Show interesting LETTER written for the review FROM THUNDER MOUNTAIN I 1 james ajesm M by obrien I 1 as S a rule a great deal has been said L and written about thunder moun tain by those who never saw the country and who iwho rely upon their ability to describe a mountainous region from what they have seen ain in other countries these writers presuming that all gold belts are the same draw their otheir conclusions and dish them out accordingly in reality the public knows but very little about the district or its mineral wealth your correspondent has been in receipt of letters asking for information about this new eldorado in prospective and concluded to make a tho thorough examination of these famous mountains after leaving salt lake about april he made a flying trip to the camp of dewey where the dewey mine is located and had the pleasure of examining the mine both as to its surface and under t ground around workings 11 the foot tunnel and q c numerous numerous hum erous other tunnels and cross cuts pene d a gigantic porphyry dyke very rich in 1 gold the much coveted metal showing i throughout all the mine workings and it would appear at a glance that all under 4 aground 9 round was gold upon a closer inspection however it is found that the high grade arade gold are ore which is plentiful predominates in seams in the ore bearing zone the seams varying in width from one fourth to an inch in width 0 and as a whole for several miles in extent ivsich 1 which r is a fair average of the camp the lel le porphyry will average 20 in free milling is s gold to the ton id j what are known as rainbow and sunny d side side districts on monumental creek show 11 ii decidedly the same formation the ore carry ing gold of equal value and volume from what your correspondent saw in the way of free milling ores in that immediate vicinity it is safe to say that enough ore of this char acter is now in sight to keep a 1000 stamp mill in constant operation fo for an indefinite period afar marble e cree creek w which ic is t the e center of attraction supplies the camp with all the water needed and as it is a large stream there is no danger of a scarcity of water marble creek empties into middle fork thirty five miles from the dewey mine twelve miles further south is the mouth of loon creek thirty five miles further on is jordan creek and from f rom this point the stream runs through sixty miles of the richest gold zone in the world according to careful estimates made kr I 1 all A 6 4 a r A 7 4 k A 2 N J 3 view veto on ma rb ae creek thunder mountain this gold zone is forty miles wide east and west and sixty miles in length north and south thus forming a gold bearing 11 region of several thousand square miles owing to the fact that the snow lies deep and long in the gulches and ravines and on the high and north side of the hills there are streams of varying capacities which gain in volume until the rivers are reached and very few of these streams are without their share of placer gold from various tests made on gravel from these water courses your correspondent panned from one to three cents to the pan and as timber is abundant there is no reason why placer mining should not pay handsomely in the thunder mountain region in the lode claims copper silver and lead have been found in addition to their gold contents the copper going as high as 25 per cent with such a diversity of mineral resources there is good reason to believe thai this district has no superior anywhere in this intermountain region region roosevelt two miles north of the dewey mine is the most prominent town in thedis theolas triet the government has designated this point as one of its post offices the town has one small cabin only five men have been in roosevelt all winter save a few wanderers who have been drawn there at intervals through curiosity caswell and crescent are the names of two other thunder mountain town sites with a population equaling that of roosevelt and a lively race for supremacy is anticipated when the rush takes place next month three forks Fork 4 forty miles distant is the headquarters for the contingent now waiting for the snow to disappear to get to dewey proper at three forks about men are camped they are well supplied with money and pro visions and other things necessary to make life comfortable during the waiting period middle fork which is called the garden of the world or gods country just over the range has about men camped on its banks who are hunting bunting and fishing as a pas time there is plenty of deer here and any amount of tish fish and grouse the encampment has food in abundance and as the bunch grass is high and thick it is no usual sight to see horses feeding side by side fourney the nearest to ce is is fifty typos seven m miles iles from the dewey mine on the stage r road to salmon city it is forty miles from fro m challis and about the same distance from salmon city it is at fourney that the wagons are generally abandoned and the packsaddle pack saddle substituted in going to the gold fields and tributaries tributa ries of thunder mountain the only first class hotel in this entire region is to be found here along the wagon road from fourney to mackay may inay be seen prairie schooners ners well loaded with supplies for a long siege in the hills hille and as a rule the men a are re happy and confident of success the oregon short line terminates at mackay which is miles from thunder mountain proper there is a good stage route to challis which by may will be r running annino to within forty miles of thunder mountain |