The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-10-01
MINING DEPARTMENT
FABULOUS RICHES IN A VOLCANO.
Belief Of a Colorado Prospector Has Been
Backed by Millions The Old Romance Of
the Geyser at Silver Cliff Is Told
in New Form.


mine"
The books Of the company were pro- |
duccd. johnson had spent more than
SijuuUO In finding an uunc" Of silver. /
worth at that time about Si.OO. lie
produced plat Of the mountain and
showed where he would start the
shaft II bis friends wuuid put up the
cash. and estimated that he would 1
mud indications Of ore ut I $50 to Loo
feet. aud the lode 40 i.iOO TO 5000
feet IL might he necessary could
not tell until he was 1000 feet into
the mOuntain-to drive the shaft two
miles deep. They talked n over and
the capitalists proposed that dis.
covcry shaft 20 very small shnfU be
sunk. johnson objected lie must
have q large shaft one through which
he could hoist ore the moment he
| found H., without waiting To enlarge
nj later day. His argument carried
the day. aud few more entered the
company and agreed to stand by John.
son for 1000 feet. anyway
johnson returned To- Silver GIN,
stnked on the ground and started TO
work lie employed scvcnty.nvc min.
ers. built a permanent shaft house. or
| dercd air drills. put up an engine
plant. ventilatlng apparatus. pump.
cable, mine machinery. rails. ties. ore
Cnrs aud two magnificent steel cages.
Then lac marked out a doublc.cum.
/ partment working shaft. aud, turning
TO his three forcmpn. said.
II want the shaft driven straight
Into the ground Twenty-Five. men
viii work cighthour shifts. FRO
coed"
How long shall we work." one OF
them asked
Until we strike ore"
Wen go through to China and not
Very well, to China we shall go,
then"
Steam was raised and the Geyscr
shaft was started.
This was In the fall Of 1883. The
effect was electrical Men came from
all over Colorado 10 see the property.
The drills were grinding away through
the rock, with absolutely not trace
Of ore In sight The first 100 feet In
depth was gained. aud permanent
tmbcrlng was placed In the shaft.
When 200 feet had been passed
through johnson was approached one
day 10y u wot man who wanted 10
know n he would be Justified In
building house for his family TO live
In. lie did not care 10 build and then
have the mine close down and lose
his Investment Johnson replied:
Build your house. my man. And
ms long ms we are 5000 feet Of this
side Of the bottom OF the mountains
you need have no fear. II you attend
to your business"
So II was that the little settlement
, grew up about the mine. Stores mp
i pcarcd, the community prospered
! stages made daily trips aud eacl
, month the workmen were paid will
T regularity that was astonishing
Mall was delivered daily, the force O
= men was gradually Increased and IN,
r rock coming from the mine was ~
Z distributed as TO form the approach
J. Ing grade for railroad Johnson
= nerve simply took the breath ava!
g from the slowgolng inhabitants o
J. the GIN. Down, down the big shat
{ went, two steel cages passing cncl
n other night ana day, month nfte
g month, one year. two years, three
u four five years. Aud then ON tn
y; closing Of the Indian mints 10 IN
n coinage Of silver In 1903, johnson wa
g summoned 10 Boston. Would II pm
= nowf Yes. II would; for II his theor
Z. was correct they would quarry on
h the silver when they struck II. Tn
q silver Clincrs were nervous. Bu
Is Johnson returned smiling and assure
q Tue men that they We're going RICH
u Into the mountain aud must hurry
Johnson thinks he Is right over IN
n mouth Of the volcano. At 100 feet II
/ F..ss ~
y, was disappointed. Every 100 10,
II he ran two levels. In the FIVE yeai
D.. the mine has worked to date. ov,
D. i've miles OF underground levels an
i. drifts have been gOuged out.
'c All known geological conditions WEI
ll passed through. Great slabs OF graz
~ lie 800 feet long were cut lcngthwls
H. In other places the ground was ~ sol
le that great twenty-f0ur inch timber
ls were placed In the shaft to keep n
D. ground from Creeping" In. The d
vclOpment work was perfect. For n
10 first 800 feet the cages fan, the sleey,
No do not strike the guides.
II Three years ago an ore body WI
IN opened. II was great feeder of sllvo
III bearing mineral. The Silver cline
r. We're pnralyzed with astonlshmen
X Men We're set TO work to follow u
feeder, hut the hlg shaft kept sin
ne ing steadily. More than 1000 feet Il
OF workmen followed the MP Of the vel
~ around curious corners ana throul
IL strange formations, downward, dow
Ne ward. Sometimes the ore was poe
u sometimes Rich. Inquiry at the mil
nj was useless. The man who talked w
at discharged. II was n private entt
prise. The business Of the mine co
N, cerned nobody except those imme,
nj ately Interested In lts development.
lls Two hundred thounsnnd dollars wor
ne Of ore was taken out and sold I'm Il
IN public market ana the money put ba
hu In the mine. A year ago there W
~ tremendous excitement when one
ne the miners thought he had penetrnt
ii, the hanging wall Later what look
re Ike the foot wall was encounter
Of Johnson was happy and everybody W
'et excited. but they were not I'm the |
io' ing rock yet. A few feet farther M
an the shaft sank into more conglomera
cl- ana now such discoveries scarcely
I'M tract notice.
Il The mine to-day has reached den
~. OF 1900 feet. and men are still folio
m inc the feeder.
MS The company has expended 500
ly, OOO, including the amount spent IN pr
'er Dectiuu work and S2OOpO taken &