Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-01-26

u. r. Rail. the geologist working
among the lava burns and ice caves
north of town this week discovered a
strange phenomena on the floor of
one of the ice caves. Coming across
bubbling spring in the floor that
bubbled up and then sank away IN
the floor he noticed a peculiar spell
yet a familiar one and on tasting che
liquid flowing from the spring w.s
astonished to find it tasted ike ?. ?
forbidden liquor one reads about
Obtaining sample he rushed to
town where his find was tested and
found to have a high alcoholic con-
tent.
AS soon as the find became KNOWN
a stream of automobiles headed for
the caves, searching for the golden
stream, but Rail kept secret the ex-
act spot where the cave with its
wonderful spring was located.
The ice cave being on government
land Rail consulted attorneys as to
his being able to file a homestead
entry on the land or mineral claim.
The question had the attorneys search
ing law books to determine if it
would be possible to make Il whishey
spring come under the head of d
mineral as the government has classi-
fled the land as of no use in farming
thus precluding its being homesteaded-
Rail is pressing his claim to a min
eral claim on the grounds that it is
mineral, a new one, but neverthe-
less a mineral which he calls whiskorn
and his explanation is very plausible
and is backed by samples of the ore
Said he:
After discovering the nature of the
spring 1 dug down quite a ways to
determine the source of the spring.
1 did not find the source but I did
find a peculiar substance, hard and
of a brownish-yellow. color. This ore
had also the smell of the spring and
when tested it by putting it in hot
water it dissolved and made a liquid
the same as that flowing from the
spring.
THE theory on which I base my
claim to a mineral claim is that in
an earlier geological period the valley
and surrounding hills had been COW
cred with corn fields, probably in the
carboniferous period, when vegetable
growth was abundant, floods had
swept the valley and while still un-
der water a flow of lava from the
volcanoes to the north had buried it
completely as in a retort. Other
flows of lava had also covered the
first flow but in that part in which
there had been a stream had followed
out leaving an aperture which later
during a glacial period had formed
ice in these apertures, or ice caves.
Heat and pressure during long
period extending over the
glacial period had consolidated the
decaying corn into a soft brownish-
yellow substance which upon expos
ure to the air had solidified into the /
mineral 1 have named whiskorn.
"A leak through the floor Of the
lee cave had sent cold water down
through the lava until it struck a
in the lava forming the top /
IF the retort This cold stream COM
ng IN contact with the heat Of the
ava dome had turned 10 steam and
.aused the mineral 70 dissolve and
bubble forth into the spring
Il am going 20 take steps % plug
he spring and mine the mineral which
.an be sold anywhere but which With
he addition ~ hof water viii make
fine drink, a drink as good os the
.no prohibited by law Tho mineral
an AZ mined ai d bow cost ana ! feel
urs BHi ssu readily for p dollar p
Iound'
When ~ diacolefsf nrsf made "a
noQn sheriff Nhs.lff Heni nQi f01i
p nlesHFafl tui sp0u tarn'0F iNe
ai4e M iAe fWiNs Ana Ns 'nla''Nn
n .ofunueW NHi 'f ifNN'1H MN +
a0l ni DonHslfNa HfF.H Hs in
~ n Ne ml ~ lp iAf WfW''N
N lr fn n oNN HNf NJ aN af'
I||. ...I|