New-York tribune., 1879-11-17
ALMOST INACCESSIBLE MINES.

REGION AFTER THE HEART OF oLD MINERS WHO
pFsPisF A DEPOSIT WHICH Is TOO EASILY GOT
Ar-rur sNow-sHFDs AND MINES
TrRoM AsrAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRibuNE'j
SAT- LAKE CRY. Utah. Oct. 20.-Litile Cotton
wood Canon is a cemetery of buried hopes ana ioi-
times visited 1t the other day more on account
of a curiosity TO see the mining camp IN Wmch
Little Emma and Flagstaff had been possible 'han
because supposed that IL would ever again attain
promincnce among the mining districts OF the Terri
tories.
Little Cottonwood Canon is in the Wahsatch
Mountains ON the opposite east side of Salt Lake
Valley from Bingham. The narrow-guage railroad
which connects Alta, the little town In the heart oi
the mountains with the valley turns of TO tue left
from point on the Jordan River near the junction
of the Bingham Canon Road. and from the slope that
lies between the river and the foot OF the noun
taus the view of the city. the lake and
of the Oquirrh Range of mountains Is remarkably
grand and beautiful. Ouce in the canon its granite
sides rise like great walls either side while great
boullers and detached masses of rock which nave
fallen from the mountain sides lie in the widest con-
fusion along the sides of the sparkling stream or OBJ
struct iis bed.
The last seven miles of the journey to Alta Is
made on tramway covered throughout the whole
distance by snow-sheds which cnt Oh the views OF
the surrounding scenery. In places where the snow
slides are frequent and heavy the track Is sunk
below the surface and the roof of the sheds which
are very strong is about level with the top of the
ground. In other places the sheds rise from
the mountain side and at a distance look
like an endless covered bridge. The ears ON the
tramway are open and low, each carrying eight pas
sene,rs and q driver three persons being accomno-
dated Oh each If three seats which face the mules.
which Mtcled tandem, form tie motive power.
The grade of the tramway - very steep,
being in some places COO feet TO a mile,
and the cold wind drew through the sheds
ON the morning when we made the ascent,
making heavy ovcIcOats and warm blankets exceed
ingly comfortable. The ride through the snow
sheds 4, railer monOtonous and almost aggryating.
The grandeur of thc sooner, before entering them,
and thc glimpses Of IL which are now and then OBJ
taincd through some of the windows in
their sides as the cars 60 by, inspire a wish 90
see more Il IT, But the tramway was not butt up
into tne mountains especially tor Le use OF pleasure
seeker or tourists but for highway for the ore of
Little Cottonwood to the valley where the smoitcrs
are AMI ihc protection OF the line from snowslides
is absolutely necessary for It's preservation AMI the
safety ol travel over % in the Winter Sometimes.
as IL Us. 900 avalanche comes down ttom the ragged
peaks on one side of the canon or the other and
bruslc. away a section of tie sheds as If they were
made of paper covering the track with many feet
Of SNOW and rock debris. To see and hear one of
lcse slides from distance must be awc-insprlng;
10 bee near IL is dangerous. Lives are lost almost
every year IN Little Cottonwood by these terrible
accidents.
Al,. itself rs rather q doad-looking camp. The
station is on the hillside everything is on The hill
side iD taat mountain town, for there is hardly
level space enough anywhere for building site).
and q stairway following the grade Of The mountain
leads aovn TO the head If the main street. l an
tod tlaf men sometimes 20 up 20 Alta from the
valley with wagons and even cross over the divide
into ou of the ,ihcr canns. hat the mountains are
too "a cp and rocky for good or even safe roads TO
Dc ro. 81 be-. and sadAc-hof-ts ard pack animals
furnish Oh. most worthy means of locOmotl0n
and for ihc transportation of goods. little west
of the present town of Alta thcIcIs small basin-ke
space 100 which the city formerly stood, but SUI
fcrne tLc ia.c ~ all mining camps and hastily
built Western town, 10 burned down year or TWO
ago, and the pew towns, much smaller than its pre-
deccs.o las sprung mp on The steep slope Of the
side ol the canon, below, might almost say under,
the railway station.
Some old rrospectors have no confidence in
mine t..t Is easily accessible. Good mines, they
say. ale on the steep mountains, and must be
reached with great dniculty; and it Is true
that many OF the strongest AID richest
veins Of gold and silver ore that have
ever been discovered are at great ecva-
tion aud ia places that can only be
reached 0y weii-iIaiued mountain ponies and pack
nni.as. !. considerable elevation diff .uity OF
co.s aud steep. rugged mountains insured good
mine. those 40 Alta ought to he rlcn The altitude
Of the town is about 5000 feet. and that Of the
mountain peaks that Use about IL on every side
from 800 TO ? 900 feet greater
The canon is 50 narrow that the SUI hardly climbs
above t4e peaks on the east before II is hidden by
tba 4 3 riIs pf ha
the snow covers the mountain sides. exposing only
here and there the dull gray color Of the granite
limestone. The snowfall will increase every week
from now until after midwinter and 1t VIII not
all disappear until next June or July. In few
gorges having a northern exposure the snow re-
mains all Summer.
A DESCRIPTION or THE EMMA IILI.
Emma Hill is "a steep ridge which lies directly north
OF and above Alta. Ii IS a great limestone noun
tain. rising / should thin X. 1900 feet above
the town, with here and there shaft house
apparently chngng 10 its side, great piles Of gray
limestone waste taken from the mines. and
covered incline having a giade Of about one foot
In two. connecting some Of the mines with the
tramway. There is generally very little about the
improvements OF a nine to impress stranger with
Its Importance.
g When the of district are reduced the
spot. the gold Or silver nill II large one. may be
an imposing building which shelter, ingenious and
extensive machinery. But wnen the is sent
away TO be miled or smelted, the buildings
about great mine are frequently small
and cheaply built, and suggest anything
but large operations. The Little Cottonwood
Mines make very little show upon the
outside and the stranger standngin the street Of
Alta and straining his neck 10 look TO the top of
the hilI has the Flagstaff, the Vallejo. the Little
Emma, the North Star and other mines whose
names have become household words all over this