Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-09
SPRUCE MINING DISTRICT, NEV.
cooa Mines and a Lively Little
COMPLICATION, Prospects, ETC.

While at Wells the DEMOCRAT epl
alive was induced to visit the Spruce
Mountain mining district, being informed
that lively camp, named Jasper, had
been started up, and that there were
about o hundred people there. On arrival
we were not disappointed, but agreeaoly
surprised to find a small town laid out,
which has the appearance OF enterprise
and rush characteristic OF mining camp
in the West. Jasper is really
TYPICAL, MUSHROOM" TOWN,
Ruilt in a few weeks Many OF the
houses are very primitive in style OF
architecture. They are built by digging
a trench the shape and size OF the house
wanted. as though a stone foundation
were TO be put in. Into this trench pine
or cedar posts are placed straight up, side
nv side. until the space has been enclosed
with the exception of intervals for door
and windows The posts are chlnked ana
daubed, and when roof OF slabs or dlrt
is put over all. the place IL ready Tor oc-
! cupancy. -,
From reports We were led to form the
| idea that there was but little business
being done in Jasper, but a number OF
boarding houses, stores, saloons ana
shops dissipated such an idea ON our
arrival. They are all doing .tiouflshlng
business.
Madeline & Cannon have good stock
of merchandise and liquors, and are DO
ing good trade. g. Quilici has the best
build NO in the town, nearly finished. Ii
is to be used for first-class saloon and
billiard room There is talk OF hlgh
| time in this house as soon as 1T IS nm
| ished, which will be in n few days. There
will be a social party and ball for the
miners in the district, including, OF
course, their wives and sweethearts-
those who have such.
THE LOCATION OF JASPER
Is On high ridge. To the northeast is a
fine view of independent Valley, extend
inc for hundred miles, and the encir-
cling mountains at the back Of the town
protect it from snow and the cold blasts
Of winter There is plenty of good water
piped right into the camp, which, having
been laid out in a cedar grove, has plenty
of fuel on the ground, much OF which
nau 10 De CledIcu uciOIc DuiiuLiS IOui'
be commenced.
The camp, having started but last fall
is of course young and small, but there IS
a prosperous future ahead for it, as what
follows will show. By courtesy OF MIR. Il.
w. Small, the resident superintendent,
and Mr.. Tomlinson, the expert foreman,
we were shown through the company'f
mines, the only ones in the district that
are doing any work at present. The COM
pany's properties consist OF four claims,
the Scorpion, the largest and richest Of
the group,
FRIDAY AND SUNDAY,
And the Belt, all adjoining claims on the
same vein formation. They are located
three miles up the gulch at the converge
base of the Spruce mountain and Banner
hill
Previous to two months ago, these
mines were owned and operated by a
stock company, of which the present
owner was but third interest-holder
About sixty days ago Mr.. Jasper Harell
OF California, became the sole owner OF
the property. Formally Mr.. II. was big
stockman in this State, but he recently
sold out his cattle herds for million
dollars and become interested in mining
in this district.
Before Mr.. Harell took entire charge oil
these mines they had not been systemat-
ically developed, but since the new man
agement, a number of beneficial changes
have been made. An experienced miner
in the person OF Mr.. J. B. Tomlinson,
was imported from Colorado as foreman
He is so working the mine as to eX.
| oo4l 0f 81,
that to work the mine to advantage and
full capacity more extensive smelling
works are necessary. The system OF
ASSERTING AND CLASSIFYING THE ORES
into grades, heretofore unknown by the
miners in this part of Nevada, has been
inaugurated, which, together with the
systematic development of the mines, is
placing them on basis upon which GER
tain results can be safely calculated, and
SO far the results have proved most en-
couraging. Immense bodies of ore have
been exposed, in extent unknown. Care
full and frequent assays are made, and
these show continual improvement in
the grade of ore. The outlook, therefore
is very promising for an extensive and
wealthy property which, ere long, will be
the means of building up furnishing
camn.
At Jasper there is small and inefficient
smelter, not Of the most improved kind,
although purchased and put up last fall !;
but as the mines are surely proving the
necessity OF larger and more improved
works, without doubt early next spring
they will be erected Anyway, 60, 900
brick are now being burned for that pur-
pose. Heretofore English coke has been
used, but an experiment is to be made
with some Colorado coke, which is much
cheaper and believed to be of equal quail
ity with the foreign article. The bullion
is shipped all the way to the Aurora
Smelling and Mining Company, in
Illinois, as better price is there given
for it than either in San Francisco or Salt
Lake City.
WAGES VARY PROM So TO s. PER DAY.
a. }. Harell is the genial manager. He
comes once month from California 10
pay off the men, of whom there are about
sixty on the pay roll, and attends to such
other business requiring his attention.
His arrival for this month is looked for
about the 10th inst.
As this letter is already long enough.
and there are several other mines to men.
ton, we will defer them for another COM
municatiou. Mrro-Zrp
81