The daily sentinel., 1905-08-09
ENTER UINTAH
SEEKING MINERAL CLAIMS


The following interesting account
of the rush of people seeking rich
mineral claims in the forest reserve
of the Uintah is taken from the Salt
Lake Herald of yesterday:
One of the biggest mining rushes
/ in this sections history is now on
with the Uintah forest reserve as its
objective point. Thousands of claims
have already been staked in the ad-
ditional strip of forest reserve set
aside by President Roosevelt in his
proclamation of July H. Salt Lake
men have sent out many prospectors
/ one outfit of 60 having been gotten
| together in this city.
Unique circumstances surround
| this rush into section known to be
rich in mineral. 1t is no recent dis
covery to which hundreds are STAN
peding. Its gold silver, copper and
| iron deposits have been facts of which
men were aware during years. But
| the country was a closed treasure
box, and these men kept the knowl-
edge to themselves. Late in the day.
| only week ago, men began to real
ize that the key had been turned
that in making this strip forest re-
| serve President Roosevelt had
thrown open for mineral entry what
I lldH utGl Atl iLltd Nllt AAlllltl al btlA VI
! the Uintah reservation. At once out
fits began to start out. Now the steep
walled gorges ring to hammer strokes
and the mountain meadows give pas
ture to grazing pack animals. while
in the shade of the enveloping for
ests hundreds of camps have been
made.
These figures are well within the
facts. Deputy United States Mar
4
yesterday from a dash into the prom
ised land, says that the thing has
passed the stage where it can be
called movement and has devel-
oped into rush. Mr.. Smyth was
with a party of Salt Lakes, who had
business of their own in the mineral
belt Like many others the knowl-
edge that this business could be at
tended to came recently. They out
fitted and pushed up the headwaters
of the Provo river into the reserve.
There are three routes into the
mineral belt said Mr.. Smyth, ''all
of which cross it without reaching
the reservation. They are what we
took-up the headwaters of Provo
river, one by way of Lake Fork and
another up Center creek. The Dan
iels canon route is being used by the
men who have registered and are on
Ailtll way lllNO Allt ltStl dAlbl plOBtl
to get agricultural lands.
"Al these routes are by way of
Provol then Heber. And today there
is hardly horse left in Heber. You
cant get one for love or money. Men
from all the mining camps in the
state, from Salt Lake, and from
points around Heber, have rushed
into the reserve. They came, most
of them, knowing what they were
F,,b "A in,
eral they had known of. and staked
their claims. Hundreds of them
have gone to the ground. One party
Of so was made up in Salt Lake City,
backed by Salt Lake people.
THE country in the reserve is
rough and well cut up. Along the
northerly end it has dense forest of
qualting asp and pine, with beautiful
mountain meadows through which
wind ice cold streams of clear noun
lain water. To the south it is a re
sion of barren rocks steep and for
bidding. And in that section is most
Of the mineral. 1t is a hard country
TO cross without knowing 1t we'll. AT
The best, ii is a difficult country for
travelling. Even pack horses cannot
reach some parts of it.
But mineral is there. have
heard of some remarkably rich sur
face showings, and the men who are
there claim that il will be the rich
est mining section in the state. Most
of these men came after having years
ago gotten knowledge of the mineral.
They say that they always knew it
would be a rich place.
with many of those who went in
the matter was kept quiet, and the
consequence is that the most of the
world outside knew nothing of what
was going on in this place. Even as
il is, with the incoming prospectors
being only men who knew of the min
eral wealth, hundreds have already |
sought il out In spite of the fact. |
too, that this wealth has been known |
for years, there remain in this re |
serve vast tracts which are utterly |
uneNplored. 1t is a wild. rugged |
mountain country, and it taxes men S |
energies to ever reach it. to say no
thing of travelling over it.
"The agricultural land all lies be
low this strip, which is at the head
waters of the Duchesne-the water
shed whence come most of Utah S
larger rivers"