basis. At the same
time he has found time to evolve a
new philosophy of life which has
earned him the title OF the Sage OF
L~akeview,' and which for the time at
least seems to have alienated him
from the counsels of democracy, in
which he long held an exalted posi-
ton. But that is another story. The
differences between Mr.. Donnelly
which have prevented the operation
of the Weber mine are now reported
settled and plans are now being made
to resume work on a large scale,
with every indication of large pro-
fits.
Fine Outlook for the Camp.
o. b. Wallace, who has long been
identified with mining in the Occur
d'Alene district and who was man
ager of the Interstate up to the time
of the consolidation with the Gala
han, was in the city last week, hav-
ing just returned from Chloride. He
states that it is understood that the
Weber will soon he productive, and
that the Conjecture, another we'll
known property of that section, is
preparing for much activity in the
spring. The Conjecture is owned by
st. Louis people, and they have a
sawmill in operation turning out the
lumber for buildings and probably
for a mill to be erected in the spring.
Some very high grade shipments
have beer made from this property,
Mr.. Wallace says the formation is a
quartzite apparently identical with
that of the Occur d'Alene district, and
1t is very significant that as depth
has been gained the ore has changed
to lead silver sulphide, identical in
appearance to the ores of this district,
but retaining the higher silver value.
Mr.. Wallace was so f~avorably i'm
pressed with the remarkable surface
showings in the Chloride district, to-
gether with the shipments made by
the old properties and the large
amount of commercial ore in sight
and on the dumps, that he located a
group of claims on a very promising
ledge and in which several Wallace
men are interested. He has TOW re-
turned to the old district and will
make other locations. His son. DR..
Walter Wallace, of Newport, Wash,
has also located a group of claims.
Mr.. Wallace has seen many mining
districts and he gives it as his opin-
ion that Chloride will make good, and
that next spring will see much activ-
ity In the district. both at the old
mines and in the development of new
ones, The route t % Chloride is by
way of Bayview, on the west side OF
the lake. There a boat is taken to
five miles across the lake
and from which the mines are about
two miles, reached by a good wagon