The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-28

pany house Ore was encountered in
the Golden Gate, but it was then re-
garded as almost worthless.
The Sunshine, the Matte, the Sacra-
mento, the Rover and the Herschel
were not then even proSpected, and the
Geyser lay idle and entangled in many
legal difficulties.
Soon after the Mercury was estab-
lished, the camp experienced an in
fiuX of people. e. B. Shoebrfdge opened
| a grocery and drug business. Con
Hammond opened a barber shop in the
lodging tent, a large structure for that
! time, which was put up as "a flyer" by
Charley Jacobs and W. B. Andrews,
and became the chief center of popula-
ton in the evening, and where the few
! daily papers were read; where the min
ers told of the wonders of their pros
pecting tours and where the odd tim
ers'' had a nightly contest over the
only rocking chair in the camp.
Just previous to this time, however,
E. S. DeGolyer had secured a lease and
bond ON the Golden Gate for $4,000 and
put a number of men to work on the
property. He also purchased a con-
trolling interest in the townsite from
Messrs. Butts and Preble, two of the
old proSpectorS who have since both
retired with well-filled pockets, and he
then changed the name of tine camp 10
Mercur. Then came another influx of
strangers, and prospects began to have
some value.
The Wolcott syndicate secured an OPP
ton on the Mercur, but turned 1T down,
and DeGolyer'S hackers abandoned the
Golden Gate at about the same time.
When it was found that the ore could
not be treated by the experimental cy-
anide process, the camp, then of about
250 people, suffered a great setback, and
many became discouraged and pulled
out for new fields.
But the onward march was not long
interrupted The Sunshine mine was
discovered Boutwell, and Millner pur-
chased a large interest in the Geyser
and put up a mill. A. M. Spooner
struck ore in tine Rover-a guileless
tenderfoot does this now and then-sold
it and has since been one of the fore
most and most active operators in the
camp. All that he has touched has
turned to gold-he has been in it, ON
every turn and is daily making more
turns.
De Lamar purchased the Golden
Gate and the Mercur railroad was
built, giving an impetus to business
that could not at that time be ac-
uuired in any other way. The Mercur
mill was enlarged to a capacity OF 200
tons daily, and the Matte became a
mine under good management. The
Sacramento also developed large
bodies of milling ore, and became the
property of a strong company.
Angus NJ. Cannon, one of the faith
ers of the camp, put up a steam hoist
and employed a large number of men.
Frank Hall secured a bond on the
Hecla, ore was struck in the Hillsides
and the camp began to be heard OF.
and its growth was from that time on
in an ever increasing ratio.
De Lamar, pleased with the i'm
mense mine into which the Golden
Gate developed, secured an option on
the Mercur for 81, 500,O 600. The camp
then began to take on new life. Buy
ers fiocked in, spectators, real estate
men all came in rush. and have
| been rushing ever since.
Real estate has gone UP until now
it is we'll nigh out of sight Although
it comes high. there are plenty of peo-
pie who want Unjust and will have
it. Lots in the triangle have jumped
from 500 to $1,000 and all the way up
to s., 500 People continue to go in
there in way that would indicate
that the whole world was headed that
way, and the daily press throughout
the country is full of it. It's Mercurl
Mercur! Mercur!