Show the wonders of owl creek N e n 3 idaho wm swan the mining man has just returned from a two weeks trip of inspection of the great gold discoveries on owl creek and he is filled with amazement at the sights he witnessed he says the dykes or zones of ore in the owl creek belt are the most extensive he has ever beheld and that he regards it as no exaggeration to say that douglas island is not in it with the northwest district of lemhi leahi county it is certainly the biggest thing in the united states said mr swan in talking with the herald 1 I have enthusiastic faith and confidence in the radiant destiny of the newfound field of gold it will make a famous mining camp he went all over the ground in company with W D cross the doughty and venturesome discoverer the locality is now new to human eyes as mr cross is said to be the first white man who ever broke brok e through the heretofore impassable canyon of owl creek though this point is disputed by some the facts of his marvelous discovery are irrefutable the ledge or rather zone as mr swain describes it is an enormous belt of flourine quartz at least 1000 feet between walls it has a northeast strike and a northwest dip 1 I walked across it and over it said he and examined it carefully it is ds everywhere ore and by panning proves the fact in a most handsome manner at one place a portion of the vein has broken over and exposed a block of the clear thing fully feet long feet wide and over twenty feet thick A safe estimate of this chunk of ore would give tons in the one piece I 1 sampled it by breaking off parts of it at various places and it all panned I 1 assayed it and got 5 to the ton by this estimate the ponderous slab must itself contain in gold the ground aroun d is everywhere covered with similar ore he brought this office a sample of the ore which is a lively looking iron stained quartz vear near the surface it will work well weli in in a stamp mill but it runs quickly into sulphide and being in a light gangue will concentrate cen and cyanide to perfection the walls are granite such as some prospectors call a contact beti between veen a syenite hanging and a granite foot fiot there is plenty of ground yet to be taken up and there is room on owl creek for a number of large big donled companies too much cannot be said in praise of mr cross thohas who has invaded natures sanctuary and opened this modern pactolus to view he built over five miles of trail to make ingress and has for his company spent several thousand dollars in improvements and developments an expert will bo be in salmon this week en route to the mines to examine and report to io eastern members of the company prospectors have rushed in to the scene of excitement and are S till still ta tacking C k I 1 ng up notices and setting stakes As the season season is so far advanced this work will soon abate until spring when a tumultuous rush to crosstown Cross town is expected owl creek is about sixty miles northwest of salmon city its nearest and most accessible supply point supplies for that district are boated down the salmon river to the mouth of owl creek whence they are packed by horses the few miles to the mines the camp contains numerous other I 1 dykes or zones of similar ore I 1 one of which mr swan describes as being exposed for 50 feet in width and feet in its length an average assay of which at the surface gives 2 a ton on this creek there are also rich placers and much of this ground has been located millions of feet of the finest yellow pin pine 1 e timber stands on that ground and the available water power when developed will give more than a thousand horse |