New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-03
OUR MINING INDUSTRY.
By PROFESSOR J, g. EEwBERRY.
The MINES OFUTAH.

AZ
proximity to tho San Francisco Mountain range,
but is known only by the slang abbreviation used
by the rreverent miner when speaking Of the Queen
| City of the Pacific Coast. In the vicinity are
number of mines which have already become
| widely Known and these, with others OF good
promise but not yet productive, seem destined to
make this one of the great mining disricts OF Inc
country. The ohly mines that can yet he ssld TO he
worked here, or to be opened to suCh degree as
to demonstrate then value, arc the Horn Silver
the Carbonate ard Rattier, and the Cave Mines.
These will DO briefly described ID order.
TuH BORN SILVER MINI.
The reports already made on this mine have been
so full aud so widely distributed that there are
many persons who are familiar with its most i'm
portant features. There ara more, however, to
whom description of this, the greatest silver mine
now known, will be new, and of those better in
formed perhaps most will be glad to loaIn just how
far the stories told about it worthy OF creence
The mine itself is about mile from the town OF
Frisco, at the base OF the Grampian Mountain, the
southern terminus of the San Francisco range,
which forms the boundary of the west slope of the
Beaver Valley. 1t is opened in true fseure vein.
which has q Tearing nearlY north and south, and
occupies tho plane Of a fault of which the west or
foot-wal consists Of qnartztes and linestOncs form
| ing the Grampian Mountain, the east or hanging
wall of cruptiVe rock. publish tracbYte. The
vein dips from 45o to zoe toward the cast. 1t has
| been opened TO a very limited eXtent-abOut 300
| feet laterally and The same in depth-and
therefore much has yet 10 be learned OF
| its prevailing and general character. 1t may
be traced, however, in the line of bearing
more than mile nOrbh and south of the Horn Sill
yer mine 1t shows, elsewhere than here, little ore
but the line Of contact is easily traced and the foot
wall with its plane and striated surface may often
be seen projecting above the soil. At the Horn Sill
yer mine the fissure is filled with an 0Ody of
very unusual dimensions and richness, but Ofthis
little indication is visible ut the surface. small
quantity Of good was found here some years ago
"a projecting fragment,0f rock consisting great
part of sulphate of baryta, yielding $1,10O to the
ton-but all promising indications were limited to a
few feet in length and breadth.
The original discoveries, or at least the first own
ers of the mile were James Ryan and Samuel
Hawkes.. When in 1876 they h0dsunk q shaft some
thirty feet on the vein, aud found the ore body in
creaslng III dimensions but of rather low grade,
they bonded it for $25, 900 to A. g. Campbell, who
was then working mine in the Star District, eight
miles cast. Mr.. Campbell, who has since come to
| be well-known throughout the West from his
| connection with the Horn Silver mine, was MI
| old and experienced miner who had prOspccted and
mined from Alaska to Mexico and from the Pacific to
the Plains. He had been twenty years in tho West
| and had passed through great variety Of expert
ences, many dramatic and some tragic. He was ono
of the Pixies Peak gold diggers in $50, was one Of
the first explorers Of the country about the head
waters of the Arkansas the Gunnison and the Do
lores. and, when gold-hunting III these districts
noticed the metallferous veins upon which in-
portant mines have since been opened Bnt in those
days. while the country covered with forest and
occupied by Indians. 10 mining operations more
elaborate than the washing of gold from tho allu-
vial soil were practicable and nothing loss portable
than this, the most precious of metals.i could be
carried out of the country. The time had not yet
come for working the vein mines OF the interior OF
the continent and it not from ignorance of their
value but from sheer necessity. that they were so
long left untouched. Until after the country be-
came more accessible, and the Indian title was
| tingushed, neither the population present
| the machinery attainabe which were necessary to
| the successful working OF vein mines 80 that
| although to many Of the older prOspectOrs
it was known that silver and copper and lead
existed in large quantities in the Rocky Mountains
they also knew that they were inaccessible rs
though at the bottom of the sea, and that only
one of the metals now produced 50 largely, placer
gold, was really within their reach.
4 NIGHT ADVENTURE THAT LED TO WEALTH.
Later Mr.. Campbell was actively engaged in min
ing in Idaho and Montana; first working the
guiches, afterward, when it became possible, the
veins. From Of these he realized large sums
of money, selling his tcrest in one If them for
$50 coo but after the manner OF proSpectOTs, he
spent this money in ventures, and. when they
failed and left him penniless cheCriu,y came down
to first principles, and earned his subsistence by
driving team. Such energy as his, however, could
not long be kept in single harness, for he had
mule train of his OVID and made comfortable lit
tie fortune as a freightcr. Mining waB his natu-
raj gait" however, and to discover. work and sell
mines was the vocation in which he was happcst
and most successful. In course Of time Mr.. Camp
bell strayed to Southern Utah, where. in con-
necton with his friend, Dir. A. Byram, Of
Chicago. ho worked q number Of mines
with successes, but more failures,
until Mr.. BgraIn, a loser by about $4,000 retired
from the mining business in disgust. Mr Campbell
was however bound to fulfil his mission and look
ing out for new ventures, his attention called
to the Horn Silver mine, then in its noipent stage
While he held the bond on this property lie wished
10 make further Investigations in the mine for
the purpose of determining its value, but this was
rigidy refused, as the owners apparently believed
that it was then showing it's best With character
istc perseverance,. however. no determined TO mako
the desired examinations. with or without permits
sion. 80 one quict evening he mounted Ing horse,
carrying pick, shovel and candles, and struck
the country to tho Horn Silver claim. Here, tying
his horse, no descended INTO Che mine, lighted his
candle. and commenced his explorations. These
were carried far enough before morning to satisfy
him that the limit of tho ore body had not been
reached. and that it promised continuity and ex-
pansiOn. Satisfied that ii was worth more than the
price asked for it, be wrote TO MIR. Byram to join
him In the purchase His first answer was decided
REFUSAL" he had had enough Of mining"
Another letter showed q slight waVerng
he would take O small interest In tho mine.
The next day he thought still better Of IT, and
offered to take larger share These later letters
were however. delayed. and. influenced by tho frat
Mr.. Campbell sought capital from other sources. It
was promised by gentleman Of San Francisco, but