Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1922-05-18

now that this Is being accomplished
lrumors have 1t that the Smelter will
be blown in sometime during the
coming summer. This smelter is To-
Gated in the heart of big mining
district from which ores will be OBJ
tanned having the proper fluxing
qualities to mix with the Bay Horse
Ore.
The Bay Horse Mine and the
Sumpter Shelter are creating much
renewed interest in mining in east
orn Oregon and western Idaho.
especially in the districts directly
tributary to Sumpter and all along
the Snake River canyon country.
History.
The history of the Bay Horse Mine
is interesting The sketch below was
written by H. e. Holmes, a whole
sale druggist of Seattle who was one
of the two who obtained the patent
to the property. This sketch was
written at the time Mr.. Miller was
working alone on the mine.
"The history of this mine has been
full of yicissitudes and in some ways
like a romance. There has been a
considerable amount of money and
labor put into the mine at one time
or another in the development, and
some several carloads of ore in the
last thirty-five years have been taken
rom it by different parties working
under contract.
The mine was located by one Gold
trap in the early SOS. Goldtrap was
mining operator and Spectator liv-
ing at Boise. l am unable to say
whether ne was the only party join
ing in the location or not, but short
~ after the mine was located ]. B.
Huntington became owner of a three
fourthS interest. The town of
Huntington on the Oregon Short
Line was named for Huntington, pre-
sumably, he having plated and laid
ont the town. Much could be writ
ten concerning Mr.. Huntington, but
it is not pertinent to this history be-
yond the fact that he became one of
the owners and in connection with
Goldtrap did some considerable wirk
on the property running a tunnel of
about one hundred feet. Huntington
sold his three-fourth interest to A. H.
Ayres and H. E. Holmes for eight
thousand dollars. A bond was i'm
mediately given to the Boise people,
(who later were said to be handy
with cards, horses and women) for
Thirty thousand dollars. These par
ties did considerable development on
the mine but APPARENTLY results were
not such as justified taking up the
bond. subsequently other bonds
were placed on the property and
other parties attempted to develop it.
The result was that the work was
carelessly done. About 1890 another
bond was given to Montana people
and fortunately before signing the
bond insisted on a payment of three
thousand dollars on my interest.
This was paid to me, very much to
the disgust of the other owners as
they did not participate in any part
of this installment paid me on my
interest. Ayers then tried it out and
put in good deal of time and
money, taking out two or three car
loads of ore, one carload of ore was
shipped 20 Omaha which ran S24.OOI
to the ton, but the expense of hand
ling the ore at the mine, hauling it
TO huntington and the freight to
Omaha was so great that it absorbed
practically the value of the ore. This
was what is known as the grey ore.
We had several tons of the blue
ore which was said to be bro
mide of silve and was very rich, rum
ming two hundred and three hundred
dollars to the ton. Of course, there
was not much of this and it was
pretty carefully sorted out for the
benefit of the earlier owners.
Trouble in Patenting.
Along about 1890 having COM |
pleted the necessary work, Ayers and |
myself applied for a United States
patent and notices were posted on
The property. Immediately after this
IN lrishman 1.-THE name being for
sotten) jumped the property and tore
Town the notices and declared he
would XIII and d man who tried to
put MIN OH. l went down there with
/ friend for the purpose of re-posting
ne patent application and l found
ny Irish friend barricaded in the
nine armed with Springfield rifle,
HIS armory and fort did not look
'ery good to me and went to Baker
.nd instituted suit for ejectment and
he Sheriff of Baker County put the
respasser off the property and the
'Whers in possession. The patent was
ssued in the regular course of nro-
eedlngs to Ayers and H. E. Holmes
n 1891. After this no further de-
elopment was made on the propertv
IS | declined to advance any more
money and Ayers had none. The
axes we're overlooked from year to :
ear and were inely taken up by H.
J. Holmes and Fred Johnson and
AK title issued on the property.
The property was leased to H. P.
Iiller and the mine is now being
perated by him.
Adjacent to the Bay Horse Mine
we're two or three other locations
Inder the name of the blue Dick"
ocations. These were held by Chi
ago people and as far as. l know,
othing has ever been done to pro-
ect their location rights.
There is no doubt but that the
roperty contains valuable deposits
vhich will some time be uncovered.
he ore is oP a remarkable character