Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-02-02
IDAHO GOLD AND RUBY MINING PROJECT
AT LE0NIA Is NOW NEARING COMPLETION

this work has been completed, there
will be little opportunity for material
of any size to find lodgment on the
upside of the plant, thus assuring
clean saving in the plant itself
Special Sluice Test.
ing any information that might bear
If even in an imperfect way, upon the
value of the material to be moved.
was told by the management that ]
was at liberty to take any step that
appealed to me, from panning upor
any part of the 1000 acres, to a specia
sluice tes., for which all the mer
necessary would be provided. l de
cided that the latter plan would be in.
teresting and, under my close observa.
tion from sluice to final panning, ap-
proximately two yards of gravel was
run through on December z. with the
result that we cleaned up Is penny
weights of coarse gold, as shown in
the accompanying photograph at exact
size. The heaviest nugget weighed 19
cents, although there were many more
of about the same size, as will be seen
by scrutinizing the Photographic re-
production. Total value was S4.75, or
$2.375 per yard.
Downstream Point Selected.
The point at which the test was
made, was selected by me, and is ap-
proximately 500 feet upstream from
the bedrock flume and about 100 feet
above the upper end of the concrete
work recently finished for a distance
OF 400 feet above the flume. This
point was decided upon because ii
was obvious that lowest values might
be expected at the furthest point
down stream from the hydraulic race
AT this point rib of quartzite juts
out into Boulder Creek for a few feet
thus providing some backwater in
which gold would be likely to settle.
Gravel From Rim Rock.
Three sluice boxes and one rifle
box. each IL feet long, were used and,
as the stream was low, it was neces-
sary to shovel from the rim rock near
the east shore to platform of gravel
accumulation towards the middle of
the stream. From that point one man
shoveled into the sluice, keeping the
platform clear from gravel shoveled
from rim rock and to a depth of not
more than three feet by two other
men.
Estimated Mt Two Yards.
1t was estimated that each shovelful
weighed 8 pounds and that 10 shovel
loads were conveyed to the sluice in
each minute of actual operation. The
work consumed about one hour and a
half and, allowing for delays. it is be-
lleved the estimate of two yards is
close enough for all practical pur-
poses.
Black Sands Not Saved.
No effort was made to clean up the
black sands, of which a fair quantity
was present, and it is also doubtful
If the gold was saved very closely,
owing to a mishap with the water
con troll at a crucial moment. Prac-
tically all the gold recovered was
caught in the first few rifles.
Shows Stream Bed Values.
1t will be understood that this test
will not in any way furnish reliable
data upon the value of the yardage
torn down from the gravel bank by
the giants and turned into Boulder
creek approximately 900 feet further
be prepared, it would be necessary to
ascertain exactly how much material
has been sluiced and in what ratio
1t has been concentrated in the natur-
al sluice box afforded by the gorge
through which the stream runs.
In the writer's opinion, however, it
is a fair indication of values that may
be expected in the creek bed and, in
fact, it seems reasonable to suppose
that values will be higher when gravel
from the center of and further up
stream is handled. 1t is my opinion
that the gold recovered was recently
deposited on the rim rock as it was
to secure drainage deep
enough to get below the accumulation
evidently deposited in recent hydraulic
operations.
Heavy Canyon Accumulation.
The canyon is about 1000 feet long
from the hydraulic race to a point at
which concrete work has been COM
pleted above the bedrock flume The
creek is say so feet wide upon an
average and it is possible that the
gravel has been deposited to an aver
age depth of 20 feet above bedrock, al
though l should not like to make a
positive statement until some pros
pecting work has been done. In any
event, however, there is an important
accumulation of partly concentrated
gravel in the creek bed, which will be
washed down automatically when the
stream takes on its spring volume.
Black Sands Sample.
With the cheerful consent of Assist