Showing posts with label Mining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mining. Show all posts
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Blast from the Past - Empire Mine Miners Early 1900's
Empire Mine Miners Early 1900's above Mackay, Idaho.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Blast from the Past - Mackay Miner Mid Summer Edition 1908 Page 5 of 9
span across begin 1800 feet. Behind is a natural reservoir,
in which water can be backed for seven miles by a dam 110 feet in height. One
hundred and fifty cars of cement and 500 tons of steel interlocking piling have
been ordered and as soon as they arrive, 150 men will be put to work building
the dam. In three years the dam, together with its twenty-five miles of canals
and 35 miles of laterals, will be finished, at a total cost of over $1,000,000.
It is believed that within another year enough of the
construction work will have been completed to furnish water for about one half
of the tract to be reclaimed and an influx of settlers is expected at that
time. Scores of inquiries are being received from different parts of the
country in regard to the opportunities offered and the indications are that
many who have written intend to locate here when the new section is thrown
open.
This is the future of the Lost river; and established,
well-governed and prosperous community capable of supporting many thousand
people. The course is clearly defined and all that is needed can be summed up
in one word – money and men. Men to till the soil, to irrigate and grow crops,
to be citizens in this new and prominent inland empire.
BIG COPPER MINES AT MACKAY
Situated five miles to the south of Mackay are the mine of
the Empire Copper company. This concern own thirty-six claims a large smelting
plant and a mountain railroad connecting the mines and the smelter.
The group of claims was located many years ago and for some
time struggled along ust as many of the promising prospects of the district are
now doing. Finally capital was induced to take hold by the exceptional surface
showing, and the property after changing hands some three or four times with an
expenditure of several millions of dollars in development work has grown into a
producing and highly satisfactory money-making property. Owing to the low price
for copper in the world’s market at the present time tis operation has been
temporarily suspended, but with a renewal of the industries which consume
copper a better market will be created and the price of the red metal will
again get back to normal condition, in fact, is already getting back, and is
operation is one of the big events to be looked forward to soon.
The mine has undergone enough development work to prove it
one of the whales in the copper mining industry of the United States. The
property has a network of tunnels, shafts, raises, stopes, etc., all showing
great quantities of a very high grade of copper-gold-silver ore. Millions of
tons have already been extracted from this mine and millions await the return
of normal conditions in the mining world.
The ore is transported over the road by Shay geared
locomotives and treated at the smelter, which is located just south of town.
The plant and the mine furnished employment to three hundred men and is the
means of distributing in the neighborhood of thirty thousand dollars a month
among the people of Mackay and Central Idaho. While the operation of this
immense mine and smelter assists greatly in sustaining the business o the town
and country it is by no means the only avenue of commerce, as the reader
perusing these pages has doubtlessly discovered, yet its operation is always a
joyous and much desired proposition, and when the operations are again resumed,
Mackay, with its mines going full blast, with more mines being developed, with
its farm land producing as never before, with big irrigation projects in course
of construction, with the mining life of the Salmon river country renewed,
contributing to Mackay a large volume of business, with the freighting industry
at its height, with all those things, Mackay will be the hummer of the west.
A GOLD PROPERTY OF PROMISE
Mackay’s most promising gold property, the Silver King Gold
and Copper Mining company’s group of nine claims situated about four miles west
of Mackay in what is known as Taylor canyon, is rapidly approaching the plane
of a dividend payer. This property was discovered early in the summer of 1907
by Otto Hudson, an experienced Utah and Nevada prospector, who organized the
present company and became its first president. The surface croppings showed
free gold in quantities, and development work was prosecuted by sinking a shaft
on the “find” to a depth of 40 feet, at which point a large ore shoot was
uncovered. Assays from the grass roots to the bottom of the shaft ran all the
way from one-half ounce to eight ounces in gold, copper from twelve to thirty
per cent and silver from ten to fifty ounces per ton. Work at this point was
discontinued in the shaft and a drift started about 150 feet down the hill with
a view to tapping the ledge at a lower depth. At the present writing the drift
is in 300 feet and the ore body is being tapped. All stock has been sold and
the shareholders to a man are holding tightly to their “Silver King.” A fortune
is in sight for them all.
The present officers and directors are: Dr. Francis H.
Poole, President; Dr. Samuel K. Paxton, Vice President; Editor Leslie E.
Dillingham, Secretary; H.W. Vanderwood, Treasurer, and Justice M.D. Kilgore and
J.D. Daniels, directors.
There are many other as good properties in the neighborhood
that need only the prospector’s pick and perseverance to let the light of day
in upon and bring fortunes to those who can read the sign of the times and east
their fortunes in the “Lucky Mackay” country.
THE LUCK GULCH GROUP
Another mining property that is responding nicely to
development work and is in the list of properties that have every evidence of
making good in the very near future, is the Lucky Gulch group, owned by Messrs.
Gilber and Carr, and situated six miles from the city. Mining is a slow process
when properties are in the prospect stage. The discoverers generally struggle
along with their claims, doing what work they can from year to year and this
has been the history of this group up to a few months ago, when it had been
sufficiently opened up to attract the attention of miners who obtained a lease,
and began the work of taking out ore. The property is no longer in the prospect
class, the work having proven beyond doubt that another big cooper mine is
being opened. Capping the ore bodies is a great deposit of iron ore and shafts
and tunnels now on the group prove that immense deposits lie underneath. The
ore was just recently broken into and something like 30 tons are already on the
dumps, ore of a quality that will pay a handsome profit. The Lucky Gulch group
means another big mine for Mackay, the Copper City of Idaho.
THE HORSESHOE COMPANY
Another group of claims near
**************************************************************
State Bank of Mackay, 1908.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Blast from the Past - Mackay Miner Mid Summer Edition 1908 Page 6 of 9
ing industry and the packing of ore and matte from the
interior to Mackay, at the terminus of the Salmon river railroad in itself
brings a living to an army of men.
The Sunbeam mine is on the Jordan creek between Custer and
Loon creek. At this mine there is a 100-ton mill and every day a brick of solid
bullion is shipped from the refinery to the nearest mint. It is estimated that
the company which owns this property realizes a profit of $1000 a day. There is
a practically inexhaustible ledge from which the quartz ore is taken and the
mine and mill promise to be in operation for an indefinite period.
The Lost Packer is situated in the same district, at Ivers,
on Loon creek, and is another of the great paying mines of Central Idaho. The
mine and smelter are over a hundred miles from the railroad terminus and five
hundred horses are used in transporting the gold, silver and copper matte.
Great lines of freighters are always on the road and in the course of a month
100,000 pounds of the matte, valued at fifty cents a pound, are produced.
Lost Packer Smelter Loon Creek on Salmon River - Burned 1931 in a Forest Fire from Dorothy Ewing Phillips Collection
THE PARKER MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Back in the mountain above Challis is locate the Parker
Mountain mining district, which is of recent discovery. About four years ago
gold was discovered there and since that time work has been carried on with the
result that one producing mine is a thing of reality and more are fast shaping
themselves in this direction. A mill is being packed into the camp on mule
backs at this time, no roads having yet been built, and another month will
witness the plant in operation, thus saving the heavy transportation charges on
the ore, which has heretofore been shipped to mills at distant points for
treatment.
LITTLE LOST RIVER MINES
A district that is fast coming to the font is the Little
Lost River Mining district. While no really big mines have been developed in
this section, yet there are many small properties shipping ore at the present
time and the work being done all over the district is bringing really startling
results. The Great Western Lease, in which several Mackay people are
interested, the Copper Uranium, the Daisy Black, the Bunting, and several
lesser mines are shipping ore and some sensationally high values exist in the
products. We doubt if there is a district in existence with as little
development work accomplished that can show a record of production as can this
district. New properties are being located every week and the work of making
this section not only a good cattle and agricultural section, but a mining
district as well, goes merrily on.
MINING GENERALLY
It would be impossible in such a small edition treating on
the varied resources of Central Idaho, to five the reader a very clear idea of
any one in particular. When it is said that nearly every shaft or other common
means of development work has been accomplished in the mineral belt beginning
at Arco and continuing to Loon creek, even beyond, a distance of three hundred
miles, show the presence of minerals, with many really big, paying properties
scattered through the district, some idea of the future of the country in a
mining way can be gathered. But in this particular, as in other features of our
commercial life and business importance, the interested party can only inform
himself well by personal investigation as any description of such a country is
beggarly.
QUESTIONS ABOUT CENTRAL IDAHO ANSWERED
In order that a few of the questions usually asked by the
stranger may be answered tersely and satisfactorily, the following series of questions
and answers have been compiled. Investigation will prove to the inquirer that
these questions have been answered in a satisfactory manner?
Mackay is located in the southern central portion of Idaho,
on Lost river. The town is the terminus of the Salmon river branch of the
Oregon Short Line Railroad company.
What is the population of Mackay?
There is at present about 1,000 inhabitants in the town, but
the population of the town does not determine the business transacted by any
means, for there is a scope of farming, stock raising and agricultural country
tributary to it covering an area of 250 miles in length by 50 miles in width,
giving it a large field to draw from, it being in the center. The working
population of the country tributary to Mackay is carefully estimated at 2,000
people.
How is the climate?
The Central Idaho cou ntry, particularly the Lost river
valley, is a mild, invigorating climate. The altitude is 5888 feet at Mackay.
The seasons are nicely divided. The winters are about five months long and
severe cold is seldom experienced, although at time the thermometer registers
25 below; however, this is not keenly felt, as the altitude and the dry
atmosphere have a bracing effect in this respect. Springs begins in April and
dwells some longer than in the middle states, with an occasional squall or two,
and summer settles down about the first of July. The fall months are beautiful
in the extreme, running well into the winter months.
What is the chief industry?
This question is indeed hard to answer, there being so many
industries and we refer such questioners to a careful perusal of the first page
of this paper.
How is it as a stock country?
In the Lemhi Forest reserve, which is tributary to Mackay,
and which does not cover the whole section, we find that there are 18,500 head
of cattle feeding from the hills practically free of charge, also 71,800 head
of sheep. Hundreds of cars of stock are shipped from this district annually.
What are the wages paid?
Farm hands receive $35 to $50 per month and board; miners,
$3.50 to $5.00 per day of eight hours; clerks $75 to $100.00 per month.
If this country is so good, why are you so anxious to sell?
One of the reasons is that at the present date we have not
enough people to utilize our resources. The field is so large, the people so
few, that sometimes it becomes impossible to handle economically what a greater
number of people would handle at a great profit. To such an inquirer we will
say, come and see for yourself, and the question will be answered to your
entire satisfaction.
What is the price of farm land?
It ranges from $15.00 to $50.00 per acre, price depending
upon location, the character of the soil and the amount of improvements.
What do you raise?
Grains; such as oats, spring and fall wheat, the latter a
winner; rye, barley, alfalfa, always two crops, with a good pasture following
the second crop; timothy and clover, which will make the eastern farmer think
he never saw clover before; sugar beets, potatoes, which are claimed by experts
to equal in both quantity and quality those raised in Greeley, Colorado, the
famous potato belt; garden vegetables, small fruit, etc.
What profit will land yield?
As compared with the eastern farm, work required to
cultivate, and all other condition taken into consideration, the profits on
Lost river land will more than treble those in the east. And then, there is the
absolute certainty of a crop each and every year by irrigation.
How are the social condition?
The city is well governed and the streets of the town and
the country generally is orderly.
How about educational facilities?
This is fully answered in another part of the edition.
Other questions will be cheerfully and truthfully answered
by the Lost River Development company, or any banker, lawyer, merchant, farmer
or newspaper in the district.
Charles F. Baker's Drug Store 1908
Exterior W.G. Jenkins and Company, Bank 1908
Interior W.G. Jenkins and Company, Bank 1908
Brennan Brother's Hardware Store 1908
Mackay Lumber Company 1908
The Mackay Saloon 1908
Main Street On Our Nation's Birthday 1908
F.A. Stacy's Store 1908
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
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