The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-02
SITUATION IN LEADvnLE.
Mining Industry of the Camp on the
Upward Turn.


Upward Turn.
The mining industry of the camp.
says the Leadville Herald Democrat,
is now on the upward turn. There are
probably more mines actively at work
than at any time since June of last
year, and the prospects are that an
( immense amount of new work VIII be
commenced during the present season.
There have been certain quiet 1nflu-
ences at work during the past month
which are making for the good OF the
camp. The feeling for many months
was that the entire district was prac-
tically ruined by the labor disturb
ances, and that outside capital could
not be induced TO come in here. These
troubles, however, are now largely a
thing of the past. Local mining men
are already negotiating with eastern
investors. and the propositions which
were abandoned when the strike came
on are now being taken up vigorously
The history Of the discovery in the
Nil Desperandum claim of the Rock
Hill company shows the changed con-
dition OF affairs. 1t indicates what can
be accomplished by the aid of outside
capital, as well as home enterprise and
energy. For a long time Mr. Frank
Buckley of Aspen has been satisfied
that mineral would be found IN that
section. He very frequently discussed
the situation with the owners of the
group. Messrs. Ovens and Mcdonald
Mr.. Buckley himself is one Of the
early operators of the camp, but for
some years has been in Aspen, being at
present the general manager OF the
Bushwacker Mining company and the
Aspen M and S. Co. He is in close
touch with such men as J. B. Wheeler
and r H. Woodward, and his lntelll-
gent representations of the richness OF
the ground led to Mr. Woodward taxi
ing an interest in the enterprise and
financially contributing to its success.
The Rock Hill company is now in a
position to feel that the most difficult
portion of their work is over: there
can be now no doubt as to the success
of the project. 1t has simply accom-
plished what it started out to do The
preliminary calculations were based on
a thorough and careful study Of the
geological conditions as they exist on
Rock Hill. and the company now
reaps its just reward.
Old Rock hill has been and is now
one of the most interesting sections OF
the camp. The first carbonates shipped
from the camp came from this section
and the pioneers of 70 found there
some of the richest bonanzas. Ma
t1re had been very generous in her
mineral dispositions. They were mar
velously rich and close to the surface
The Old Rock. Dome and Stone claims
were producers of great wealth. And
the La Plata, Nisi Prius, Great OSul-
livan and others contributed enormous
sums to the sum total of the camp.
This was all from the upper carbonate
contact. Then there were numerous
efforts TO sink to the second or sui
phide contact east of the Iron fault
The Crown Point. the Nisi Prius, the
Wier shaft, the Meyer and one or two
others reached this second contact, but
even before the panic of 1893 mining
men began 10 quit the hill. The Crown
Point shut down, the Wier SHAFT was
abandoned. and all work practically
ceased. The Emmett people continued
however. to take out some of the best
iron in the camp.
The general reduction in smelling
charges, the rehabilitation of the min
ing Industry on somewhat newer Iine''
the lessening in expense and other fac
tors led very gradually to the resump-
ton of work The leasing OF large
block of ground by the Nisi Prlus
Leasing company was one OF the nrst
steps taken to systematically resume
onerations. In 1893 the Union Leasing
the feasibility OF securing consollda-
tion Of leased ground, and by q system
Of humping TO completely drain the en-
tire territory. The same condltlon OF
a fairs presented itself on Rock hill
The Nisi Prius company at once Sc
cured the Crown shaft as basis OF
operations and in a few months nao
drained the ground. The
onarations have continued steadily all
<,n
valuable ore has been shipped The
most recent discoveries in the Grown
point however, are of a most i'm
nortant character. A new breast of
1re has been broken into, the height OF
which is about II feet, and six feet
across the face of the drift 1t is
sulphide ore, and average breast sam
oles run over 100 ounces of silver to
the ton.
All this work is east of the Iron fault.
II is TO the west that the attention of
mining men will be directed, however.
&c q coming section of the camp. 1t is
nearly a year now that this journal
srst nointed out the importance of ex-
oloretion work to the west At that
inc a leasing company had taken hold
If the old Columbia shaft, sunk by
Robert Estey. which lies just west OF
he fault The shaft might have been
sunk too near the lduils al icool MI
Estev encountered a terrible flow of
water. and was compelled TO cease OPP
srations. But a little over q year ago
he new leasing company made an ex-
animation of the shaft. and found it
dry. Operations have been pursued
-ery steadily since. and an ore body
las been discovered from which during
he past few weeks several hundred
ons have been shipped.
There is no doubt in the minds of
mining men that some
me of the chutes that crossed Iron hill
n early days, has reappeared in the
.soffat shaft. 1t may be the Silver
Chord chute, for that carried a very
mall percentage of gold. The Rock,
Dome and Stone chutes also would, in
heir natural trend, cross this ground.
The name of the chute, however, is
iardly of Importance. 1t is no doubt
ne OF these great bodies and viii con-
inue all through that section
he Moffat shaft is on the