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Show MIES OF IDAHO 1J0SPE1G State Mine Inspector Bell Tells Briefly of Conditions , in His State. METAL MARKET HELPS Enormous Coal and Phosphate Deposits of Idaho Hampered Ham-pered by Government. Robert N. Bell, state Inspector for Idaho, Ida-ho, was a Salt Lake visitor yesterday and will return north today. In an Interview In-terview with a Tribune representative as to business conditions In our neighboring neigh-boring state, Mr. Bell said: "Business with the producing mines of Idaho never was better than at. pres-ent pres-ent and with a maintenance of the present pres-ent healthy metal markets our state will make another record year of production pro-duction at the close of 1912. "Our chief product continues to be lad-Hlver ore and In one of our oldest and deepest deposit?, the Bunker Hill and Sullivan, we can boast of having the premier lead-silver mine of all mining history, with a level 3600 feet below the surface showing several thousand linear feet of rich concentrating ore, courses that vary from a few feet to 100 feet In thickness, and that give geological evidence evi-dence of continuing on down Indefinitely. New ore bodies of indefinite capacitv are being developed, both In the Coeur d Alenes and In other districtR of the state, especially In limestone districts of Gilmore. Leadorc, Birch Creek and Little Lit-tle Lost River, and our lead-silver Industry In-dustry never gave a greater promise of permanence and expansion than at present. pres-ent. Metal Market Helps. The high market for zinc Is affording a. handsome margin of profit for our zinc producers which will make an output this year that will yield approximately 20,-000,000 20,-000,000 pounds of spelter. The metal market mar-ket is also helping our principal copper producers, especially the Snowstorm and the White Knob mines, which are both m.-iklng large shipments of relatively high-grade high-grade ores. The White Knob mine at Muckay is making an especially fine showing with new ore shoots at a dozen different points of Its extensive area, and the management of this property is undertaking un-dertaking a plan of much deeper development develop-ment that, when fully carried out, Is likely to disclose a real classy copper producer. "We have a new gold mining revival In tho central part of the state on a tributary tribu-tary of the Middle Fork of Salmon river that Is likely to prove one of the biggest things In gold mining history, and It is attracting the attention of big capital at the present time It consists of a series of great quartz lodes 100 to 300 feet In thickness, on which recent development de-velopment Indicates average values of $3 to $5 per ton In gold and resources running Into numerous millions f tons of ore, which gives exceptionally high extraction results to cyanide treatment on numerous tests, and I look for big business to develop In this new district dis-trict In tho near future. Undeveloped Resources. ' Idaho imports practically every pound of coal fuel It uses, which.lt pays for at exorbitant retail rates, ranging from $0 to $9 per ton; and with an Ideal resource of the finest quality of coal equal to any now brought into the state, in veins five to ten feet thick. In one of our southeastern south-eastern counties, that should form the basis of a prosperous domestic- coal mining min-ing industry arid supply the greale part of the state's requirements. but whoso development is hampered and dls- oouraged by adverse federal action In the matter of title acquisition. Idaho's resources re-sources of phosphate rock are proving phenomenal, on federal Investigation, running run-ning Into the billions of tons of the finest quality, that Is going to form the basis of a very extensive mining Industry It the government ever loosens up on it's present adverse policy and the railways come to the miners' assistance and encouragement en-couragement with reasonable rates "These varied mineral resources of Idaho combine to afford splendid opportunities oppor-tunities for Investment that arc worthy of the consideration of the most conservative con-servative mining capital and give definite defi-nite promise of a rapidly expanding mineral min-eral Industry that will ultimately provide pro-vide a splendid local market for our agricultural agri-cultural interests. State Is Prosperous. "Our state Is enjoying a season of bountiful crops and the traffic resources of the Snake River basin alone are likely to swamp the haulage capacity of the Short Lino this fall and winter. The Short Line company is doing our state 8 splendid service In new branch const ruction ruc-tion at several Important points in the Snake River basin, all of which will afford af-ford an Inynedlatc tribute of new traffic which Is especially true of Its new extension ex-tension up the North Fork of the Payette river, which will tap a cruised resource of 10.000.000;000 feet of the flne?t yellow pine timber in the state: but. the most imperltlve need of present transportation system seems to me to be a double track' over 11k main divisions to Facilitate the handling of the traffic already In sight. "I am delighted to find such an active mining market In Salt Lake and such evidence evi-dence of mining prosperity. 1 am quite familiar with physical conditions In your principal districts and their continued production and numerous evidences of deep-seated permanency. e-.peially in the limestone formations, a ('ford vplendld encouragement en-couragement for further exploration. Good News From Pioche, "The receui en co u r agl n g news from the Ploche district. In which so much Suit Lake capital Is Interested, Is especially espe-cially gratifying to mo. as 1 spent b eral weelcs in that famous old camp foui ears ago and was very much impressed with the possibilities of the west side mines on the Prince line of disturbance, which seemed to warrant deep development to the older underlying formations In which the rich bonanza ores of the east side mines were found. "Similar bonanza vninex mav reason -ahiv he anticipated when the problem has been fully threshed out 1 1 1 1 deeper work It seems s pity that the extensive resources re-sources of relatively high-grade zinc ore the old mines of Ploche contain cannot he taking advantage of the present M?h market for that metal. "The Jinx that has hampered tUo Pi-oRi-ess of that old district has died bard, but seems to be getting pretty feeble under present progress, and I look for Ploche to come Into its own early promise shortly and to ultimate! 3 prove a very Important resource of profit able mineral traffic." Metal Market. The metHi Quotations for Baturd&yi posted hv ftfcCornlek ft Co , were as follows Silver, C?ic; lead. $4.50; copper, $17.40. |