The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-28
Ellis, of San Francisco, writes as fol-

Ellis, OIL San FRANCISCO, Virtues as IOl-
lows:
"There has been great deal said in
relation to the Camp Floyd mining dis
trict, Utah, concerning the condition of
the gold and also of the deposition of
the calcareous quartz vein in which it
is found. L had occasion to visit the
district in the neighborhood of the
town of Mercur for limited time, and
observations made under and above
ground in that vicinity lead me to the
conclusion that the vein lis one of re-
placement, and not of sedimentary de-
posit, as claimed by some.
THE ore, or ore zone, if | may SO
call it-aS there are two veins separ-
ated by a few feet of minsralized lime
is OVERLAND by a shaly rock and I'M
derlaid by lime, causing waterway
Through the country through which the
alkaline sulphide solution passed, car
rying the silica and metallic Sulphides,
depositing them pari passu with the
taking into solution a portion OF the
limestone.
The fossils. which were enveloped
originally in the lime, and now in the
ore. which have led some to think
that the ore was deposited by sedimen-
tation are merely evidences of re-
placement; for, as the lime enclosing
the fossils was dissolved, it was imme-
diately replaced by the ore without
changing the position of the fossils,
and appearing to the eye as though
nothing had taken place.
THE vein is Of the bedded type and
was formed probably while the coun-
try was fiat, or nearly so, and subse-
quently tilted, broken and eroded.
''It has been said very often that the
gold in the ores of this district was a
chloride or some other form soluble in
water, the alkalies or their sulphides.
This I have proved to be erroneous.
and that the gold is chemically uncom-
bined, but is in a metallic state.
Professor Penrose.
The peculiar formation in the Camp
Floyd district has attracted a great
deal of attention from biologists and
mining operators since the section
came into prominence through the
great gold discoveries made there, and
many examinations have been made,
some of them by men of national fame.
Several theories have been advanced
by these experts as to the formations
of the district, but practically all nave
agreed that the veins are true assures.
There have been some. however, who
have accepted the sedimentary theory;
but recent developments in the district
have knocked most of the peculiar
ideas galley west. The examinations
made by Prof. Penrose, who occupies
the chair of economic geology in the
university of Chicago, are of especial
value. The gentleman, on his return
from the district, stated to a Herald
reporter that irr his opinion there are
more veins than one in the district; IN
fact he thinks there are three or more.
One of these is the Mercur, another the
Sunshine and still another probably the
Rover, upon which is the Gold Dust
group. Of course this opinion is based
upon a rather superficial examination,
but the professor thinks he has dem
onstraIted beyond doubt that the Mer-
cur and Sunshine are located upon sep
arate and distinct veins. These veins,
as we'll as any others that may be IN
the district, are without doubt true rs
sures and the values have come Up from
below in the form of solutions, follow
ing the lines of least possible resist
ance. This solution has attacked the
lime and left the values therein, erect
ing a sort of substitution. Regarding
the sedimentary 'theory, Prof. Penrose
saws it is entirely out of the question,
for the reason that 1T is not chemically
practicable The professor has attained
great prominence in his line and is &C
cepted as am authority on all matters
pertaining to geology.