The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-12-21
Idaho IPhosphateDeposits and Wonder
full Possibilities of Development

DtNtiDplheAt bcBdh AT once Win the
starting Of the Waterloo mine, super
intended by Joseph J. Taylor who
thereby acquired the right to the title
Of Father of Phosphate in Idaho"
Mr. Taylor may be remembered by
the reader as having recently donated
a large collection Of geological and
mining literature to the Idaho school
of mines. Much of this material has
an inestimable value since it repre-
sents irreplaceable and often unob-
tainable files Of government docu-
ments. These books with an endow-
ment by Mr.. Taylor form the nucleus
of The JOS. j. Taylor Library"
After the successful beginning OF
the Waterloo mine, property was ac-
quired by many other parties and the
phosphate mining industry developed
into a permanent one for Idaho. One
hundred and twenty thousand tons of
phosphate rock have been produced in
Idaho, Of which lS per cent has been
exported, principally to Japan.
Largest Known Deposit.
Geological Investigation and map
ping by the United States geological
survey of the Idaho bureau Of mines
and geology have proven that Idaho
has a mineable reserve Of commercial
rock phosphate in excess of $500, OOO-
600 tons. This deposit is larger by
far than any other known deposit in
the world
bulletin describing these deposits
from every angle is shortly to be pub
ished by the Idaho bureau of mines
and geology.
The most notable development of
the Idaho field is the project of the
Anaconda Copper Mining company of
Butte, Mont This company entered
the field early in 1920 by acquiring
large phosphate reserves from the Cal
ifornia Orange Grove Fertilizer COM
Dany, which had large patented hold
ngs near soda Springs in Caribou
county The Anaconda company has
built an Smile railroad from Soda
Springs to their deposits and founded
The town of Conda, made up of the
homes of workers at the mine A not
,ble feature Illustrating the magni-
ude of the Anaconda development is
/ two-mile crosscut tunnel that is 9x9
Get in the clear. A track laid with
i0-pound railroad steel carrying Is
on storage battery motors and
tring of lotion steel dump cars con-
lects the deposits at the face of the /
unnel with the bins crushers and
Iryers outside
800 Tons Per Day.
Two limbs of the folded phosphate
nticline are cut by the tunnel, thus
four drifts in the phosphate
eds and providing for a production
# 5000 tons per day. Several bins are
Included in the plant one being of 5000
ons capacity, two 5OO-ton units of the
Milling plant handle present produc-
ion but more are to be added as it in
reases.
The Anaconda company ships its
hosphate rock to its plant at Ana
onda, Mont, where it uses it's surplus
ulphuric acid obtained from smelter
lmes to acidulate the phosphate. A
ripple super phosphate fertilizer is
reduced containing As per cent solu-
lie phosphoric acid.
The Western Phosphate company
now known as Idaho Phosphate com {
any developed the phosphate depos-
S on the western shores of Bear Lake
the town Of Paris. Its mine in
arts canyon is connected with Paris =
y SA miles of company railroad. A s
lOO-foot tunnel taps the phosphate i
'cks and a daily production of 20 !
ms has been averaged over number f
months. A 50O-ton mill unit is in s
uded in the plant
In the next canyon north the Bear y
axe Phosphate company has explored il
e same bed with about 1900 feet of i
ectric lighted double track tunnel. A
cotton storage bin is included in the =
ant and the installation of a large a,
IN is being considered u
Mine at Montpelier.
In Montpelier canyon at the original "
scovery, the Waterloo mine operat- IL
by the San Francisco Chemical
mpany has about 1000 feet of tun- VI
and has produced more phosphate ~
Elk than any other mine in Idaho.
nee its production is only for the -
n Francisco Fertilizer company. it is
lited 10 What that concern demands.
nsequently it has not gone in for
)duction on the advanced scale ne
opted by other companies 81
The American Phosphate corpora of
n controlled by the Nibley New en-
use operators of salt Lake entered az
2 field early in 1920 by leasing part da
the Waterloo reserve. Several hun le
"a feet of tunnel and a 5OO-ton mill te
; plant are evidence of this COM pS
ny's industry A daily production 81
20 tons was maintained over a sew
i months period by this company. IN
n Georgetown canyon. about 10 a,
les by air line from Montpelier, lies m,
p of the best deposits in Idaho. 1t by
at present undeveloped except for Lo
ew hundred feet of exploration tun- sb