Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-28
THE HEIGHTS OF ALTA.
The Mining Prospects of One of the
oldest Camps of Utah.
Recent Terrific Snow Slides Cause No
DminutiOn in Mining Activity.
A Trip Through the Principal Mines
By A" democrat Reporter.

is the only journey in Utah that's made over
long tramway. In starting from Salt Lake
the Bingham train is taken as far as the
Bingham Junction, where passengers change
cars for Alta, but only ride on them as far as
Wasatch where the tramway is boarded.
This tram road is eight miles III length,
about two-thirds of it being covered by
snow sheds. There are sections along the
track of from few yards to half mile un-
covered, through which the passengers catch
GLIMPsEs OF THE TOWERING MOUNTAIN PEAKS
On either side, and the dashing, splashing
creek below which roars and foams over
great boulders in its course as it rushes pre-
! cipituously down the canyon to the valley
below The scenery is grand and awe
/ inspiring. The mountains are covered with
verdure. and gardens of rare and beautiful
! wild flowers are seen on every hand, and
! here and there patches of ripe, wild rasp-
berries cherries and berries greet the eye.
! The snow sheds are the hoSpltable rem
! devious for rabbits, rats and squirrels, which
] have become so accustomed to the constant
! travel up and down the road that they allow
/ the cars to pass them almost close enough to
mt salt on their tails The cars are drawn
! Nv Dlu1eS, Two w OdC14 1dooCASOA SoA. tiilO
! three to the freight cars. II takes about
! three and half hours to make the up-going
! Journey The tag end of the road is not so
dry and is entirely under the sheds, with
/ the exception of now and then q few rods
where the sheds have been
TORN DOWN BY sNowsLDBs.
/ The tramway, in places, is very steep-J00
| feet to the mile-and consequently the
ascension is very slow. phe terminus, Alta
! CITY, is reached about 1870 p. m, and the
! passengers, having had their appetites
| sharpened by the open-air ride, make bolt
! for the hotel where they are Toasted to their
! stomachs' satisfaction by the good things
provided by mine host Thomas.
On stepping off the cars, Alta is seen to
! the south in gulch about 800 yards below.
/ The camp looks as though it was "all broke
up Scattered in every direction are tim
! bers, pieces of machinery, sides of houses,
! shingles, boards, ETC., as though a Kansas
cyclone had shot down the canyon, demolish-
! ing everything in its way. The cause of this
| devastation, as everybody knows is the
! terrible death and destruction caused by
| last winters snowslides.
TO LOOK AT THIS UNFORTUNATE TOWN
In its shattered state, and think how the re-
! lentless slides have crushed and smothered
/ to death 50 many human lives, is enough to
! turn the heart all pity and fill the eyes with
| sorrowing tears. But the green bushes, the
pretty wild flowers blooming on every hill,
and Che work-a-day pursuits of the camp lull
us into forgetfulneSs of the tragedies that
| have caused so much sorrow and mourning,
and so the practical crowds out the pathetic,
! and we turn to what we have to do.
Your correspondent, after devouring a
surprisingly hearty dinner, commenced a
reconoitre of the mines and works i'll the
camp The first place visited was
THE FREDERICK,
One of the old producers of the district
! Mr.. Hardness, the genial superintendent,
was found admiringly gazing on the new
machine works that have just been erected.
! After introduction an invitation was extend
ed to go to the Office where we "smiled" to
| the success of the enterprise. Mr.. Hardness
then willingly gave the DEMOCRAT represent
ative such information as he asked concern
! ing the mines and the new works that had
just been put up.
The mine was discovered in 1870, and
since that time great deal of ore has been
taken out of it by shaft located away up
the mountain side. This method of taking
out the ore was too slow and too ex-
! penSiYe to give satisfaction, so the COM
pany owning the mines ordered the erection
of such machinery as would more satisfac-
! torily facilitate operations in the mine. This
machinery consists of two sixty horsepower
. 1 DOlleTS, an dlE VI LIlS ldJtSb ILL
proved plant by the Ingersoll Drill Com
pany, four No. } Ingersoll drills and such
other attachments necessary to run the
| whole thing to the very best advantage
The works were started up this week, the
1ngersoll drills doing splendid work on
''sidings' that are just being opened as
! tributaries to the main tunnel. Upon the
spot where the machinery stands the side
hill has been leveled and a wall 140 feet long
and three feet thick has been built just be-
hind the works; also end walls forty feet
long. In this space will be covered all the
machinery, repair shops, boarding house, etc.
The mineral deposits in the Frederick will
be tapped by a tunnel, which is row LOCO
feet from mouth to face, and SO scientifically
has Mr.. Hardness directed the work that a
candle placed at the far end can be seen
from the mouth. 1t is the intention to drive
this passage entirely through the mountain,
! thereby affording the mines on the other
side--Big Cottonwood canyon-a shipping
line direct to the railroad This is an i'm
portant scheme, and if it proves success
will be of great benefit TO the miners in the
other canyon.
The next property inspected was
THE VALLEJO,
Owned principally by Mr.. Joab Lawrence
There is being shipped from the Vallejo more
ore than from all the other mines in the can
Won. Sixteen men constitute the present
working force, but more will shortly be put
J on.
The Peruvian is being developed by Mr..
James Wall. Ore has recently been struck
that assays 200 ounces and the prospects are
such as to warrant that the Peruvian will
soon be one of the steady producers of the
country.
! Work is being resumed on several other
properties. Jiggers are hard at work on
several old dumps. Mr.. Allison, of Sandy,
shipped out this week an engine to run
steam jig. Mr.. A. expects to make good
cleanup this summer.
Before closing this letter paragraph must
be given the
OLD EMMA,
| One of the most prosperous mineral claims
/ in the West, and although last in this letter
she stands close to the head in the list of the
wonderful producing mines in Utah.
The same day that the DEMOCRAT man
went up, Mr.. George Cullins, of Salt Lake
Mr.. G. yelling, of Vermont, and Mr.. o. A.
Gage and I. Mattoch, of New York, (all
heavy Shareholders went up to inspect the
mine. They are all we'll pleased with the
| prospects of the property and the Eastern
! gentlemen return we'll satisfied with their
! trip. Recent shipments went over 1888 per
ton, and the developments in the lower lev
els show much more promising prospects
! than ever before. There is some water in
/ the mine, but the pumping capacity is suffi-
cient to handle four times as much.
Taken all for all, Alta, like the rest of the
! camps, will turn out splendid shipments
I this season, and before the snow slides come
! again many mothers son can get out of
/ the camp with a stake big enough to carry
( him safely through the winter.
Mno-ZIP.
- or