The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-20

A week ago yesterday mention was
made in these columns of the CONSOLE
dalton Of The Watson & Chandler and
West Mountain placers, in main Bing-
ham canyon, and in the last issue of
the Bingham Bulletin the enterprise is
commented upon as follows:
The consolidation of the West Noun
tain Placer eompany's property with
the placers of the Watson Mining
company, recently effected, and the
formation of q strong, new corporation
to operate the combined ground, win
possibly prove the most important
transaction ever cOnsummated in this
district That the ground involved is
exceedingly rich at bedrock IS tact
so well known as to call for little COM
ment at this time. That until now 1t
has been i.npr acticable to operate IL,
owing 10 the underflow and large out
Law necessary to handle it, is another
fact that has been gone over and over
again.
BY this deal the claim owned by
Watson & Co. starting from Leadnill
and extending south 5000 feet, IS cor
selidated with the West Mountain
placer, 1900 feet in length. and $500
feet of ground above, which was also
owned by Watson & Co. If the figures
we give are correct the new company
controls $500 linear feet Of placers eX-
tending from LeadmiH to a point above
Dry Fork.
The corporation includes E. H. Airs,
John Dern, T. r. Jones' O. j. Salisbury,
George Mullet. G. H. Davis, \. Han
auer, J. II. Hodges, ]. Schenck, q. A.
Ireland, George r. Chandler and c. w.
Watson. That these gentlemen are
abundantly able to carry out any plans
that may be decided upon, it is need
less to state What their ultimate
plans are is best known to themselves,
but the first work will be to drain the
ground so that it can be worked to
advantage.
The old Watson tunnel, which starts
from Leadmill and was run 5000 feet,
will now be utilized and extended TO a
point below Dry Fork about $50 feet,
where it is expected TO reach bedrock.
Here a crOsscut can be made to divert
the Un6ecfew into the main tunnel SO
completely as TO leave the country be
low comparatively dry, and in shape
for extensive operations.
A plan something like this viii be
carried out, and preliminary steps are
now being taken. Manager Watson,
in charge of the work, has selected
power site on the left below Dry Fork,
and has force of men preparing il Tor
the machinery at LeadmiN which was
used in driving the Watson tunnel.
The plant viii be moved and put in
running order on the new site without
unnecessary delay.
The most pertinent comment we can
make regarding the enterprise here
briefly outlined is that old-timers, who
il former years took quick fortunes
in shining nuggets from along the rims
of Bingham canyon, have steadfastly
maintained that whenever capital be-
came enlisted to go down TO bedrock
in a practical way it would find faop-
lous riches there. That belief has
been strengthened by results obtained
in every attempt to reach bedrock, as
it was not found necessary to get
there to strike good pay. SO it is
that some of the old miners are pre-
dieting that within a year after the
new West Mountain company has sub
duad the underfiow and begins mining
in earnest, it viii take out mint of
money, setting pace that will result
in the ripping up of placer ground
throughout the main canyon and it's
gold-bearing gulches.
Bingham is now, surely enough.
threatened with big mining excite
ment