The Opelousas courier., 1896-04-25
vIERCUR
Uinh's New lei Dorado. Wonderful
Development Of the Camp Floyd
MiuiMg District.

The Camp Floyd Mining District of Utah,
distant but 40 miles from Salt Lake CITY, Is
now attracting the attention of the mining
world as the only western rival of Cripple
Creek, Colo. The district has had a most re
markablc history. The town OF Lewiston rOSe,
fiourished and passed into decay twenty-five
years ago, on the very spot on which Mercur
has been built within tile last eighteen months.
1t was renowned as II silver camp n II, by the
development of the Sparrow-hawk and Last
Chance mines, which produced over 81 DOC, 900
in white metal. AT that time there were Loco
people in Lewiston and the district was very
Lively, but the rich pockets having worked uul.
LewistOn's tame began to wanc. The next Ing
strike in the district, one that is yet talked OF
by old timers. wasi in the Carrie Steele, from ii
POCKET in which some parties scrarel cut S63,
600 in about three months time. This caused
great excitement SO much SO, that i'll II and
'73 the hill was swarnilng with rrn.rprtorS.
Then the camp again declined until ~ and 50,
when it was abandoned. In 1890 attention was
called to tbs Macarthur Forrest cyauide process
and ii test of the ore was made i'll Denver, with
such elaborate results that the old Sparrow
hawk or Marion mine was brought out of a
$40, 600 or $780, 900 Indebtedness amt put on a div
idcnd paying basis. The formation at Mercnr
is very similar to the region about Johannes
burg III South Africa, except that the Camp
Floyd ore bodies are larger and richer. Geolo-
gists and mineralOgists differ as to the origin
and formation OF the ore body, some claiming
three distinct gold bearing veins while Others
seem to favor the single blanket vein theory.
On one point, however, all agree, that no such
goa utIOSIU utS ever UtiOIG DCcl tlScONtItt.
In the Mercur mine, recently bonded for 81 800
600, the ore bodies average $500 i'll gold to the
ton, while some assays run into the hundreds
mark. With the aid of the cyanide process,
this ore is mined and milled at an average cost
OF 81. 50 to 50 OO per ton, leaving d profit or $l2.t0
or So so per ton. On this basis the mine has,
in the year just passed, paid dividends to the
extent of $500, 600. The adjoining properties,
the Golden Gate, Marion and Geyscr are
equally rich. The VEN or veins have already
| been traced from the cluster Of mines at Mer-
eur, to Sunshine-a distance of six miles,
where the Sunshine mine and mill. another
| large property, is located, together with nu-
merous claims of less magnitude. In the Mer-
| eur mine alone 200, 600 tons of ore are now
blocked out with an average value OF $l4.N0 per
ton, making a total value of 81, 800, 600; the
Golden Gate is able to show 100000 tons of
higher value than the Mercur, while the Sun
shine has in sight more ole than either of the
above but OF lower value. Ii the discoveries
| recently made, twelve miles west OF Mercur
| and far to the south, are uncovcriD%s of the
| same vein, then there is strong evidence that
the great deposit covers an area OF from 100 to
$50 square miles. 1t is hardly suppOsable that
all portions Of the vein will yield profitable val
ues, although that is the belief OF many, but it
is quite within the range of possibilities rs no
barren spot has yet been touched. Keeping
in mind the fact that any ore exceeding S3.u in
| value per ton, can he mined and lnillcd ut ii
handsome profit, there can be no question but
| that the Camp Floyd district Will yet he one of
the largest gold producing camps i'll the world.
Owing to the mildneSS of the climate, pros
pecting can be conducted at all seasons of the
year, and at the present writing, vigorous
work is being done at many points IN the dis,
trict The result of this work will show itself
during the coming year in the opening OF IN
ore bodies in various localities throughout ~
district, and numbers of claims that are wv
mere prospects will undoubtedly become pay
ing mines in the near future. Nowhere at the
present time can there he found Il field for
speculation which will exceed that of the Camp
Floyd district.