The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-09-12
LETTER FROM COLORADO.
Description of Some of the |
Leading Silver Mines.
ALTA CITY,
Little Cottonwood Canyon,
TuIu 90 1870

luminous, fear it would try your pa
tience. 1 will forbear writing of tn
mountains, but will say that as to th
geological formation of mountains, thi
is disputed point with scientific men
and it is needless for an unlettered com
moner like me, to venture an opinion
with regard to it, yet 1 will say thi
much, that at the period of the chang
there must have been very warm tim,
here.
Now, as for the mines, there is NJ
doubt with regard to their wealth. The
mountains of this as well as all Other
canyons of this Territory, appear to bt
one mass of ore, mostly silver. Yet the
mining interest of this country is as yet
in its infancy, although there are now
some very good mines in successful op-
GRAFTON. Among these is the Montezu-
ma, which is situated near the top of the
mountain. This mine has a very fine
"lead" or vein of ore, which is now be-
ing put in fine condition. Tho Savage
mine is very near the Montezuma, and
is opening very rich, and 1t is supposed
that when properly developed it will be
a first-class mine.
Next comes the Davenport mine, situ-
ated on the same range and at about the
same altitude, and it is supposed by ex-
perts that it will be one of the best
mines in the canyon. They are not now
taking out much ore, but are making
extensive preparations for running the
mine on large scale soon. The Mon
tezuma, Savage and Davenport mines
are situated northeast of the city of Alta
There are some splendid prospects in
the same direction, and on the same
range of mountains.
The Bruner mine is now just being
again worked, after lying idle for some
months. This they call a very good
mine, and it was the first paying mine
in the canyon, but like all pioneers in
all cases, it has had its ups and downs.
The blood of one man new rests on this
mine, shot through the heart while try
ing to jump the claim, when it was a
mere prospect" The person who did
the deed is yet running a free man,
ready, if properly paid, to take the life
of others.
AS you traverse the mountain in
westerly direction, you strike the Gale
donia mine, which is as yet only
"prospect, with a bright prospect be:
fore it. The South Star is another very
prosperous mine, owned by large COM
pany of California capitalists, and is a
well defined mine. At this time they
are taking out about twenty tons of ore
per day, and they are now erecting an
elevated railway, running from the
mines to the city of Alta, and on the
completion of this and a suitable ore
house, they expect to drive the business
more extensively.
This company have entered into
consolidation .with the Titus and four
or five others situated near them, and
this will be one of the largest companies
in the Territory. 1t is said that the con-
solidation was entered into for the pur-
pose of preventing long and tedious
litigation on their part, and to try their
strength on other mines that have
sandy foundation. 1t appears that let
men be ever so honest individually, so
soon as they join company they become
soulless, as far as honesty is concerned.
The Toledo and Utah Mining Com
pany, Is is said, have some very valu-
able mining property, which they are
developing very fast. Now there are
numerous mines or prospects" situat-
ed on the same mountain, and supposed
to be on the same mineral belt. Then
there are numerous Tunnel companies,
who are running what they call "blind
tunnels" that is, working without even
a showing of ore. These tunnels will,
at some future time, 1 think, lead to
some very tedious litigation, as the ma
jority of them are run in the direction
of the most paying mines, and they ex-
pect to strike some of their dips, spurs
or angles.
and on the same side of the canyon, that
is, the northeast side, there are numer-
GUS small mines or prospects that are
not fully developed as yet, and, there
fore, their value is not known.
The Flagstaff is now preparing to put
on from fifty to one hundred more men
than they now work. This mine is now
complete success, and they have vast
mineral deposits in sight, and hundreds
of tons of ore awaiting the sharp pick of
the venturesome miner. The mine is
the property of an English company,
and is under the control of superinten-
dent, sent out from England by the home
company. He is said to be very liber-
al man, and has adopted the English
system of work in the mines, which is
said to give general satisfaction, and
besides this, he allows no other mines
in the canyon to pay good men more
than the Flagstaff.
Next in the list is the Emma. This
is the main mine of the canyon, the
pioneer, the one that gave this canyon
its notoriety for mineral wealth. Well
do recollect the commotion that was
created throughout the States year or
two ago, when it was said that Gen.
Schenck, our Minister to the Court of
st. James, had degraded the high posi-
ton he was called to fill by suffering
himself to be elected a director of this
same Emma mine. His conduct was
very severely criticized and commented
upon by all the journals of the land,
with few exceptions. 1 did not con-
denim him then, nor have as yet chang
ed my opinion, for cannot see why a
Government official has not the same
right to handle his own private capital
to suit himself, and make such invest
ments as in his judgment will yield him
the greatest income, as a man in private
life.
recollect very we'll how some of the
more knowing journals said thai Gen.
Schenck had lent his name to a swindle.
Now viewed this assertion at the time
as coming from persons that knew not
what they were writing about and were