The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-01-13
Development of Phosphate Field May Be
Idaho's Greatest Mineral Industry
Operations of Anaconda Co.
fBy Robert n. Bell, State Mine
Inspector).

,elopment in our extensive non me-
,ouic mineral deposits than in the
search for the metal bearing miner
ais and set a pace that seems destin-
Oh TO ultimately equal in tonnage out
mt some of our extensive under
ground activities prosecuted in the
search for precious and useful metals
This new activity is in the extreme
southeastern corner of the state in
Rear Lake and Caribou counties and
is aimed at the economic availability
of one of the most universally neces-
sary minerals that this country in
particular and the world at large, is
dependent upon for its progress-rock
phosphate.
This interesting field of the most
essential agricultural fertilizer min
eral has been the subject of elaborate
study in recent years by the officials /
of the United States geological sur
vey This study resulted in the pubH- /
cation of a number of well illustrated
bulletins and the preparation of a pro-
fessional paper now nearing compile
ton by George r. Mansfield, who es-
Inmates a mineable resource in this
limited area of the great western
phosphate field of 5000 OOO, 900 tons of
20 per cent tr-calcium phosphate
The extensive surface sampling of
these deposits done by this govern
ment department in past years has
been fully sustained with important
progress in practical mining results
and the shipment of thousands of
tons of mineral, in bulk, from depths
ranging down to 500 feet on the dip
of the veins. These deposits are of
uniform sedimentary origin and as
reliable in persistency as any of the J.
other conspicuous members of the
sedimentary series in which they oc- d
cur. They are a series of steeply -
folded closely parallel beds or veins
The richest bed at the base of the "
series is 4 to s feet thick and carries '
fairly uniform average values over a
wide area of surface sampling. aver q"
aging 20 per cent tri-calcum phos- Vt
phate with ? per cent iron and alum
ina A number of cross section sam %
pies show values up to so per cent
tri-calcium phosphate and one car !,
load shipment from Paris canyon
gave a result of 50 per cent
These deposits occur in high
mountain country conveniently ac- p.
cessible, however, to the broad Bear III
river valley and the main division of nj
the Oregon Short Line by short rail- ne
way spurs up the tributary and cross no
cutting canyons. They resemble in nj,
mode Of occurrence the steep pitch ma
ing anthracite veins of Pennsylvania ba
and the ore is developed and mined of
in all respects including operating
costs, similar to coal. minus its gas
troubles. The dips vary from 30 to va
so degrees from the horizontal and F'r
afford some splendid opportunities for ed
shrin<age stopping methods, long wall de,
or room and pillar work. a
Anaconda in the Field. vel
The most notable development of pr
this field has been undertaken by the gri
Anaconda Copper Mining company of to
Butte. Mont. This company acquired FRI
by purchase last spring the extensive
patented holdings of the California ant
Orange Grove Fertilizer company un'
near Soda Springs and have since spr
made rapid progress in it's develop Ne
ment. The natural point of develop adj
ment attack on this property carrying out
an estimated reserve of 100 900, 900 FOR
ons of this high grade fertilizer min emf
aral involved the construction of Wit
mile railway spur north from Soda nea
Springs in Caribou county. This work shl
was started in Julv and has since roc
been pushed with a crew Of 400 TO 500 TIL,
men and at this date the grading of ties
he line includes two miles of switch roa
spurs and sidings which has been mil
the steel laid and ballast ST.
ng underway Machinery for the inu
plant is now being transported over wa
he rou+e strl
The principal feature of the mine
levelonment now in nro,ress consists Mo-
'f a projected crosscut tunnel to be Oh
wo miles long when completed, that pos
s already under cover several hum eu
lred feet is 9x9 feet in the clear tim owl
'ered with 12x12 Oregon fir, laid enc
With 60-pound steel and equipped with MAJ
5-ton STORAGE ba+tar, motors and sal
0-ton steel dump cars This big mi got
,ins a,,or,,a ,,,,,a,, ooro,lo+od viii ont vol
wo main legs of a steeply pitching oI
,nticlinaI vein structure and give a pho
our-way drifting advantage at a MAJ
maximum depth of 1000 feet and is ouc
lesigned for tho intimate daiiv nro- rito
luction of sooo tons of the rich Mos inn
'hate ore. The principal veins of the
eries OutcrOp persistently through
he length of the companys holdings to
or several miles each way from the por
unnel. A power line from one of the bee
main plants of the Utah Power and the
light hydro electrical development tim
m Bear river nearby has been COM at
'leted to the mine and also a copper tere
arcuit private telephone line A com sub
'rcssor plant of 1000 cubic foot ca ldal