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Show INTER-MOUNTAI- N 7 MINING REVIEW. - Snake River Placers. ranging in value from cents to $4 to the yard, and careful and conservative estimates put the amount of gold in the BY T. J. SUTTON. river in the neighborhood of $775,000,000, There is a growing interest in the which Is three times as great as has .Snake River placers, as well as in vabeen rious other mining operations in Idaho. Mining wTith rockers and other crude implements commenced on that great stream about thirty years ago and has been carried on at intervals and with widely varying degrees of success from that day to this. In 1866 two men near Salmon Falls realized 77 ounces from one days work with a spoon and pan. Others have made little fortunes during a single seasons run. But these were the favored few, the exceptions to the rule, and the reader must not jump to the conclusion that he can or might do as well. For, notwithstanding an occasional rich strike, the mines on Snake river are very much like other placer mines. Many a day and month of hard work have been wasted, with no return whatever, and many more will be. Besides, many a man has cents a day, and has gone away disgusted with Snake river, and has given its mines a worked for less than 50 bad name. But in spite of all this in spite of the failures and disappointments and heartaches that have attended the de- velopment, in spite of meager rewards obtained in most instances the ever indomitable prospector has continued his researches, and gold has been found to exist in paying quantities, in many places for a distance of five hundred miles along the stream. The gold is found in rifiles and bars and a good many of the bars would pay good wages, but they are so high above the river that the expense of getting water upon them is greater than the profit of working them. Moreover, the gold is so fine and light that it is with great difficulty that it can be saved. Ordinary appliances will not do it. The great volume of water in the river has been a serious obstacle to contend with, and has discouraged many who otherwise would have sought occupations and fortunes along the gold-lade- n stream. Both of these obstacles are gradually being overcome. Irrigation ditches are diminishing the flow of water in the river. New methods of working ground are being resorted to and new machinery for saving the singularly chaffy gold is being devised, and from $1 to a day is being made where a few years ago. the best miner could scarcely make a living. Of course the reader must not conclude that Snake river miners universally or generally make $20 a day, or anything like that amount. The impression I desire to convey is that it is possible. With our present knowledge of fine gold mining and improved appliances we have demonstrated that Snake river can be profitably mined by the investment of sufficient capital. That accomplished, the remaining difficulties, if any remain, will be overcome, and I predict and believe that Snake river is destined to become one of the greatest placer mining fields on the globe. The whole bed of the stream and many of its bars, some of them half a mile or more wide, contain gold $20 3 j fieus of ttye 5amps. UTAH. taken out in the whole State. State Line District On the south side of the river and in Just now the State Line mining disthe foothills opals have been found and in southwestern Utah, is attractsome rare stones procured. Farther up trict,some little attention, and were its ing the river are vast deposits of, aurifer- merits more widely known it would be ous cement, believed at least by some overflowing with prospectors. The district is located in the southwestern corprospectors to be of volcanic origin. ner of Iron county, with its western This cement is estimated to be worth the Nevada-Uta- h State line, from $1 to $3 a ton, the difference in boundary and its name, comprises ten having as miles of value proving that the gold is unevenly square highly mineralized distributed, as it is through every other country as has been found in Utah. As yet the district has been but little substance in which it occurs. My opinand the ledges1 are plainly ion is that the river derived its gold prospected discemable for miles, having a bearing from that source. In many places the of northeast and southwest. channel of the stream is in the cement, Some little romance attaches to the and I am told that the river and all of country. It lies about thirty miles its tributaries in the Teton country for north of the Mountain Meadows," the of the famous massacre, and the two hundred miles have cut their way scene old bullion road from Pioche to Milcement that contains gold; but ford, over which thousands of prosthrough this latter is only hearsay. Enough is pectors and mining men traveled durcounknown, however, to justify the asser- ing the lively old days of that try, passes directly through the camp tion that all of the immense territory and Line City the newly laid out drained by Snake river, as well as its townsite has part of the old road for its main street sands, is auriferous. While much of the ground immediBoise, Ida, Aug. 24, 1896. ately surrounding Line City is located, Hollow Instead of Solid Shafting. yet the locations only cover an area probably two miles in width and A bar of iron in a machine may be of five in length. The first location was subjected to any one of three different the Utah Spur," where silver was diskinds of strain; a lengthwise pull, un- covered a few days prior to Christmas and it has been worked to some equal pressures which would bend it, last, and has a wonderful showing, and a twist. A piece of shafting, on extent but gold was discovered early in the which there are two pulleys, one deriv- spring, and the owners have turned of ing power from an engine and the other their attention to the development been has much Creole, of which imparting it to a heavy machine, is the and from which some very high-grad- e said often made to undergo this third sort ore has been taken. From a of strain. It has long been recognized tour-to-n lot of the Utah Spur ore, to Salt Lake, it is said a net that greater rigidity is secured if the shipped same amount of metal is put in tubular profit of $120 per ton was realized. Some small lots of Creole have been form than in a solid rod. That is why sent up, which netted its owners a a bicycle frame is made of tubing. The good sum. various portions are less likely to bend There are several very promising is if the steel than compact. Similarly properties in the district, and Drake have six locations in a a shaft would stand a torsional, or & Lambert 1800x3000 feet, and through group, being twisting, strain much better if the ma- the entire ground they have thirteen terial composing it were arranged in a distinct veins and stringers showing tube. This being the case, it may marvelous values, and from ten inches On either side of seem strange that hollow shafting has to four feet of ore. east and west are gulches running not already come into extensive use. the seen immense porphyry dykes and the new. not at is all But The principle fissure veins are traced through from certain mechanical difficulties, which one end of the camp to the other. would not affect bicycle construction, The camp is at an elevation of about none of the have been encountered in this other 7800 feet, and probably in the district are above peaks higher idea. For the of instance, application 9200 feet. Indian Peak, twenty-fiv- e to a a pulley is sometimes fastened miles north, is seen from all over the shaft by means of a bit of metal, called district. The town has seventeen a key, wedged in between the two, a buildings, including grocery stores, shoe and blacksmith shops, slight recess or seat being cut in the restaurant, are and all good, substantial frame shaft and the inner surface of the buildings. Groceries are sold at about wheel to receive it. Now, so long as the same price as at all towns south freight transportathe shaft is solid the key can be driven of Milford, where 50 cents per hundred. about is inward rather recklessly. But if the tion the mills fifat sells which Lumber, a shaft were hollow it might spring teen miles from Cedar City and Paro-wa- n at $10 and $12, is worth only $28 little under the pressure, and its shape State Line and DeLamar. The might be distorted. It is coming to to $30 at has plenty of water and wood be recognized, however, that screw camp for milling purposes, and some little inradically clamping bolts, running mitber suitable for mining timbers. Ce-It will a of miles west of hub pulley, is some seventy-fiv- e ward from the dar City the present outfitting point, grip the shaft as firmly as a key. The miles southwest about eighty-fiv- e latter is pronounced needless by ex- and of Milford, the nearest railroad point-be- ing use to the A miles serious objection about twenty-tw- o perts. only removed, is which of hollow shafting is therefore to DeLamar, from the road into is idea coming the at and already mail station left at the new half-way fashion. between Scribners ranch, Desert Springs, Sulphur Springs and Abstracts. as Mining Woolly. known of Titles, The camp needs many things, among E. W. Genter, Abstractor being a twenty or thirty stamp Complete abstracts of all mining prop- them mail service and capital. The locounties. Tooele mill, and Lake in Salt erty cated properties, however, are some 150 Main street. . |