The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-04-13
THE KING COMPANY
MILL BELOW MURRAY
STORY OF ENTERPRISE
Produced Over $4,000 and
is Still a Substantial Asset
of the North Side
story OF ENTERPRISE

(By Adam Aulbach Murray. Idaho)
" HE gold quartz zone on Prichard
creek to the west terminates two
miles from Murray, at least no
veins or Lodges to justify either
exploration or investment have been
found beyond that point From that
line to Murray however covering the
two mile space there are a succession
OF Lodges that have contributed hber-
ally to local sensations and gold out
put Two of these lodges course north
and south, cross Pirchard creek and
are well defined on the surface by ex-
tensive outcrop. These two lodges are
about one mile apart, one being a mile
/ below Murray. This one has a width
/ of from 80 to 100 feet so far as ex-
plored. only to water level. Near this
level small veins of gold galena have
been developed the name being given
to the ore because gold associated with
what appears galena. Similar ore in
Colorado has always been termed gold
galena," although it may be also des-
ignated as a form of telurium In as
says silver is quite prominent. This
character of ore is more generally In
small veins, however, closely associa-
ted with the main leads. Some of these
veins are flat and have a considerable
pitch, to almost every point of the
compass. They have been fairly well
prospected and yielded considerable
gold, but are still in the making One.
on the Buckeye Boy contributed $25,-
600 from one pocket in 1885, when
Frank Reed the locator and owner.
operated at the head of Dream gulch, a
gulch historically connected with the
discovery of placers on what is now
Prichard creek, because Dream proved
to be the richest tributary or Prichard
from the very beginning of placer min
ing in the summer of 1884. All efforts
at gold quartz mining were originally
confined to the smaller veins in this
area under review, except at the ex-
IRENE west end, where a group of loca-
tons We're purchased by a syndicate of
prominent Louisville, Ky, business
men, about the same time that citizens
of the same southern city bought the
Golden Chest and Idaho groups east
of Murray. The syndicate called them
selves the King company, but was not
Incorporated, and a banker named
Barrett was designated as president
This syndicate bought an area of 1922
AIS acres of ground, embracing eight
lode claims and three placers.
Makes Monahar Foreman.
They installed Colonel Pomeroy rs
manager. who shortly afterward ar
rived here with his wife, a very bright
and charming woman, but of very
slight FORM while the colonel was of
huge frame and a thorough southern
gentleman. having rendered the south
service in the Civil war. While a strict
he had no experience in
mining. He chose very wisely, how
ever, in the selection of a foreman, an
experienced miner John Monahan,
who later became very prominent in
the Occur d'Alenes during the labor
troubles on Canyon creek, at which
time he was foreman of the Frisco
mine. The plans for n-stamp water
power mill were adopted by the King
people before Mr. Monahan had made
much progress with two tunnels he
had started several hundred feet from
It's site. and the spring and summer or
1855 saw zoe or more men actively at
work erecting mill, office, boarding and
odging houses and flume line, covering
)ne of the prettiest spots for a mining
enterprise to be found anywhere. In
fact the timber covered basin was a
park, and is yet most attractive
place, although all the big trees have
been cut down. All the outside work
was done when the open season closed,
md the machinery for the mill com
nenced to come from Thompson. on
he n r. railroad. Freight on the
wagon road was cents a pound. BY
he time the stamps dropped (Febru-
lry 1856 the company had expended
over 100000 The winter was a Sc
7ere one, with heavy snowfall, which
made operations expensive, and the
water power gave continual trouble by
)eing too much exposed to the cold
waves. Besides wagon haul became
to get the quartz to the mill
md this being unnecessarily high re-
luired a steep grade to get up to the
IRE bin. The location of the mill build
ng was an ideal one but the batteries
we're unduly elevated and this placed
he ore feeder and then the rock
breaker virtually up in the air. causing
expense and delay The water power
vas adequate to drive the full ten
stamps, but proved inadequate later
When additional machinery had to be
installed. This was required on ac-
.ount of the character of the quartz.
which changed very rapidly from free