An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 254

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 254
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 254
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 254
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 254

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Commencement work on the Crescent naturally attracted attention of the mining world. The year 1893 witnessed quite an influx of prospectors. For two or three years the camp enjoyed a boom, subse- quently suffering a relapse. Meanwhile a number of experienced quartz miners located in the district. Prominent among them were: Dr. H. H. Bole, a vet- eran miner of Montana; I. D. Cleek, a pioneer Ida- hoan, and M. A. Ellis. With indomitable persever- ance these men continued to work with the gratifying result that Pierce City now has an established reputa- tion as a quartz camp. At present the most distin- guished property in the Pierce City district is the Wild Rose. It is located on Clearwater gulch, three and one-half miles east of Pierce City. The ledge was found in 1901 by W. S. Wilkinson, who owns a half interest, J. L. Dunn and M. A. Ellis owning one-quar- ter each. Last year, in an eighty days' run a three- stamp gravity mill saved $20,000 in gold, aside from many tons of concentrates, averaging $12 a ton. The richness of this ledge may be estimated by the fact that the capacity of the mill is only two tons a day. One hundred and ten feet of shaft has been sunk and about two hundred and fifty feet of drifting com- pleted. The vein is large, thirty-three feet and six inches between walls at a depth of one hundred and ten feet, and contains three principal pay streaks. In the property are included seven claims and a mill site,

the Wild Rose having attained the greatest develop- ment.

The Santiago property lies on Rose Creek, three and one-half miles northeast of Pierce City. By its owners it is claimed to be the best developed property in the camp. To this group belong the Sampson, Schley, Miles, Shafter and Santiago claims, a veri- table Spanish war aggregation. In these several claims more than twelve hundred feet of tunneling has been completed, the principal vein tapped being from six inches to four feet wide, and carrying ore aver- aging $15, besides rich concentrates. Three years ago a two-stamp, triple-discharge Hendy mill was ac- quired and is now in operation. M. A. Ellis and James Morrow discovered the Santiago group in 1898. The latter now owns three-eighths, J. A. Morrow and J. C. Johnson the remainder.

On French creek, seven miles east of Pierce City, are located the Golden Gate and Klondyke quartz mines. The Golden Gate is at the head of French creek, contiguons to the Fidelity placer and quartz group on the south. There are thirty-four claims in the group, most of which were located five years ago by Horatio L. Gray, a pioneer of Pierce City. He bonded them to a Cleveland, Ohio, syndicate three years ago, since which period from fifteen to twenty men have been steadily at work developing the prop- erty. A Hendy, triple-discharge, two-stamp mill is in operation and about two hundred feet of shaft has been sunk, and seven hundred feet of tunnel driven. In March, 1903, this group was bonded to a New York syndicate for $300,000. The veins run from three to seventeen feet in width. Sample assays have reached $2,500. The ore is free milling, but it is an- ticipated that with depth it will become refractory. The Klondyke is on Bear gulch, adjoining Golden Gate. There are five claims in this group, on which more than eight hundred feet of underground work has been done. The ledge runs north and south, which is the general trend of all leads in this region. The ore is arsenical sulphides, and when oxidized becomes free milling. The property is owned by the Klondyke Mining and Mill Company. Two years ago a Ham- mond, self-contained, water power, five-stanıp mill and Bartlett concentrator were erected. In the develop- ment of this mine I. D. Cleek has been prominent, and is the principal owner. The Fleetwood, another well known property in this district, lies three miles east of Pierce City, in Osborne gulch, a branch of Rhoades' creek. The ore, which is free milling, is the same as other ore in the district. A two-foot ledge has been tapped which assays between $14 and $15. It was discovered in 1899 by Alvin Arnold, who dis- posed of it to Mr. Coach, of Michigan. In 1901 a three-stamp Hendy, triple-discharge, seven-hundred- and-fifty-pound stamp mill was installed jointly by the Fleetwood -and Santiago companies.

One mile and a half east of Pierce City, on Rhoades creek, are three groups showing flattering promise of becoming producing mines. They are the ()zark, Orion and Homestead groups, owned respect-

1059

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

ively by Frank and William Gaffney and John Pons, the Ohio-Idaho Mining and Development Company, Ltd., and Dr. H. H. Bole. These three groups have shown exceedingly rich ore, a large proportion free mill- ing, the remainder containing rich sulphides. Develop- ment in the Ozark is more advanced than in the other two. With only a limited mill capacity, consisting of a steam engine and Bryant rocker, equaling two stamps, gold sufficient to finance one thousand feet of tunnel, thoroughly opening the mine, has been extracted. Last winter the Ozark was bonded to a Spokane company, at the head of which is Judge L. H. Prather, for $60,000. From the Ozark vein sample assays have shown values amounting to $260 a ton, although the average is below this. The Red Cloud is an extension of the Ozark group and included in the bond. The eight claims comprised in the Homestead group are Homestead, Lookout, Samson, Outcrop, McCormick, Big Bar, Overlap and one other. The principal de- velopment work has been done in the Lookout, where five hundred and sixty feet of tunnel has been driven, the lower tunnel tapping the vein at one hundred and sixty-five feet, the greatest vein yet attained in the the camp. The ore body, a large one, is one hundred feet wide, and high values are found in small streaks in the enormous ledge, carrying quartz assaying from $10 to $128. This property, discovered in 1900, has been continuously developed since. Between the Homestead and Ozark groups lies the Orion, discov- ered by Dr. H. H. Bole in 1898, and bonded to the present owners in 1901.

Completing the list of prominent properties in this camp is the Dewey, although there are, doubtless, many others which by the time this article is pub- lished will have attained to fully as much importance, since the camp is growing rapidly. The Dewey joins the Wild Rose group on the north. It is owned by M. A. Ellis, J. A. Morrow, G. A. Rubeden and R. M. Walker. Over six hundred feet of tunneling has been completed and a fine body of ore opened. Forty-two tons of ore taken from the mine, sampled at a custom mill, averaged $30 a ton.

The greater portion of placer mining in this camp is done on French creek, a tributary of the Oro Grande. French creek, a small stream fifteen miles long, heads on French mountain, several miles east of Pierce City, and flows in a northwesterly direction. The topography of the region is similar to that of southern Shoshone county in general, densely tim- bered canyons and ravines running in all directions. Although in earlier days considerable placer mining was exploited on French creek, it is universal belief that only a very small portion of the ground has ever been worked. At the junction of French and Oro Grande creeks are Johnson Brothers' group of placers, comprising six claims. At present they are being worked by hydraulic process. The gold is coarse and pure, worth $19.21 an ounce. Adjoining these claims are seventeen belonging to J. P. Walsh and R. J. Kelly. It is said that Joaquin Miller, the Poet of the Sierras, worked these claims as early as 1864, at which period they were rich producers. Between 1895

and 1900 the Idaho Consolidated Gold Placer Mining Company exploited these claims successfully.

The next group of placers on French creek is con- trolled by the Fidelity Placer Mining and Develop- ment Company, Inc., of Spokane. In the group are six placer and, two quartz claims. During the past winter a bedrock flume was completed, a new ditch constructed, and in the spring hydraulic operations were commenced. In the 'sixties the ground paid $22 to $30 to the man. At present nine men are employed under management of Christopher C. Garrett, of Salt Lake. These placers appear to have been fed by stringers of development quartz at intervals of a few yards.

Several companies are at work on Oro Fino creek. The Rich Hill Water and Mining Company, of which L. T. Culver, formerly of Pasadena, is manager, owns six hundred acres of ground lying east of Pierce City on what is known as Rich Hill. Twelve thousand dollars has been expended in improving the ditch, pur- chasing machinery, etc. The ground prospects as high as $2 a yard. The Chicago-Pierce Developing Company has three hundred and twenty acres on Oro Fino creek, beginning four miles up the bed of the creek. The old Gulling ditch, built in the seventies, has been purchased by the company and is used to operate a hydraulic elevator, costing $10,000, with a capacity of two thousand yards a day. Below Pierce on Oro Fino creek another hydraulic elevator will be placed in operation this season by the American Placer Mining Company, which controls the bed of the creek for a distance of eight miles, beginning at Quartz creek. A plant has been installed and a high line ditch, carrying one thousand five hundred inches of water, will be constructed. The elevator will han- (lle about two thousand five hundred yards a day. The Chicago-Spokane Company owns several hundred acres of land on Oro Fino and Rhoades creeks.

Three or four companies are opening extensive placers on Snake creek, nine miles north of Pierce. Most prominent of these companies is the one working the Y. V. Friedman property. A Cleveland syndi- cate is building an elevator plant on Gold and the Empire Company is operating on Breakfast creek, twelve miles east of Pierce City. A Detroit, Michi- gan, syndicate has recently acquired the Musselshell Falls group and will do considerable work there the coming season. Many other smaller concerns and private individuals are engaged in restoring the Pierce City district to its primary standing as a placer camp. Undoubtedly the most potent factor in modern placer mining is the use of improved machinery, especially the hydraulic elevator and steam hydraulics. When the rich ground in the vicinity of Pierce Ciey is worked by this method and on an extensive scale, it is not a prediction too sanguine to say that the annual yield cannot be expressed in six figures.

THE MURRAY GOLD BELT.

A synchronous description of the "gold helt of Shoshone county" would be incomplete did it not

1060

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

state that its actualities and possibilities are widely divergent. Lying within an area of twenty miles square, in the extreme northern portion of the county, this gold district has witnessed a variety of exciting and sensational scenes occurring on a variety of dates. Gold has been found in placers to an almost unlim- ited amount, but in recent years placer has been sup- plemented by quartz mining. In earlier .years the lat- ter method- has been neglected for the more readily procured and, apparently, more abundant and richer placer gold. This has been the history of all im- portant gold regions.

It was during the summer and fall of 1883 that the gold belt proper of Shoshone county first came into prominence. Eagle City, which once swarmed with a population of over two thousand enthusiastic gold- seekers, is now one of the deserted mining camps of the district. Yet it was in the immediate vicinity of Eagle that placer gold was first discovered, on Prich- ard creek, and, by many, A. J. Prichard, for whom the stream was named, is credited with the initial dis- covery of the yellow metal in this locality. By some this is disputed. However, fabulous reports of the richness and extent of this gold-bearing district soon attracted the attention of thousands. Of this excit- ing period F. A. Culbertson in July, 1898, said :

"In the spring of 1884 there was quite a stampede into the Cœur d'Alene distriet, being somewhat simi- lar to the present excitement over Klondyke. Pros- pectors for the Cœur d'Alenes from the West out- fitted at Spokane and proceeded thence by rail to Rathdrum, by stage to Cœur d'Alene City and from this point on by the old Mullan road (built by the government as a military road) to Evolution, about twenty miles above the Mission, and from this point by trail to Eagle City. Prospectors from the East left the main line of the Northern Pacific at Herron and Trout creek and continued thence by trail into the mines. Stories related by old prospectors of the difficulties of getting into the country over these trails remind one of the description and accounts of the Skaguay trail."

Eagle City, in the spring of 1884. had developed into a mining eamp of two thousand sonls. with all the usual accessories, saloons, dance halls, the lair of the "tiger," ete., and one paid $2 for a meal of bacon and beans, and $1 for a place to "flop" with one's blankets. Five miles up Prichard creek the town of Murray, destined to become the county-seat of Sho- shone county, was laid out in 1884, and the same event- ful year Thompson Falls, across the line in Montana, was established, and a trail blazed from there to Murray.

November 18, 1884, application No. I for a pat- ent to mining property was filed at the United States Land Office, Lewiston, Nez Perces county. The ap- plicants were George B. Ives and John Silverthorn. The application was for the Idaho Bar Placer Claim, near Murray. Application No. 2 was for a patent on the Wolf Placer Claim, owned by Hiram E. Wolf, dated March 31, 1885, and application No. 3 for the Silver City Placer, owned by William G. Shedd, Wil-

liam A. Farish, Commodore P. Crawford, Thomas Lyons, Bernard McDonald and Angus Campbell. It was dated April 20, 1885.

The Mother Lode, one of the richest prospects ever developed in the gold belt, is thus described by Mr. Adam Anlbach in 1891 :

The Mother Lode Company started in 1885 with a Spanish arrastra to crush their ore. They have since erected a five- stamp mill, driven by water power, and with these two small affairs crushing the quartz the members of the company are realizing big dividends. The last clean-up, three weeks ago, reached fifty-two pounds of gold bullion, or in the neighbor- hood of $13,000. This result was from a single month's run. The mine known as the Mother Lode was one of the first quartz lodes located in the Coeur d'Alenes during the rush. It became a great point of attraction and created much excitement on account of the mass of gold that was visible in the croppings which were exposed in Prichard Creek at the foot of a steep mountain. One section of these croppings revealed a flat portion of white quartz, literally covered with the yellow metal. For a year the four owners -D. H. Wilsey, William King, Albert Coolidge and Albert Otto-sat and watched the golden slab, going hungry at times, but always courteous to visitors. One handsome offer after another for this mining property was refused. They were afraid to sell, for fear there might be more wealth in the mine than the offer amounted to. At a rough estimate the mine has yielded $200,000 up to the present date, and is scarcely opened up. Several rich pockets have been found, one of which gave up about $20,000. Nuggets weighing as high as twenty and twenty-seven ounces of pure gold were hammered out of the quartz, and are still in existence at the Spokane National Bank, Spokane, Washington.

Aside from the Mother Lode this group contains the Mother's Boy, Treasure Box, Occident, Chicago, Red Cloud, Mountain Queen, Lost Fraction, Old Shape Fraction and Fourth of July. The ore is a ribbon quartz, carrying considerable iron sulphurets, free gold on the surface growing baser as the ledges are followed. averaging $15 a ton, free milling, and much higher if concentrated and treated. The ledge runs from four to twenty-four inches in width. It is a blanket ledge, extending back into the hill, a peculiar and unusual formation. Quite frequently pockets carrying from $500 to $3,000 were opened. The "golden slab" of the Mother Lode was a slab of quartz sixteen feet square, impregnated with gold to the depth of an inch. From the Mother Lode up- wards of $250,000 has been taken and undoubtedly the group has produced half a million dollars. The vein has been followed for about six hundred feet.

Of the group owned by the Daddy Gold Mining Company, located near Mother Lode Hill, the Daddy quartz mine is the most prominent. The company, comprising Coplen Brothers, of Latah, Washington ; Robert Horn and Charles Mead, own six claims in the group -- the Daddy, Mead, Mead Fraction, Woods, Daddy's Boy and McIntee. In October, 1883. the original Daddy claim was located by B. F. Coplen, George Bartlett and Robert Horn. Development work on the Daddy was commenced in 1891, and in June, 1894, the present mill was erected. Owing to the great railway strike of the A. R. U. machinery was not installed until late in the summer, but from August 28, 1894, the mill ran steadily three years. In.

1061

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

1895 the company purchased the Mead and Mead Fraction for $56,000. In 1898 the mill closed down, since which period it has, at various times, been op- erated by lease. It is a forty-horse-power steam plant, Nagle engine, Frazier-Chalmers mill and amalgamating plates, Gilpin concentrators. It is provided with an eighty-light, sixteen-candle-power dynamo, operated by water power, and also a complete canvas plant, the only one in the Cœur d'Alenes. It is utilized for con- veniently and economically handling base ores, and is the predecessor of the Frue Vanners and Wilfley ta- bles. This mine has produced $250,000, the ore aver- aging between $8 and $24 a ton. One pocket yielded $15,000. In the future the ore, which has become base, must be worked by the cyanide process, and ex- periments to that end are now in progress.

The Golden Chest quartz lode, the richest pro- ducer in the Shoshone county gold belt, is situated at the head of Reeder gulch, a small stream that empties into Prichard creek from the north, and a short dis- tance east of Murray. The owners of this mine boast of the pioneer stamp mill of the Cœur d'Alenes. On Wednesday, April 15. 1885, it was set in motion. It is a twenty-stamp mill.

In November, 1900, the Golden Chest Mining Company made a settlement that removed litigation that had for several years been pending, and gave the company possession of the Katie, Dora. Paymaster and some other properties, together with the Idaho mill. As expressed by the Murray Sun, this was "a consolidation that had been hoped for by our people for years. The company is now fitting up two stamp batteries, put in some time ago, with concentrators, and in a short time there will be twenty stamps crush- ing ore at the mouth of Reeder gulch."

The Yosemite Mining Company, comprising John A. Finch, W. W. Hart, E. H. Moffitt and Clarence Cunningham, of Wallace, are the principal owners of the Yosemite. This group of mines consists of the Yose- mite and Denver Fraction claims on Prichard creek east of Murray and in the immediate vicinity of the Mother Lode and Daddy groups. The company erected a stamp mill in 1895, provided with a superior equipment. The ore bodies are identical in general character with those of the Mother Lode Hill.

The most prominent operator on Eagle creek, which forms a confluence with Prichard creek at the old town of Eagle, is George F. Viter. It is under- stood that he controls all available mines on the creek. including Fancy (and Daisy) gulch, about cight miles up the stream. At present the company is doing merely assessment work, but intends to build a hy- draulic elevator at the mouth of Fancy gulch during the present year, using the old Mills ditch, taking water from Eagle creek, below White Rock. Mr. Viter succeeds the Sidney Mills Company ; Barry Hill is local manager of the property.

As practically illustrative and descriptive of the entire gold belt of northern Shoshone county, the fol- lowing may prove of interest to all seeking information concerning this golden region :

Three thousand acres of patented ground on Prich-

ard creek, and along the old wash channel on the hill to the north are owned by the Coeur d'Alene Mining Company. William Q. Brown, an experienced California miner, is manager; Fred M. Brown, his brother, superintendent. At present the company is simply prospecting to test the ground and ascertain the better methods of mining it. The old channel dig- gings can easily be worked by hydraulics, and pros- pecting is now in progress in Nugget, Buckskin and Drain gulches with encouraging results. Entirely dif- ferent is the proposition on the creek. Here the bedrock, except where the rim protrudes, lies from twenty-five to thirty feet below the surface. Probably there is no rockier place in the United States. The ground is one mass of bowlders and gravel ; expensive to handle and slow of process. Moreover, the bed- rock lies on an incline ; the gold in seams, sometimes as deep into the bedrock as two feet. This rock, which is hard, has to be thoroughly broken up before the gold can be extracted. The company had at work, on the old Gelatt claim, below Murray, a small Evans elevator. But several months' experience with this appliance convinced the owners that this method is impracticable, being slow and expensive. The ma- chine is now employed in prospecting work. On the ground is machinery for a link-belt elevator. Should it be found practicable to utilize it the same will be put in operation. Its capacity is two thousand yards a day. On these creek claims no pay ore is found until bedrock is reached, and to clean one foot of bedrock it is necessary to remove one cubic yard of earth. Following the installation of a suitable plant several hundred men will doubtless be employed in sifting gold from the North Fork country. For the opera- tion of this elevator water is secured from the old Coeur d'Alene Company's pipe line from Raven; twenty-two inches in diameter and with a pressure of I[2 pounds to the square inch at the elevator. Water is supplied to this pipe from a flume extending to Twin Lakes, east of the Montana divide, in Non- tana. As they are at a greater altitude than the back- bone of the divide the water can be conveyed from the lakes into Idaho and used on Prichard creek. Day and night several men are employed at the elevator, of whom S. S. Catching is foreman.

The process of dredging for gold is one of recent introduction in Shoshone county, but it is claimed by mining men to be a practical method. Operating on Beaver Creek, a trifle north of midway between Prich- ard Creek and the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene river, are three dredge companies, the Northern, Delta and Mascot. The trio is under one management, l'hiladelphia capital controlling all of them. J. M. Savage, of Delta, president of each company, is the originator of these enterprises. C. S. Crysler is gen- eral manager. Large quantities of placer gold have been taken from several tributaries of Beaver Creek, notably Trail Creek, as well as from the main stream. It is aid to be a conservative estimate that fully $2,- 000.000 has been taken from Trail Creek alone. Be- cause the bedrock lies between twenty-five and thirty- five feet deep on Beaver Creek, it has been, practically,

1062

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

beyond the range of the poor miner. In building their huge machines, acquiring properties and in preliminary work, the companies have expended not less than $200,000. So far, however, but little ground has been worked.

October 1, 1902, work on the first dredge, that of the Northern Company, was completed. It is located on the Prichard group of claims, on Beaver Creek, two miles northwest of Delta. To the Delta Company belongs the second machine, erected in May, 1903. At present it is at work on the Coulson and Hustes group of claims, one mile west of Delta. The third dredge, property of the Mascot Company, was com- pleted in June, 1903. It is on a larger scale than the two earlier dredges, the hull being longer and wider by several feet, the ladder ten feet longer, and capacity four buckets greater. The ground embraced in the townsite of Delta, at the mouth of Trail Creek, will be thoroughly worked by the latter machine. The buildings of this pioneer mining town are being rap- idly removed. Soon nothing but a large, cavernous pit, filled with water and "tailings," will mark the spot where was once a thriving city of more than 1,000 inhabitants.

These three powerful machines are products of the Risdon Iron Works, San Francisco, California, and are made under the Postlethwaite patents. The lumber utilized in their construction is Oregon fir, first grade, and about 60,000 feet were required for each dredge. Their per diem capacity of twenty-four hours is, ap- proximately, 1,800 yards each; theoretical calculation being 2,000 yards. Each is supplied with its own electric lighting plant ; a fifty-horse-power boiler pro- vides power to operate the massive machinery. Or- dinarily two men are required to operate the dredge, a winchman and engineer, the latter doing his own firing. There are not so many large boulders here as there are in Prichard Creek, and the machines are comparatively easy to work. At mouths of the gulches gold lies all through the earth from the sur- face to bedrock. On the remainder of the creek no values of consequence are found above the fifteen foot level. Bedrock is termed "soft," and buckets cut into it to a depth of two feet. As in Prichard Creek there is a pay streak which must be followed to obtain gold. The quality of the gold is medium; the form coarse. It is not considered unlikely that the Mascot dredge inay uncover some large nuggets, as Trail Creek has produced many of umisual size. Only a few months ago a $1,200 nugget was found in this gulch.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 254

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524