The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1922-02-09
VAST MINERAL
WEALTH IN
COUNTY
Rich in Gold and Barely Scrat.
ched According to 10 cal
Writer.

BY f. NJ. Griffith, Grangeville, Idaho.
That Idaho County, or what is COM
monty known Us central Idaho, em-
braces the greatest undeveloped gold
mining section on the continent today,
may seem to those unfamiliar with
its possibilities to be overestimated,
and perhaps largely exaggerated. But
when it is considered that this gold
bearing section covers an area great
er than some whole states; that there
are something like a dozen separate
organized mining districts, besides
large areas practically unexplored and
not yet organized; that according to
government mint reports many mil
lions of dollars In gold were taken
out Of this section years ago, or In
the early sixties. by the then crude
systems of extracting and saving OF
the yellow metal, the statement must
at least be given some credence. and
that there is strong probability that
this vast mineral area has only been
scratched so far as it's future posi-
bilities for gold production are con-
cerned. 1t may be said, and truth
fully, that most of the gold taken out
Of this section in the early days was
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mining in this section is now limited,
but the reason for this is that placer
gold was more easily obtained by the
old fashioned sluices aid other home
made contrivances and without the
necessity of machinery or expensive
operations. On the other hand, the
great net WORK of rich gold quartz
veins seen and known to exist at that
a. IL, no of
and which may have been the source
of much of the gold taken out, could
only be looked upon with wonder and
amazement and passed up by the
sturdy miners OF that day for the
future generations or those to follow
in later years, to work and extract the
yellow metal from the quartz veins
by more modern systems of ore treat
ment and after suitable transporta-
ton facilities had been provided. Lack
of transportation always has been and
is now to a considerable extent a
serious drawback to successful opera
tions in this section. A public neces-
sity for better transportation into this
country from many standpoints, not
only the opening up of this great
mineral resource but to lessen the OPP
tTdti1S tADtiiNt VI tiN ltOStdi uCphEt-
ment in getting mail and parcels post
matter i'm and out, and the lossening
of the great expense of fighting for
est fires in being able to get onto the
Jobs sooner, and other reasons have
caused the government to inaugurate
system of road building into this
section that promises an early solu-
ton of the transportation problem. Al
Ixx eO0E A00 1,n an N
first section, or 10 miles, of truck
road being built up the South fork of
the Clearwater river from Grangeville
Elk City and other districts. Another
will extend the road considerably, IL
not complete 1t.
Buffalo Hump Road Building.
The old Buffalo Hump camp which
was abandoned about 20 years ago,
principally because of its inaccessi,
bility or lack of suitable roads for
continuous operations. is to have n
truck road soon. The distance from
Grangeville to this camp by the way
of Adams Camp is 55 miles, 80 miles
truck road and being used by the pub
lie. and 1t is the policy Of the govern
ment to push this road to completion.
Should it he desired by operators
there is no doubt that the government
would cooperate on a $3.50 basis and
extend this road to completion at once
II is estimated that $4,000 would COM
plete the road into the Hump camp.
The gold districts of this section, or
those which have received the most at
tention in the way of work and devel-
cpment are. Dixie, Elk City. and Ten
Mile. and while they are different min
ing districts. they are so closely re-
lated i'm point of location and similar
ity of formation and character as to
practically form one vast area of a
gold bearing zone
Geology of District.