The Opelousas courier., 1896-07-04
MERCUR
Ulah's New EI wonderful
Development of the Camp Floyd
Mining District.

The Camp Floyd Mining District OF utan.
distant but 40 Rllles from Salt Lake Clty, IS
now attracting the attention of the mining
world as the only western rival OF GRIPPE
Creek. Colo. The district has had q most re-
markabIe history. The town OF Lewiston rose,
tlourislled and passed into decay twenty-five
years ago, on the very spot on which Mercuf
has been built within the last eighteen hohtns.
1t was renowned as u silver m i'm II, Dy inc
development of the SparroW-nawk ana Last
| Chance mines. which produced over Sl,ooo'ooo
in white metal. At that time there were l,oOo
peopIein Lewiston and the district was very
Iyely, but the rich pockets having WORKED OUT,
Lewiston's fame began to Wale. me next Dig
strike i'll the district, one that IS yet talked vi
hy old timers. was i'll the Carrie steele, from d
pucket in which some parties scraped out So3,-
900 III about three months time. Tins caused
great excitement so much SO, lnat Ill ~ anu
IA the hill was SWarming with pfOSpectofS.
Then the camp again declined until 79 ana ~,
when it was abandoned. In 1880 attention was
called to the Macarthur Forrest cyanide process
and IL test Of the ore was made IN Denver. Win
suclt elaborate results that the Old sparrow
hawk or Marion mine was brought out or "a
$40, 900 or $500 0 Indebtedness ana put on d NV
Idcnd paying basis. The formation at Mefcur
is ycry similar to the region about Johannes
burg IN South Africa, except that the camp
Floyd ore bodies are larger ana richer. Geoio-
eists and mincralogists differ as to the origin
and formation of the ore body, some claiming
three distinct gold bearing VEINS While othefs
seem to favor the single blanket VEN theory.
On one point, however, all agree, that no sucn
GOLD ienos!t has ever before been discovered.
In the Mercur mine, recently bonded Tor 81 ,ooo'-
600. the ore bodies average $500 III gold 10 tlie
ton, while some assays run into the hundfeuS
mark. With the aid of the cyanide process,
This orsiS mined and mliieu at an average cost
OF 81. 50 70 So % per ton, leaving d proflt OF Sl2'oo
or ST. so per ton. On this basis the mine mas,
in the wear lust passed, paid dividends to the
extent of $500, 0G0. The adjoining properties,
the. Golden Gate, Marion and Geysef are
equally rich. The VEN or veins have already
been traced from the cluster of MINES at hief-
cur. to Sunshine-a distance of six miles,
where the Sunshine mine ana mill, another
large property, is located, together with nu-
merouS claims OF less magnitude. In the Mef-
chr mine alone 20J,0 tons or ore are now
blocked out with an average value of Sl4. 90 per
ton. making Il total Ntlue or S2,S0o,ooo; the
Colder Gate is able 10 show lW,No tons OF
higher value than the Mercur, while the sun
shine has in sight more ore than either OF tue
above but of lower value. If the discoveries
recently made, twelve miles west OF Mercu1
and far to the south, are uncoverlDgs OF the
same vein, then there Is strong evidence INA
the great deposit covers an area OF from 100 u
$50 square miles. 1t is hardly supp0sable tna'
ali portions of the vein will yield profitable val
ues, although that is the belief OF many, but IL
ia quite within the range OF possibilities as nc
barren spot has yet been touched. Keeping
in mind the fact that any ore exceeding so.U IL
value per ton, can be mined and mllied at (;
handsome profit, there can be no question On
that the Camp Floyd district will yet be one o.
I the largest gold producing camps III the world
) Owing to the mlldness of the climate, pros
Meeting can be conducted at all seasons OF th'
, wear, and at the present writing, Vlgofou:
work is beng done at many points i'll the dis
trict The result OF this WORK VIII SHOW ltsel
during the coming year in the opening OF M
ore bodies in various localities throughout tn'
, district, and numbers OF claims that are now
mere prosuects will undoubtedly become pay
! ing mines in the near future. NOWHERE at tn
t present time can there lie found IA field 10
. Speculation which viii exceed that OF the CAM
Floyd district.