The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-04-06

Seven Stages to War Eagle Mine.
asked a wag as to the means OF
reaching the War Eagle mine. prior to
my initial venture in central Idaho.
and he replied: You take the limited
as Tar as you can, then you take a log
train as far as you can, then you take
the stage as Tar as you can, then you
take dog sled rs tar as you can, then
you snOWshOe as far as you can, and
then YOU climb up Il rope" In a mea-
sure this was correct. L took the linn
tied to Nampa log train to Mccall,
:, stage TO Hail way house. a sleigh to
Burgdorf, dog sled to Warrens, snow
shoes to the Salmon, which 4 crossed
in canoe. aud the latter end OF the
uau approaching the mine was SO
steep that a rope was provided as an
aid in climbing the incline leading to
the property.
The central part OIL central Idaho
has no raods at ALL and the trails are
not worthy OF the name. They are at
best Il string OF blazes through the
omnipresent forest and every trapper
in the country considers it his personal
privilege to blaze line out to any
trap he may set. SO one can imagine
the bewilderment OF a stranger trying
to pick out the right string OF blazes
from the make OF trappers and pros
pectOrs blazes. OF course, after bit
one learns that the main trails Will
iollow the main ridges in the direction
j. ended, and this fact often helps one
to pick the right string of blazes from
the wrong one.
The climate OF central Idaho is chief
~ characterized from unitarian
standpoint by the enormous snowfall
ON the higher levels. For instance. the
snow lies eight feet to fifteen feet on
the level at Mount Marshall and But
falo Hump, while at the same time
there will be no snow at all on the
southern exposures near the bottom OF
the canyon of the Salmon river which
lay 5000 feet below.
The climate of the Pacific northwest
is characterized by long stormy Win
ter and a dry summer. Central Idaho
is no exception to this rule. In the
winter it will sometimes storm for two
months steadily, and in the summer
time it will often be cloudless Tor a
similar period. 1t is at the end OF the
long dry summer that forest fires are
such menace. The dense smoke is
most depressing to the spirits. The
sun looks like blood-red ball, and
the light Cor darkness) is about equal
to moonlight.
With topography and climate such
as those described, it is obvious that
this is a locality prolific in splendid
water power sites. l have not inves-
tigated the power features of the main
streams, but have measured some of
the smaller ones. Minimum flows of
IS second feet and falls of 500 feet to
the mile are not uncommon. A stream
of this sort will develop 1000 horse
power to the mile, and there are miles
upon miles of such streams in central
Idaho.
Central Idaho has been generously
mineralized Gold. silver. copper mo-
lybdenum, tungsten and radio-uran-
ium deposits have been found. The
predominant metal is gold so far as
explorations have gone. There are
great numbers of large outcrops, SINH
lar to those at Butte. which may de-
velop into copper or zinc mines below
the zone of teaching, but these pros
poets must of necessity await the de-
velopment of the country. The little
W rk being done is chiefly gold mining.
During the period of readjustment
following the civil war this country
proved a godsend to the union, for it
produced $3.50 100000 in gold during
those lean years. The gold came from
rich placers soon exhausted.
The lode mines have not yet proved
as profitable as the placers. The plac-
er miners, even the Cinnamon who
followed the whites, cleaned up their
claims. and. finding nothing which
they coud work at a profit abandoned
The country. SO it is again a sparsely
wilderness.
The gold-bearing veins are many,
md the values are such that many of
he veins could be profitably worked
inder more favorable conditions than
hose which have existed heretofore.
A few high grade mines have paid
but high grade in cen
raj Idaho is like high grade else
Yhere-it is limited in quantity
Around the rim of the Idaho batho-
it'll are the following camps: Payette
lake, Boise Basin, Rocky Bar, Allan
a. Thunder Mountain. Yellow Jacket,
Salmon City, Shoup, Elk City, Pierce
Iewsome, Florence Mount Marshall,
seven Devils, and New Meadows. In
he heart of the batholith are Warrens,
Oro Grande, War Eagle and Buffalo
Hump.
With the building of new roads in
he bottom of the snow-free canyons,
which is now under way; with the
opening of the Salmon river to down