The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-13
BUREAU LOOKS into
MINERAL RESOURCES
ShOshOne Reservation May Be
Rich in Copper and
Gold Ores.

| About a year and a half ago the Sho-
| shone and Arapahoe tribes of Indians
| belonging to the Shoshone or Wind River
| reservation In the State of Wyoming.
! ceded TO the United States a portion
| OF their reservation, says Ores and Met
| ais. BY public proclamation. on June 2,
| 1906. the President of the United States
| made known that all the unallotted lands
| In the ceded portion OF this reservation
would be opened to settlement, on and
after August Is, under the general pro-
visions OF the homestead, townsite, coal
| and mineral land laws. As it was felt
| that people throughout the country would
be interested in the opening OF these
lands, and desirous Of knowing some
thing about their character, the Score
tary of the Interior was directed by the
Senate to furnish such information re-
latinY 10 the geology and the natural re-
sources Of that region as might be IN
possession of the geological survey. This
information Is now available In the form
of report by Mr., n. II. Darton on the
geology OF the Owl Creek mountains,
with notes on the resources Of adjoining
regions In the ceded portions OF the Sho-
shone Indian reservation.
As promising gold prospects have boon
recently discovered in the Bridger range
which constitutes the eastward continu-
alton OF the Owl Creek uplft. it is not
improbable that similar conditions may
be found In the Owl Creek mountains.
Portions of the GRANTEES and associated
rocks are considerably mineralized, as
shown by the presence OF veins and
impregnatlons or rusty quartz which
are worthy or Systematic inspection,
There are no young 1gneous rocks in
the main Owl Creek uplift, either In
the GRANTEES or traversing the over
lying sedlmentary rocks. Gold has
been found In some of the volcanic
rocks OF the Shoshone mountains In the
Kirwin region, and it is possible that
similar conditions may exist In the great
body OF these rocks lying Immediately
west OF the Owl Creek mountains.
Probably 1t will be useless to look
for gold in the sedimentary rocks Of
this region, but the GRANTEES and asso-
ciated schists in the map accompany
ine the report should be thoroughly pros
pected. In general the gold might be
detected by crushing the rock and
panning; but 1t may also occur in va
rious combinations. At various points
In the granite and associated schists
impregnations of iron pyrites and other
sulphides were observed. which may
prove to be gold bearing. Quartz con-
tanning free gold in clearly discernible
nakes has been reported from the granite
area OF the Owl Creek mountains, but
the exact locality has not been dlyulged.
Gold may possibly occur in small placer
deposits along streams leading out of tho
granite areas of the uplift. In Crow
Creek valley there are numerous accu-
mutations Of sands which may prove to
contain gold or other minerals, but moth
Ing of value has yet been found in them
Small amounts Of copper orc were OBJ
served at various points in the granite
In the higher central portion of the Owl
Creek mountains. but no promise Of large
deposits was found. The conditions ap-
pear to be similar to those In the
Bridger and Bighorn uplifts to the east
and north, where small amounts of cop |
per minerals frequently occur In small |
veins in the granite. Thorough pros |
pecting may, however. bring to light |
workable veins. but they should be looked |
or only In the areas shown on the geo |
ogical maps as outcrops OF granite and |
.chists.