The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1904-02-24
THE MINES OF oPHIR.
From the Deseret News.
Continued From Our LastJ

From the Deseret News.
Continued From Our LastJ
pated. and among the more prominent
ones were Bucksltin CLARK. Daniel
Stanton and A. W. Moore. When Il
came to the selection OF name for the
newly-found district quite a friendly
rivalry arose. A goodly number Of
those present wanted II called Galena /;
others thought Agenta a more appro-
pirate name. while Ophir was suggested
ms being better one. The house
seemed To be pretty well divided on the
subject. 80 little slips OF paper were
passed around and the matter settled
by ballot Ophir won and the camp has
borne that title ever since. Many. In
fact nearly all. OF the men who took
laid down their tools and passed over
the Great Divide. Buckskin Clark and
A. w. Moore were among the latest TO
close life'a chapter.
FIRST WHITE MAN.
MIR, Herman says he Is positive that
the latter was the first white man who
settled in Ophir canyon. II not the first
one who entered II. Moore had a ranch
there and the present townsite covered
part of IT, When the townsite was
laid out Mr. Herman. who was then
Surveyor Of Tooele county. was em-
ployed to do the surveying. Moore
coined money out OF the sale of lots,
hut nearly all the wealth acquired In
this manner was lost In mining ven
lures made afterward,
ORIGINAL MINERS.
While the soldiers under the COM
mand OF Gen. Common may have done
the fret prospecting In the SOS, MIR.
Herman says the first really active mi
Ming aApnNnAnaaA fhaNa In 1874 N
the two men who discovered the pres
ent Ophir-fiill mine-John w. Cooley
and James McBride-undertook To mar
ket the first ore. They made no money
Of consequence. for the reason that
they experienced difficulty In finding a
market. Some OF the ore was shipped
to the old Waterman smelter, seven
teen miles south OF the Great Salt lake.
but owing TO their composition the fur
naces would freeze quickly; hence. the
product OF the mine was not wanted
Cooley and Mcbride sold out their in
terests for few hundred dollars.
WALKER BROS.
The Walker Brothers entered Ophir
canyon, Mr.. Herman says, about 1874.
and soon afterward built a mill and OPP
Grated II for some time on ores OBJ
tanned from Lion hill, on the east side
OF the canyon. Marcus DAILY managed
AlAN W AAh'A HlNItiAAfNs W U'n Nih Ailli
was abandoned the machinery was
shipped to Butte and used az the Alice
mine.
The first experienced miners who en-
tered the Dry canyon section OF the dis
trict. according 10 MIR. Herman. went
there In the year 1859. The mountains
In that portion Of the camp were heav-
| ily covered with timber, ana john
| Moore, the leader OF the pioneer party
/ applied 10 Mr.. Herman TO survey some
timber claims for them Mr.. Herman
/ cannot recall the names OF all the mel
who comprised the little delegation, hui
a man by the name OF John Dyer was
| the cook.
Along about 1871 or 1879 the town o.
Ophir contained several thousand PEG
pie, and Mr.. Herman II ready 10 CON
Arm all that has been said elsewher,
relative to the moral condition OF tins
camp In the early days,
PIONEER HOTEL.
John Duke was the pioneer hotel
keeper and kept place In a log cabiI
building, on the site OF the presen
o'Brien house. The hotel was know
as the Duke house. and the owner al,
a very thriving business, Mr.. Herman
stopped AZ the place a number OF time
and, on one occasion while he was en-
gagged In surveying the townsite. pu
up there. Every bed In the house wa
taken, and In order TO accommodate
as many guests as possible. three per
sons were obliged 10 sleep In the sam
| bunk. on one particular night Mr.
| Herman turned IN with two hedmats
whom he did not know and had neve
seen before. There were number O
| beds In the same room, and an OF them
Of course, were filled. while Mr.. Her
man ard his stranger Companions wcr'
| trying 10 slumber. several men wer'
buFily engaged IN lively game o
poker. Upon the table whore they wer'