The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-10

Mercur, in Camp Floyd district, has
followed close on the heels of Cripple
Creek in the way of disasters; but the
camp has risen, phoenix-like, from its
ashes; it has survived its bank fail
ures and has come up smiling after its
cloud burst, and today there is not a
gold district in the west that has a
better showing for great and glorious
future.
Cripple Creek. in Colorado. has had
a boom such as was never before eXpe-
Tienced in this o. any other country,
and yet Cripple Creek has only three
dividend-paying mines, and today
miners and capitalists are leaving that
camp much faster than they are going
in; which fact. however, does not de-
tract in the least from the value of the
mines there or decrease the size of the
ore bodies of the camp. Ii Demon
strates the fact, however, that Cripple
Creek has been overdone, and that it
takes time, as well as capital, to open
up a great mining camp.
Mercur, on the other hand. has never
received the recognition il deserved,
and yet it viii develop into a greater
and more permanent camp than Grip
pie Greek can ever hope To be, and even
then Cripple Greek will be considered
one OF the seven wonders of the age.
Mercur is several years younger Jnan
Cripple Greek, and yet it has as big or
bigger mines than Cripple Creek can
boast OF. Stratton. the Cripple Creek
bonanza king, may have a wonderful
producer but, IN comparison with DE
Bamar's Golden Gate mine, at Mercur,
it is not in it a minute. The Portland,
al Cripple Creek. is d great producer,
but its deposits of the yellow metal
cannot be mentioned in the same
breath with the mammoth ore bodies
uncovered in the Mercur mine; and the
Sunshine, the Marion, the Sacramento
and the GeySer mines viii compare
most favorably with any gold produc-
erS in the west.
What Mercur has lacked has been
capital for its thorough development,
and had Camp Floyd district been in
any other state in the Union, it would
have had population Of 10000 today,
and the whole world would have gone
wild over its magnificent and per1na-
net deposits of the king of metals
And yets although in measure
Sighted by capitalists, the town and
district have made excellent shoWings.
During the short space of time that
slrated that the low grade gold ores of
Camp Floyd district could be worked
at an enormous profit by means Of the
cyanl1e DroceSS-a period not exceed
ing i've years, a railroad has been built
to Mereur, road that is almost The
nomenal il its engineering feats; the
camp has been given q splendid water
works service, and last but not least,
the city OF Mercur has been incOrpo~
rated and now enjoys self government;
i've line mllls-the Mercur, Sunshine,
Geyser, Marion anu Sacramento are
treating hundreds of tons of ore daily.
and there is every likelihood that with
IN SIX months from now at least ten
more will grace the hills and canyons
OF this rien and progressive camp.
What is regarded as the greatest
mine IN the district, the Golden Gate,
IS estimated to have at least ten mil
lions in ore blocked out in its work
lnSs, and yet It's owners have not mill
ed a pound of ore excepting in an eH-
perimental way. The Golden Cate
lacks a mill. and this defect will likely
soon be remedied, for even now a spur
is being built from the railroad TO the
mine, largely for the purpose of trans
porting lumber and machinery to the
proposed mill site without the necessity
OF unloading while in transit: and
when the mill is built, which it is be-
lleved viii be done within ninety DAVIS
II VIII be the most complete and ARG
est plant of its kind in this inter
mountain country, having capac-
ity, it is understood, of from
one thousand to fifteen hundred
tons of ore daily; and the profits 40 ne
derived from such an enterprise can
be clearly understood when the asSer-
mon is made that the ore will range
In value from SIS to 500 in gold to the
ton, and that it can be treated. incl1Id-
ing adj running and other CHARGES ana
expenses. al from 81 to So per ton. at
a saving of from 30 to 80 per cent Of its
value. - -
The Mercur NINE the pioneer of the
camp. although, not as yet so thoroughIv
deve.oDed as is The Golden, GAZE is
proposition that, like a circle. has no
end. This mine, on the 10Th inst. will
have paid s475.OOO in dividends. In its
various workings there has been no
limit to the ore in this mine. 1t is a
mountain Of ore and the workings
with its pillars of ore left to hold nm
the supersfructuTe, are more like those
Of a Pennsylvania coal bed than drifts
and tunnels in a mine that produces
the royal metal. Extensive as are fine
developments in the Mercur. thew are
but as gopher holes in comparison TO