The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-15
COPPER IN BEAVER COUNTY.

notwithstanding that in former years
the primitive miners Of the country. 50
to speak, found in this county and west
over the state line some particularly
rlch copper ores. carrying silver and
gold. ores that would bear wagon ship
ment hundreds of miles, at a time when
any that would sell for less than $50 or
500 a ton would not pay for handling.
and when there was no labor saving
machinery to even assist the pick and
hand drill. AS the mining industry Of
the territory developed the miners de-
serted the section, going to camps
Where wages could be earned and
Where conditions were more favOrabla.
1t gave to n country a bad name,
which for a mining district is as unfor-
tunate as for the traditional dog. Pros
pectOrS tramped over the hills. the
saw the great lodges or dykes extend
ing for miles, projecting in plain view
above the surface, but their very mag
nitude was held to be sufficient for
their condemnation A few who, per-
laps, could not get away still held on
to claims, worked the assessments,
nurSed their hopes of ultimate wealth.
and waited for some one to appear who
could appreciate the opportunity and
money to take advantage of
it. The man finally appeared about five
years ago, one who had confidence in
himself and was able to inspire conf-,
dence n others. He investigated care
fully and convinced himself; then he
told a few capitalists of what he had
found and convinced them to the point
of furnishing the money TO absolutely
prove MS convictions. He began to
take options pom the established
claims, TO lease and bond properties
with agreements to do development
work A mild-mannered man. who can
keep his own counsel, who chooses well
his conidants, who can both wait and
work. is A B. Lewis, whose personality
Is Just now gaining recognition in min
ing. circles as one who can accomplish
the end he seeks in the face of all
sorts of discouragements. One prospect
after another was tied up" and those
lying adjacent We're grouped into three
several groups known as the Royal. the
Imperial and the Majestic. The work
done under bonds was only prospect
work; there has been no mining in the
usual sense of the word. Assays have
been taken and the results carefully
noted There has been no haste; with
fabulous wealth exposed in each and
all OF the rOupS the few parties in in
terest have kept silent, giving out no
word to indicate their good fortune and
to create excitement.
The Royal group was the first to be
fully secured and its vast ore bodies
that yield from > TO 10 per cent of the
yellow metal were exhibited to the mon
eyed men and it's stocks were quickly
gathered in by the favored few. Then
the Imperial and then the Majestic.
But Mr. Lewis did not stop with
these. His attention had been called TO
another group 100 miles away. around
Phoebe. New, Of quite as great. if not
greater, promise. BY the same meth
DDS he secured the claims. which now
constitute the Manhattan group. some
of these claims being mines from which
millions had been taken years ago., AMI
whose great waste dumps show ASSAY
values of $40 to $50 a ton.
Meantime in working under the bond
on the 20. K" mine-mOst appropriate
" named-there was being accumu-
lated q quantity OF ore. without much
sorting. Just the output from shaft ana
drifts as development proceeded. The
time had come to let the cat out of
the bag" All titles had been perfected.
fhe world might know all without jeop-
ardiziug the interests of those who had
So patiently waited while Mr.. Lewis
had worked out his well aid plans.
A trainlOad of h ore from the 20.
k ten cars. 25S tons. was loaded ami
shipped to the sampler. When asked
hosr much it would run Mr.. Lewis
smflingly answered 40 per cent copper,
a little silver and a little gold. Old
mining men shook their heads and
smiled i~ncredulOusly- Some were ready
to express their doubts in the western
ve%rnacular by backing their contrary
Judgment with a wager Finally the
returns came from sampler and from
smeIter. but one-tenth of one per cent
short Of the 40 claimed by Mr.. Lewis.
and a check was drawn for about $50. 600
for the trainload. or $1,000 per car.
1t had beaten the record, yet there