Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-18
WASHINGTON co MINERALS.


Almost every kind of mineral or me-
tai that Is used IN the industrial world,
says the st. George Advocate, Ia found
In Washington county: gold, silver, cop
per- lead, and iron are known 20 exist
In almost inexhaustible quantities.
In the eastern part OF our county
mammoth beds OF coal are patiently
waiting for some enterprlsing person to
open them up and put their contents 10
the use tor which they We're created.
Near Virgin city there are vast deposits
OF petroleum shale. In some places the
oil oozes out OF the rock and has been
tested and proves to be a very good
quality OIL experts from California say
that II Is fully as good II not better than
the California product All that is Lack
ing is the capital 10 develop the claims,
Gypsum, the mineral from which
plaster Of paris is manufactured, Is
more than plenty. In fact It Is a nuis-
ance In some parts OF the county.
In the northwestern part OF the coun-
~ large lodges OF very fine quality Of
pure silica onyx" have been dlscoy-
cred, also large deposits Of iron ore
have been discovered In the same neigh
borhood.
The first mining excitement in Wash
ington county was about the year 1870
thought was silver IN the sandstone
lodges near the town Of Leeds, and sew
eral persons went from st. George and
located claims and thus became pros.
pective mIllionaires, but about that timc
a professor OF geology who was pass
Ing through the country on his way TO
California, gave lecture in st. George,
during which he ridiculed the idea 81
nnding precious metals In sandstone,
and explained how II was scientifically
impossible for such thing TO be. And
that was the end of Washington cOur-
tvs first boom.
In the year 1873 W. r. Barbee OF
Phoebe, New, having heard Of the PEE
culiar sandstone OF that vicinity came
to see 1t, and thinking that Dame Ma
ture had a perfect right TO place pre-
oious metals wheres0eYer she chose,
whether she did It according to the rules
OF science or not, located some claims
and shipped few loads OF sandstone
TO Phoebe. The result was "A stampede
and In ar increditably short time mines
were opened. mills built and the town
OF Silver Reef came int oexstence.
In the southwestern part Of the coup-
~. about 20 miles from St George ia
located the famous Dixie group "
claims, a copper property owned by the
Utah ana Eastern Copper company.
These mines 'Ncre accidentally discov-
cred by some wood haulers IN the eigh-
ties They were located and worked for
some Time by the discoveries, and quite
an amount of ore and bullion was ship.
ped
The ore was high grade right from
the surface, one shipment OF 50 tons
went 50 per cent copper The owners
not having the capital 20 properly de-
velop the property sold It and Il finally
fel INTO the hands Of the present oWn-
ers. who are putting II in shape fUr
making money They have prospecte |
II 10 the depth OF over 600 feet ana
find II improves az they go down. both
In quantity ana quality. Within a very
short time they expect 20 begin ship
ping ere To their smelter, which ia
about II miles distant on the Santa
Clara creek. between which points n
good road has been built.
They have the finest and most com.
plete gasoline plant IN the country, with
an aggregate OF $50 horse power which
runs the hoist and electric dynamo for
lighting the whole works, ana also the
air compressor.
They have new road from the smell
ter TO Acoma, the nearest railroad sta
ton, which IS about Is miles distant,
This road was built at an expense or
nearly $50. 000.
II all goes we'll this mine win soon
show what Washington county has in
the shape OF mines. as they viii demon.
strate that there Is no better mine In
Utah than the Dixie
About one and a half miles to the
west from the Dixie is the Surprise. u
copper property carrying high grade
ores. owned by the Adams brothers OF
Eureka, Utah and Just south of the
Sunrise lies the old Black Warrior. one
OF the nrst discoveries IN the district.
II was worked In the early days hy w.
II. Pace, a. r. Whitehead and others
Transportation and express were so
heavy and the price Of lead so low
they had TO close down. with the pres.
ent Transportation facilities this proper.
" should be producing. as Il has an
abundance OF lead and some copper /,
sight and "A little development would
snow 1t TO be good property. IL Is
owned at present by James Andrus.