The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-25

w OF mineral wealth contained In the /
mountains OF Washington county .
now lying comparatively dormant /
for lack of railroad facilities list of
the advantages that would accrue to the peo- |
pie of Southern Utah by railroad connection !
either with the north west would fill vol /
ume. Among the many benefits to be derived |
by such connection d few may be mentioned |
The advent of the iron no Sc into Dixie in the |
south means renewed energies on the part of
the people; the development of Unlimited min
eral resources hitherto only partly worked: the
opening up OF new agricultural lands second to
none In the world for producJiveness and only
awaiting home seekers and markets for the
yield; an increase in the shipment OF cattle |
horses sheep and hogs, o. which the southern
tier OF counties the greatest producers in
the west; the erection of great sanitariums at
the many mineral springs OF Washington
county, the waters OF which possess as high
medicinal qualities as do any in the world those
OF carlsbad and Arkansas not excepted; an
Increase in the acreage devoted to vineyards.
orchards OF early and semi-tropical fruits and
the production of cotton; the establishment of
canneries and various other manufacturing
plants, and last but not least, would bring the
pc pie INTO close communication with the out
side world, thus opening up new territory for
business transactions and commercial relations
Nature seems to have intended the country
below the rim OF the Great Basin as her mineral
treasure house, and deposited therein unlimited
quantities of useful aud precious metals, which,
as the territory north. east and west is fast
reaching that stage when investors in search of
good investments Tor their wealth must turn to
pastures new, is beginning to attract the atten-
ton of mining men the world over The
country in this district is of volcanic origin and
the earth in its tremendous Commissions seems
to have turned inside out and left great ledges
and bodies OF ore exposed to the view Of even
the most careless observer. The mountains of
Washington county are filed with gold, silver
copper, lead, sulphur, iron, platinum zinc
ochre. SALT alum and mineral wax in unesti
mated quantities. Almost every mineral
known IN mineralogy has been found there, but
the lack OF cheap transportation makes it al.
most impossible to develop the prospects to
their full extent and valuable properties that
would yield millions if they could be properly
worked are now lying idle.
Within the past year mining in the south has
received an impetus, never before expert
enced since the great silver camp Silver Reef
practically ceased operations Chiefly through
tie efforts and operations of Woolley. Lund &
Judd, Washington county has again become a
producer to no mean extent, and now has in full
operation one of the richest copper mines in the
country, the Apex, one of
THE DIXIE GROUP
situated about eighteen miles southwest of St
George, the county seat and METROPOLIS of
Washington county. The group is owned bv
Woolley, Lund & Judd and is INCORPORATED m.
der the title OF the Dixie Mining and Smelling
company, with John Pymm, president: Robert
G. Lund, vice president; Seth A Pymm. score
tary; james Andrus Thomas Judd, II Pickett
and Brigham Jarvis, directors. The company
is the owner of thirteen adjoining claims
The first discovery was made several years
ago by st. George parties, the outcropping or
apex being nearly to the top of the noun ain
A shaft was sunk considerable distance until
it became evident that the We went down at
an angle OF nea5ly 40 degrees and could be
| reached from below AS large amount of ore
OF god paying quality had been taken out
small smelter was erected and made several
short runs, with good success. The mine then
lay idle unit about a year ago, when
Wooliey, Luud & Judd took the management
For the purpose of more fully developing the
claims the company decided to go down the
mountain about three hundred feet and run a
/ tunnel into the hill in such a manner as to
strike the vein where the ore body was more
| extensive. One hundred and fifty five feet
from the collar OF the tunnel large cave was
discovered man was let down on a wind
lass 800 feet and made full exploration of the
cavern. but could find connection whatever
with the ledge or ore body. A strong current
of air came from below thus insuring the best
of ventilation for the mine and also good drain
age. After about fifty feet the ore body was
encountered, the grade of rock being good. In
the hope of striking the ledge of galena which
cropped out near the copper at the Apex the
tunnel was continued until it had reached a
depth of 40 feet The miners were then with
drawn from that portion of the mine and put to
work on the ledge proper, which is over one
hundred feet thick, composed of low grade
carbonate lead ore, soft iron and decomposed
lime, with occasional punches of rich galena
! The high grade copper ore, which ASSAYS as
high as So per cent, is found in almost mex
haustible quantities near the hanging wall of
the mine, ledge of dolomite. The country
rock on all the claims is hard, dark-colored
limestone. AT present five large ore slopes
are in sight, and turn which way you will high
grade ore is encountered. Since work was be-
gun on the tunnel in November 1890 the com
pany has worked an average of six men, some
times running as high as twelve
The high grade ore is all shipped east to New
York but in order to reduce that of lower grade
the company erected twenty ton water Jacket
smelter at st. George. on the creek which fur
nished the people with water. The blower and
crusher are run by water power, a good head
being obtained by building new canal at a
considerable expense. The mine furnishes all
the fiux necessary to reduce the ores which
smelt very freely.
THE SHELTER
started up October 18th and run sixteen and
one half days without an accident, reducing
$50 tons of second class ore and producing 90. So
tons of bellton. The run proved so satisfactory
both in workings and financial results that the
j company is preparing to continue work and has