The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-06

skirted the base of the mountains COM
7csing the district one cause after ar
other cropped out to retard its growth
frequently receiving deep wounds from
those who posed as its hest friends.
The past is today of no part culG" mo-
nent. The present and tae near III J.
tire are of concern to the iniril'aS
rorIl. cor this region POSSESSES merit
that will force il TO the fore &c sllts
of ali Obstacles. Much of the cirfrat
mine writing up is of stuHY ornSr.
Often a very slight showing OF actual
values-either in quality or quantity
affords groundwork for rainbow OF
word nyrotechnics that, for feetlng
hour. pleases an interested few, but
soon proves a booerang. This sort of
varn-spinning is aptly designated
mirage mining" Utonians have mad
their fancy and purse tickled by more
than one such mirage. Gold mountain
80 NOT a mirage metalliferouS region
and the hard pressed news gatnerer =
here plunged into a bonanza, for ne
need only keep within the narrow Il n
IT'S of cold facts to write entertain
ingly. and can fold up the wings of bis
over-worked fancy blower for less pro-
pitious fields.
1t has been said ''all the world wants
gold gold abounds at Mercur-sufhcien NJ
II
time the great Tooele camp Is recording
noteworthy onward steps. yet tse above
trite saying will ere long be- equally
applicahle by substituting Gold
Mountain" for 'Mercur. as most "
mistakably gold will be the cause OF
its growing fame" May he IT is trlfle
rash in a tenderfoot to assert IRA
Mercur's laurels are threatened oy tlils
comparativeiy little known and hardy
<r.t,sa -a,-or- "
60 men are employed. though IN the
enthusiasm Of my first visit l am lr-
cIined to make this bold forecast O1
colrse most of The Herald readers viii
smile and put this down as Migrant
mirage mining, but they may prepare
10 be astonished: at all events they
viii be wise not to ridi -I.l this notion
TOO boisterousiy. Meraur will be none
the less great whatever the fame 1l-
Gold Mountain, while abroad Utah viii
shortly be known to have WITHIN us
boundaries more than one remarkaeIe
gold region.
To a Coloradoan these rugged, well
timbered mountains, whose Sumn'its
rise 400 to 1900 feet above the sea,
where springs of sparkling, life-givlng
water flow from every little gully. nave
the look of a sure-enOugA mining re-
gion more than other Utah districts
At the very outstart the first lnDHeS-
sions are favorable ana in moving
about from cropping to Gripping or the
strong quartz lodges. whose jagged
spinal backs stand out defiantlv above
the surface. in going through the nu
merous prospecting GorhInSS-there IS
not a developed mine in tie distrlct-
and on learning the strength ci Inc
veins and the values of the ore. one by
one these first impressions are con-
firrned. \ man in the habit of visiting
new CAMPS comes to ask himset on
paving his first respects 10 region,
what is the loose screw mere 10 pre-
vent this section-with capital and up
to-date mining and metallurgic talent
from coming to the front?
So far as concerns the mammoth ms
sure veins of Gold mountain, of which
there are more than a few to the
square mile, this loose screw cannot be
pointed out.
The gateway to this region Is Clear
Creek CANYON. three miles west of Sc
v.er station, on the Rio Grande West
ern. Another three miles up the course
of this stream brings the gold seeker TO
Charles Robinson's ranch. at the mouth
of Mil creek. a pleasant stopping place
for man and beast, distant II miles
from the Sewer mine. the local point %
the district. a wagon road along MIL
creek and its main feeder, that IS IN
named. ties the leading properties 10
Robinson's and thence 10 the railroad.
II was badly disigured during the
enrine high water. but a force O. a
dozen men is raridly repairing The
damage. and even now rigs have 10
dimcul;y in driving over il. For the
most par-t it is a mountain thorough
fare of easy grade, there being but a
fe,y steep climbs
About four miles from Robinson's, on
the nc-naine branch Of Mil creek, is
the cid BOiitho-Hess placer. which re-
Gently changed owners and is now
stvlai the Davis-Rouff, from w r. Da- :
vis OF Sals Like and William Roufr of |
Rock Springs. Wyo. Mr.. Davis is in j
charee Of operations and C. T. Potter /
represents Air. Rcuff. The ditch from |
uo-naine ihree-nuarters CT mile 1
long. was finished yesterday CWednes- I
dav). while a twO-mile ditch from Mill /
creek is over half built and IS being |
spidiy pushed to completion The firsI +
dirch carries $50 inches OF water and !
a ffords $50 feet pressure at the, cut I
ahort II he opened. There are 500 feet /
o. six-inch pipe and three-inch nozzle .
on the way and expected daily. By
Monday the first 100 feet Of sluice boxes
Will be set and ground sluicing started.
careful testing of the dirt showed
an average value of SO cents cubic
yard. Il is unfortunate that this un-
dertakinG was not four weeks ago
y here il is today. as the wafer is ran
Idly falling and the remainder of the
washing period win net last but few
weeks. a force of eight men will be
employed.
POPULIST PLACER