The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-31
TIE COMSTOCK OF UTAH.
West Mountain District; It's Past,
Present and Future.
BY MARK W. MUEGRovE.


Der. 1868. having been discovered q
few weeks prior by q man named
Oglesby, who was employed in chop
ping wood near the head of the
can 10, and found a piece of fat
rock, which was carried 20 Gen. 2. E.
Common. at that time in command o
Camp Douglass, by WIN. Hickmsr,
also weli-knOwn In the history Of
Utah Gen Conner sent it to Austin,
Nevada, 20 be asssyed, and the re-
turns showed that it carried eleven
ounces in silver AMI 40 per cent. lead
per ton. The latter gentleman and
several officers and their families
went over on picnic excursion and
organized the district on the day
mentioned. The first claim recorded,
also the first in the territory. va.
thet star property, the Jordan Mine,
since become so well-knoWn as q
bullion-produoer, having yielded nc
less than
TWO AND oNE-HALF MILLION DOLLARS
La ore and bullion, and to-day has
Immense bodies of ore uncovered,
TariouslY estimated ct from $15, 600
600 to $50 000. 900. The main lode
Of the district has been, by actual
development, proven to be not less
taan four miles in length from
She Wasatch, on the northeast. TO the
Saturn and Omaha. en- the south
west, and ia width not less than forty
feet, bat in places as wide as $50
feet. Several thousand claims have
been recorded, bat many OF them
being reloeations it is impossible TO
arrive at anything like 9 certainty as
to the actual number; a great many
of which have returned fortunes to
their fortunate owners, aHd il is not
an unusual sight to meet millionaiTes
ia Salt Lake City Who became veal
Thy from the b lfion-producing
mines Of West Mountain Mining
District. Perhaps. thirtv-fve or
forty gentlemen are in the city at the
present time who made their money
ia this district, besides many who
have gone elsewhere to enjoy the
money so accumulated.
TIE ORE PRODUCTION FOB EIGHT
YEARS.
During The past eight years che ore
shipWents over the Bingham Canon
Railroad have averaged not less than
1S5 tons per day, and alarge amount
was also shipped By teams. From
Che other side OF the mountain It is
estimated that from ninety to 125
Sons per day have been shipped to the
smelters ct Sandy during the same
time by teams. OF course thousands
upon thousands Of tons were shipped
Rom both si les prior TO the building
OF the railroad. Notwithstanding the
fact that there are FIVE smelters at
Sandy, all in active operation for
years, with 9 capacity to handle 800
tons of ore per day, it is safe to say
that three-iOuEths OF the ore reduced |
has been produced in this district. |
" hen it ia remembered that for @
long time the Old Telegraph Mine
alone yielded ever 100 tons of ore per
day, the Yosemite from 300 to 800
tons per month, %, 600 tons netting
$3.50. 600; the Lucky Boy and OceoIa
Q very large amount OF remarkably
high grade ore; Jordan, with q capa- |
sity Of 200 tons per day; Live Yankee,
Stewards Nos. ! and 2, Last CHANGE,
Utah, WinnRmuck, Revere, Coz
nercisl. 6turgis. Story, Portland, OLD
Hickory, yarmouth, Maple Tree,
Colorado. Bullion, Galena, American
Flag, Victor and host of others, all |
adding their quota to the great ore
produeti0n of the district, there seems
no doubt whatever that the total yield
Of the district from lbs organization up
70 the present time must be
EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND TONS,
being estimated at the very
low average of $50 per ton, makes
The enormous sum of $24, 000, 600 |
The fact should also be borne in
mind that two.thiEds Of this ore was
shipped while the mines were in their |
infancy, the developments at that
lime not worth mentioning when |
IAken separately; and with the pres
ant result OF active operations in the
way OF opening up and developing
properties for several years, it is much |
sasier 10 ship 100000 tons than |
300, 900 st the time is was
shipped. For to-day there
must be fifty properties With
'annels. chats and wiDzes all
.hrougn them, exposing great bodies
If fine ore, and the dumps filled with
upon thousands OF tons O;
sir grade ore. Mines which q few
Tesrs ego would only be termed pros
Dscts, to-day show millions of dollars
exposed, and demand ct the hands of
heir owners, powerful reduction
FORKS, when their contents-gold.
liver and lead-will be yielded up
Hsthout siiBt.
GOLD AND sILyER-LEAD BELTs.
Among the mines of he DISTRICT
7hich carry a high percentage IN
old may be noted the Maple Tree.
ordon, Bed Rover, Commereial
Eewarts Nos. l aad 2. Storey, Over {
snd. Highland Boy, Railroad. Steam (
cat BuIldozer Oqulrrh group. cor {
istiog Of National, Greepbsck | {
'hamoioD, Iron Clio, FLYER Z
'acfoi9z gAo17i-,o CN-,rI So. ! :