The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31

SIS to Sc per ton, and tunnel to deliver
to the mill direct is within 100 feet of
completion. In fact it seems likely
that eventually the New Mammoth will
square itself. as incentive for using
such dastardly deception is wanting.
WEST MOUNTAIN PLACER.
So much has been said of Bingham s
placer interests that to give any resume
Of them at this time would be a thrash
ing of old straw. Suffice it that there
are thousands of acres of gravel. under
many feet of deposit that will per-
suaded by capital, yield good returns.
The only placer operations of i'm
portance now progressing are those of
the West Mountain Mining company.
They are being closely watched and
their success means early activity for
other large placer interests. The West
Mountain has had much to overcome in
the way of getting the large underfiow
OF Bingham creek under safe control.
After a number of serious drawbacks
this is practically accomplished, and
within three months the company will
be washing gravel in large quantities.
The plan OF raising the underfiow to
the surface at the head of the placer
by pumping is so far advanced that
ii can be pronounced a perfect success.
Final measures are being taken to pre-
vent the possibility of future trouble
from freshets.
In the meantime working inclines are
sinking 81 various points below the
pumping station, where gravel will be
raised and washed Incline No. / has
been sunk to within sixty feet of bed
rock and is going down four to five feet
per day, No. is down sixty feet and
No. 3, $50 feet. The average depth to
bedrock is about 265 feet (dip of in
clines).
A washing was made during the week
ending Dec. 16, which, with other data,
will give an idea Of the richness of
West Mountain placer. 1t was neces-
sary TO run a drift from the deep cross
rock) about seventy feet to the
surface of bedrock, there to make
another cut from rim to rim, SO
that any seepage passing the first cut
can be turned back by way of the drift
to the deep cut and thence into the
stump. This drift, seven feet high, has
been run thirty-five feet and has raised
until about three feet of it is in gravel
above bedrock. From ii six cubic yards
and three feet of gravel were taken
and washed. as stated. The panning
down was done on the 18th of Deem
Der, and five and one-half ounces of
dust obtained. or at the rate of $3.50
per yard. The dust is all coarse, and
includes number of nuggets worth
from so to so cents.
When it is considered that surface
gravel yielding 25 cents per yard by
hydraulicing pays well for working,
an idea Of the richness Of West Noun
tain gravel can be formed. The creek
has been prospected for many. years,
and fortunes were washed out along the
rims, so there is no question as TO its
uniform character. The bed is sixty
one feet between inns at pumping sta
tion-the narrow..st place in the cam
yon-and the company's ground covers
two miles down the creek. The gravel |
strata on bedrock is found to be uni |
formly seven feet thick.
From this imperfect description can
be gathered a conception of the i'm |
mense possibilities to result from West |
Mountain operations. In three months |
the working tunnels should be giving
up gravel a the rate of 200 to 300 yards |
per day. Even if il should prove to /
average not more than SO per yard, the !
gold that will be taken out in the years i
TO come will be counted by millions.
BINGHAM TUNNEL.
This tunnel, with mouth in north |
eastern part of district, and designed