Big Discovery in Lemhi County

Idaho Statesman, September 28, 1908

Big Discovery in Lemhi County

Samples of Ore of Bonanaza
Assays Value of $2,672 to the Ton

Interesting Story of New Find Which Unknown to Them, Prospectors Have Walked Over for Years - Big Thing for Young Men

Bert Simer and J. N. [Jasper] Elder were in Salmon yesterday after ore sacks with which to make a shipment of quartz from their newly discovered bonanza on Bohannon creek, says the Lemhi Herald. This is properly called a bonanza, because of the sensational values in gold which they have found. They have opened up a vein about fourteen inches wide, and in doing the locating work have taken out more than a ton of ore that sparkles with the living gold. A sample of the vein gave assay value in the enormous figure of $2,672 to the ton.

The history of this mine reads like a novel. Twenty years ago A. F. [Abraham] Elder, then working in the Eldorado mine, found a chunk of rich float on the north fork of Bohannon creek, about two miles above the Bohannon ranch. He looked for the vein but did not find it. The ground has been walked over and passed up ever since, and many times it has been located, but the claimants have done nothing. The last location bears the date of 1904, until this time.

Mr. Elder, upon telling Mr. Simer about it, went with the latter and showed him where the float was found. The young man went to work, and in about five hours he had the ledge, with ore in place, just as dazzling to the eye as the original piece of float. This was on the second day of September. The Herald has known from that day that they have taken up some rich ground, but the situation of it was kept till now more or less of a secret.

The parties above named have taken up five claims, and Fred Simer and Ethan Elder have taken three other claims. Notices have been posted, and they are now engaged in doing the prospect work, and sorting and sacking ore. They expect to finish their work and at the same time ship about $3,000 worth of ore this fall.

The veins, four and five in number, are located on the north fork of the Bohannon creek, on a ridge, on the north side of the creek, and the discovery is about 500 feet from the creek. With their claims, they have also taken up a placer claim, and a millsite, and now they feel secure against any outside intrusion. On the face of the showing, they have one of the biggest things yet discovered in these parts.

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