The Opelousas courier., 1896-09-05
vIERCUR
Utah's New lei Dorado WOndcrf"
Development of the Camp Floyd
Mining 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 Il most re
markable history. The town u Lewiston rose,
flourisled and passed into decay Twenty-Five
years ago, on the very spot on which Mrr"tir
has been built within the last eighteen months.
1t was renowned as II silver camp lin II. by tho
development of the Sparrow hawk aud Last
Chance mines, which produced over 81 100000
in white metal. AT that time there were LOCO
peOplein Lewiston and tho district was very
ilve,y, but the rich pockets having worked ont,
Lewiston's lame began To w'tne. The NEXT h'sS
strike in tho district. one that Is Yet talked III
by old timers. WASH i'll the Carrie steele, from Il
pocket i'll which some parties scrarrd ont $50.
900 i'll about three months time. rus caused
great excitement so much SO, that III :! and
'T3 the hill was swarlninE with lioSpcctnrS.
Then the camp again declined until - and so,
when il WAS abandoned. In 1870 attention waS
called 10 tho Macarthur Forrest cyanide process
and a test of the ore Was made IN Denver, with
such elaborate results that the old sparrow
hawk or Marion mine WAS brought out of a
SAC. 600 or $4,000 indebtedness and PIT on Il div
idcnd paying basis. The formation at Mrrcur
is very similar 10 the region about Johannes
burg III South Africa, except that the Camp
Floyd ore bodies are larger and richer. GeOlo-
gists and mineraloSists 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
gold deposit has ever before been discovered.
In the Mercur mine. recently bonded for u 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 millcd at an average cost
of $3.50 to S3 90 per ton, leaving profit OF $1,000
or So, so per ton. On this basis the mine has.
in the year just passed. paid dividends to the
extent of $500 900. The adjoining properties,
the Golden Gate, Marion and Gcyscr are
equally rich. The VEN or veins have already
been traced from the cluster OF mines ut Mrr-
cur, to SunShlne-a distance of slX miles,
where the Sunshine mime and mill, another
large property, is located, together with nu-
merOuS claims of less magnitude. III the Mer-
eur mine alone 200, 600 tons of ore are now
blocked out with al average value of Sl4 90 per
ton, making Il total value of $500, 900; the
Golden Gate is able to show 100000 tons of
higher value than the Mercur, while the Sun
shine has i'll sight more ore 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 uncOverinSs 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 VEN will yield profitable val
ueS, although that is the belief of many, but it
Is quite within the range of possibilities IT'S no
barren spot has yet been touched. Keeping
IN mind the fact that any ore exceeding ~. 90 i'll
value per ton, can be mined and nilled at Il
handsome profit, there can be no question but
that the Camp Floyd district Will yet be one of
the largest gold producing camps in the world.
Owing to the mlldneSs of the climate, pros
pectiug can be conducted attall 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 the
ore bodies in various localities throughout the
district, and numbers of cliy's that are now
mere prospects will undonE 'isil become pay
present time can there be tir,nd a field for
speculation which will eXcee-. that of the Camp
Floyd district.