The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-27

American Fork mining district, just
over the divide south from Alta, in Lit
lie Cottonwood appears to be getting
under way at last with the right foot
forward ParadOxical as it may seem,
American Fork is one of the oldest and
Yet one of the youngest rich mineral
producing districts in the state. Though
mining has been going on there for
more than thirty years, real, perma-
nent, lasting, proven, developed mine.
such as most of the other old camps of
Utah boast, has never been made there.
Fortunes have been spent and some of
them utterly wasted in the district, but
not one deep mine has yet been opened.
Fabulously rich gold and silver ore has
been produced and shipped, ard a great
deal OF ore running high in lead with
the other metals has also been taken
out of what are termed shallow, surface
workings. The dyke and assuring sys-
TENS of the district nave evidently new
er been well learned or understood
though miners, experts and biologists
have all the time contended that the
formation was very similar, if not iden-
teal, with that in which the mines of
Park City had been made. with the ex-
ception that the GRANTEES are more
prominently in evidence.
Learning Lessons of the Rocks.
Gradually the work that has been 60
ing on from the Park City end of the
great mineral zone south and south
westerly through Snake Greek, Big and
Little Cottonwood districts, and the les
sons learned in these camps, has been
applied TO American Fork during the
past year or two. Now, at the close OF
1908, the district presents an appearance
which is premOnitOry Of the results
quite certain to follow the expenditure
of money along lines suggested by the
better knowledge of what ought to be
done to make nature disclose the real
source of the rich surface deposits that
have been dug out of the everything
stratas of lime. and counted as gone
forever when the limits of the lenses
were found. 1t is claimed that, when
ever the splphide zone was entered the
change from the rich carbonates and
chlorides to base. Zinciferous ores so
frightened the claim and property own
ers that work was invariably aban-
doned and the operators bemoaned their
tough luck.
Important Changes Are Wrought.
Methods of mining. like everything
else. have changed wonderfully during
the past ten to twenty years. Methods
OF ore treatment have also undergone
changes that have amounted to a revo-
luton. Ores that frightened mine own
ers out of their wits a few years ago.
because they were refractory and
base" are now the classes most sought
for. Il is now known that base" ores
are the ones that make in quantity and
most readily yield to the modern proc
esses of concentration: where thew car
ried CONSERVATION twenty years ago.
they now bring expressions of eIation
from their discoveries. Where carbon
ates were the whole thing in the years
gone by, their discovery NOWADAYS is
followed by determination of the mine
owners to get under and below them as
quickly as possible, and no one thinks
of claiming he has mine until the sui
piside or base" zone has been reached
and the ores are found in place.
Days of the chIorider Passing Away.
American Fork has passed through
its Observation-Disclosures days of primitive
mining, and the operators now max
ing claims for the districts greatness
are those who are determined to prove
the camp at depth, while they take
what advantage there is in mining the
rich carbonates that may be opened
nearer the surface. II may take some
little time yet To prove the district up.
hut men of money and modern mining
knowledge are now investing and feel
ing their way into the camp. and the
result is going to be that everything
previously accomplished in the district
viii appear as nothing with what viii
be accomplished in the years 10 come
The early-day pioneers are being fol-
lowed by the trail-blaZers of today.
They are going TO do for American Fork
what they have done for Bingham, Tin
a