The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-21
PIONEER PUSHES
TOWARD VEIN
Andrew Murphy Tells of Prog
reSS and of the Condi-
tons in Alta.
RAILROAD MUCH NEEDED
SALT lAKERS WILL ORGANIZE
COMPANY IN NEVADA.

Manager Andrew Murphy of the Pho
neer at Alta, who Is one of Its four own
ers. was In Salt Lake yesterday.
We have a tunnel driven about 800
feet on the Pioneer he said. we are
headed toward the Pittsburg vein and
expect TO strike II another 800 feet in. The
Pittsburg mine which has taken immense
quantities or ore. is being worked from
the opposite side of PlttSburg mn our
tunnels are running toward each other
The Pioneer tunnel is driven from the
Alta side of the hill and the PittsburS
from the American Fork side. consoi-
idation of the two companies 10 work
the hill together is not altogether I'M
probable,t although no steps nave Oeeil
taken in that direction yet A gang or
men is employed steadily at the Pioneer
TO push the tunnel work ahead rapidly.
While no ore has been struck OF any I'M
portance, this is in harmony with the eX-
pectations of the company. The Pltts-
burg vein is what we are after ana there
is every indication that we are going TO
get it with continued development
Has Faith in Alta.
Alta is the coming camp and / eX-
pect to see it Guido its old records. There
was nothing to bring about the death or
the camp except the severity OF It's WIN
ter seasons with frequent snowshdes. L
have been in that country for number
of years and have found that there Is no
danger from the snowslides if little
foresight is used. Years ago when Alta
was filled with large numbers of miners
and their families, houses would be built
right on the side of the steep hills and
directly in the path of the slides. During
my connection with the Pioneer that
mine has not suffered the loss OF single
life or a dollars worth of property
through snow
Alta needs a railroad badly and when
the one proposed is built and in operation.
the camp will make rapid strides toward
the front Besides furnishing transpor
tation for supplies and material and the
output of the town. travel to and from
the camp will increase. InvesNrs will be
able TO visit the camp without undergo
ing the unpleasantness of a stiff steep,
tiresome old ride in wagons over rough
mountain roads.
THE chief advantage which will be of
fered by the construction OF railroad
will be obtained through the betterment
of its labor conditions. The best miners
are married men. They are more reliable
than the young fellows who have moth
ing TO fill them with responsibility. In
the past married men have refused 10 re-
main in Alta during the winter. They
are afraid TO bring their families to the
camp on account of SnOwslides so when
winter comes around they roll up their
blankets and leave the mines in the lurch
When railroad has been brought to the
camp this feeling of dread will disap-
pear. suitable site for a little town
will be selected and proper building ma
terial hauled from the Salt Lake mar
ketS. A railroad is always the first thing
needed by n camp which has made a
showing. No matter how rich mine is
dividends are not paid until the ore has
been sent TO the markets. There are
several dozen big ore wagons hauling
from Alta at the present time but this
mode of transporting ore involves cOnsid-
cradle loss in the ore itself time and
money expended. Alta not only wants a
railroad but the condition of its mines
demands one being built
Has Mined in Nevada
II believe Park City. the Alta and
American Fork districts cover one inn
mense mineral belt and | expect them
TO equal the Occur d. Alenes. / have spent
a number of years in Nevada and had
charge of some of its best properties, but
the territory embracing the three dis
tricts in Utah looks better to me- Min
ing in~Utah means deep mining and deep
mining means big expense accounts and
vast expenditures OF money in mine
opening. but there are always a few
moneyed men willing to spend on Utah
properties because the mining history of
the state shows remarkably few failures
The Columbus Consolidated Continental
Alta, South Columbus, Emma. Flagstaff
City Rocks. Pittsburg and numerous 9th
er properties are either shipping ore or
preparing 10 ship ore in the Alta district
When other prospects are added TO this
list Alta will be the camp"