The Daily Tribune

Bell Visits Teton Basin.

State Inspector of mines, Robert Bell of Boise, returned to St Anthony on Friday's stage from a brief trip to Teton Basin where he has been making a preliminary investigation of the mineral resources of that section.

In an interview Mr. Bell expressed himself enthusiastically over the coal resources of the Basin, and characterizes one of the coal mines as being the pioneer inception of a big coal mine industry and confidentially predicts that what have been considered two of the banner agricultural and pastoral counties of the state-Fremont and Bingham-will within a decade, be employing more men under ground than any pair of counties in the state.

Mr. Bell considers it one of the important duties of his office to promote the development of new mineral bearing sections of the state and assist the prospector in bringing them to the attention of capital. He says that the coal bearing formations of Fremont and Bingham counties are of cretaceous age; that they are very extensive; that they abound in igneous rocks, and are likely to afford geological combinations that may produce a very superior grade of fuel, not excepting anthracite coal of the finest quality.

"I can also readily believe," says the visitor, "that the numerous reports of oil evidences in this field are authentic, and that hydrocarbon oils will be found in paying quantities at a number of points and as soon as the snow goes off I intend to devote considerable time to this field and endeavor to delineate the extent and location of its most promising carboniferous horizon for the public benefit.

"One mine which I visited," says Mr. Bell, "is opened by a 400 foot tunnel driven on the vein all the way at an average depth of about 150 feet, that the vein is 9 feet wide: and all clean fuel with the exception of one narrow parting of clay 2 to 6 inches wide traversing the center of the vein, and analysis of the coal he has recently had made show as high a per cent of fixed carbon and as low a per cent of ash and moisture as the best product of Utah and Wyoming mines.

Mr. Bell also visited the Red Mud Hole gold district above Victor on his trip, but found that the snow was still so deep there that he was unable to form any definite opinion of its merits at this time, he however, secured a sample from the Red Mud Hole, which he will have tested, and recites seeing plenty of samples of good looking copper silver ore at Victor, and one specimen of gold ore well sprinkled with fine colors of native gold. Trail creek, upon which the Mud Hole district is located, affords ideal natural conditions in the way of water power timber and tunnel facilities, for the establishment of a gold mining district, if the values prove to be there.

"The roads,' he says, 'are in rather bad condition just at present, but the camp enjoys an excellent stage and mail service (six times a week) with good accommodations on the way and the 60 mile trip from St. Anthony is a picnic, even at this time of year, compared to some new districts I have visited."

Mr. Bell left for Boise on Friday evening's train. He expects to pay us another visit about the middle of May.-The Teton Peak.

The above article refers to the basin in which W. E. McDonald is interested. His company has large tracts of oil and coal lands and will soon be boring for oil there. The Tribune is always pleased to chronicle any item of news which in any way benefits a Florence citizen.