The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-12

tain country upon a substa initial basis.
so far as its mineral values from sur
face indications are concern red- very
few of the prospects have be IN opened
beyond the discovery work, ana III
every case the development work mas
conclusiyely Shown that with depth d
remarkable Improvement is maze
What is most encouraging Now for
the future of this section IS ina II Is
filled up with an experienced anSl COIL
seryation class of miners VINO al { Iu-
diciously opening their propernss ana
avoiding, as much as DoSslpIe, C
wholesale putting of prospects until
they are convinced beyond douot as
TO the stability of their propeA tes
None. however, will object to showing
their claims. or allowing them 20 De
thoroughly sampled, as the values are
of such a medium grade IN poth solu
and copper, as to give them what may
be termed an average of good d. OS-
uects. The gold found in the mines OF
this section is very fine. almost equal
TO fiour-gold. in many instances more
adaptable to the process OF cyanldlnS-
This character of ore is found IN DOR
phyry dykes which most lnVarlaoIy
average in width from ten to 100 1eet-
The Cripple Greek miner calls II a
phonolite Where free gold is found as
ISOLATED with copper, it is generally
coarse, and to an experienced eye
would be termed q new CUdTdClSI u
rock Its worthless and hungry look
ing appearance, contraSted with Its
value when tested by panning or an
ASSAY has given it the name of being,
an entirely new class of. ore, and thes
old Drospector, very demurely says:
ITS new one on me. Then, AGAIN
the class OF ore in which the SylVanlte
is now being found in the Geyser Pass
section. is entirely distinct and foreign
to that found at Cripple Creek, yet II
carries the values ranging from 131
ounces to al ounces in gold to the ton,
and from SIT to $50 in silver. Then.
again, the formation differs from that
of any other section. The walls, which
are entirely distinct from the veins,
often SHOW free gold, with no other
values The footwall on the east is
trachite, or granite, and the hanging
wall invariably is porphyry, or pnono-
lite of the bird'S-eye character. When
found in place they are almost perpen-
dicular, and have a direct north and
south course. trending with the range
of the mountains
The La Sal range of mountains is
estimated to be about So miles long, by
from eight to twelve miles IN width,
and has an elevation of about 5000 feet,
where the different camps are located,
while there are mountain peaks from
L, 900 to 2.501 feet; Mount Wass, in the
north division, a signal station, is d.
4Uu 1eeI. Inc largest veins anu DtSl
claims are found within the timber line
range, and as a rule are so badly
broken up that it requires considerable
work to find them in place, while the
lodges below the line of timber are COW
cred over with deep slide rock and tim
Der, but they are readily found by trac-
ing the float rock, of which there IS
an abundance scattered over the coun-
try Men who profess to be mining eX-
perts upon theory alo2e would be COM
pletely lost in their judgment of this
country by its peculiar formation and
character Of ore.
The first known of the existence of
sylvanite ore in this country was by
discovery made early last spring by
Mr.. Case, a miner from Cripple Creek,
whose experience in the mines there
had given him a considerable idea of
the character of the ore, and to con-
vince himself of its relation to sylvan
tie he sent samples of this ore to Colo
RADIO Springs for a test. At first it
was pronounced a valueless class of
white iron, but upon later investiga-
ton it was found to run from 1877 to
III ounces gold to the ton. A shaft was
sunk to q depth of so feet and a fine
vein of ore two feet in width has been
exposed which, regardless of the late
ness of the season, is stirring up a
quiet boom on the outside, from which
good results are now being realized by
the attention of Denver capitalists,
among whom are Mr.. Moffat and Smith
and others who deal in mining on a
large scale.
There is no lime or quartzite to be
found in the country. and most invar-
iably all the vein matter carries more
or less Of the fiorine spar. characters
tic of the ores of the Cripple Creek
district
Although mining operations on a
smlll scale have been carried on
throughout this country for the past u
years by Lester Taylor of Moab, John
Martin of Little Castle Valley and NJ.
NJ. Richardson of Richardson in the
Grand valley, nothing of special impor-
lance was done until this season, the
records Of Grand county showing that
something over 400 location notices
have been filed, and that over 300 min
ers and prospectors are scattered over
the country. Cabins have been built
IN the remotest gulches and basins,
and where last winter only the sound
of the winds and moaning of the pines
were heard, this winter every place will
be inhabited and many mines industri-
ously worked.
Miners Basin is at present the most
favorably located camp in the coun-
try, having within its reach provision
stores, daily stage line, good, COM
Portable cabins, and, in fact young
is rather crude and scattered, only for
the want of necessary building mater
lal. A good wagon road is now being
constructed into the camp, and a saw
mill plant and a ten-stamp mill are
ready TO be hauled in here by the 1st
of October, when the road will have
been completed.
Miners Basin is situated at the head
of Little Castle creek, on the west side
Of the range, overlooking Little Castle
valley, five miles distant; the great
Grand valley, ten miles distant, and the
Moab valley, 20 miles away, in all of
which are fine ranches, well provided
with fruits and vegetables. and cli-
mate that is natural and tropical to the
fortunate state of Utah. Three towns
will no doubt represent the business in
terests of the La Sal region next year.
and they viii be Miners Basin, in the
north division; Mill Creek, on the divid-
ing line, and a supply center for the
south division somewhere near Middle |
mountain, south of Geyser Pass, with |
Moab as the center of business and 1
legal. transactions.
There is considerable confusion on !
the outside regarding the most feas- !
ibie route into this country that may |
as well be understood now for the ben |
eft Of those coming here in the future |
If you are destined direct to the mining |
country. the most convenient and /
shortest route is via Cisco, a station on |
the Rio Grande Western, thence by |
daily stages IS miles to Ell Norte, g !
town at the foot of the range, two miles |