The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-04
UrAH,s NEW ELDoRADO.
Brief and Concise Description of
Camp Floyd District.


The Rio Grande Western Railway
company has compiled and printed a
small leafet containing a description
of Camp Floyd district. as follows,
which are being circulated extensively
in the east, viz:
The Camp Floyd mining district OF
Utah, distant forty miles from Salt
Lake city, is now attracting the atten-
ton of the mining world as the only
western rival of Cripple Creek, Colo.
The district has had most remarkable
history. The town of Lewiston rose,
f1ourished and passed into decay
twenty-five years ago, on the very spot
on which Mercur has been built within
the last eighteen months. 1t was re-
nowned as a silver camp in H. by the
DEVELOPMENT of the Sparrowhawk and
Last Chance mines, which produced
over $1,000, 900 in the white metal. At
that time there were 1000 people in
Lewiston and the district was very live
ly. but the rich pockets having worked
out Lewiston's fame began to Wane.
The next big strike in the district, one
that is yet talked of by old timers, was
in the Carrie Steele, from pocket in
which some parties scraped out $4,000
caused great excitement, so much so,
that in ~ and '73 the hill was swarm
ing with prospectors. Then the camp
again declined until 70 and 80, when it
was abandoned. In 1890 attention was
called to the Macarthur Forrest cyanide
process and a test of the ore was made
in Denver, with such elaborate results
that the old Sparrowhawk or Marion
mine was brought out of a $4,000 or
$50 900 Indebtedness and put on a divi-
dend paying basis. The formation at
Mercur is very similar to the region
about Johannesburg in South Africa,
except that the Camp Floyd ore bodies
are larger and richer. Biologists and
mineraIogists 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 dis
covered. In the Mercur mine, recently
bonded for $1,500,000, the ore bodies
average SIS in 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 $3.50
to SO per ton, leaving a profit of SO
to $3.50 a ton. On this basis the mine
has, in the year just passed, paid divi-
dendS to the extent of 100000. The
adjoining properties, the Golden Gate,
Marion and Geyser are equally rich.
The vein or veins have been traced from
the cluster of mines at Mercur, to Sun
shine-a distance of six miles, where
the Sunshine mine and mill, another
large property, is located, together
with numerous claims of less magni-
tude. In the Mercur mine alone 200, 900
tons of ore are now blocked out with
an average value of S14 per ton. maxi
ing a total value of $1,000. 900; the Col
den Gate is able to show 100000 tons of
higher value than the Mercur, while
the Sunshine has in sight more ore than
either of the above, but of lower value
If the discoveries recently made,
twelve miles west of Mercur and far to
the south, are uncoverings 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 values,
although that is the belief of many, but
it is quite within the range of posi-
bilities as no barren spot has yet been
touched. Keeping in mind the fact
that any ore exceeding SO in value per
ton, can be mined and milled-Sat a hand
some profit, there can be no question
but that the Camp Floyd district will
yet be one of the largest gold produc-
ing camps in the world. Owing to the
mlldness of the climate, prospecting
can be conducted at all seasons of the
year, and at the present writing, Wig
orous work is being done at many
points in the district 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 claims
that are now mere prospects will I'M
near future. Nowhere at the nraee,,+
time can there be found a field for
speculation which will exceed that If
Camp Floyd district. "' u