Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19

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worked, they studied while the public
| passed the matter by.
| For the past 80 years work has been
| carried ON in tho canyon, but only In
| u disinterested fashion by small oper-
| ators and leasers, who were encouraged
by only few unimportant shipments.
! 1t is needless to say, therefore, that the
condition of the district now Is q great
| surprise.
LOCATION OF DISTRICT.
The mining district lies along the
backbone of the Wasatch range. at
the head of American Fork canyon.
Park City being about 10 miles to the
northeast and Alta few miles over
the divide to the south The Mountain
Lake property is in fact just over tho
| mountain at the east,
SOME MINING HISTORY.
the same experiences that have char
acterized the development OF tho
{, American Fork mines-abnormal ac-
tiVity. lapse and a renemal of opera
tons, However, there have been many
interesting features about the Aneri-
can Fork district that distinguish it
from others.
TuT5 DdCh Ill slofuy VI tIl5EeStDOuL, d
man named Miller investigated the
properties Of the canyon, and eventual
~ organized the Miller Mining &
Shelter company, Judge r. N. Bas-
kin OF Salt Lake, Col Aspenwall OF
New York and others prominent in
mining circles being connected with
him In the venture. Tho center of ac-
tivity was what has become known as
MILLER HILL" which still receives most
Of "a nj triynn n IN ct riot fTha
project in 1870 WAS of course considered
gigantic, and necessarily created quite
furry In the mining world. The ex-
citcment was augmented by the ex-
pcnsive improvements and extravaganza
expenditures made by Col. Aspenwall's
son. who had been sent out to man
age the property. Among the many big
things the son accomplished was the
building OF both a smelter and rail-
road. the latter extending as far as
Deer creek. Many men who have stu
died the situation attribute the final
failure. of the Miller Mining e. Smelt-i
er company to these hasty and lavish
expenditures
Near the smelter town sprang UP
with mushroom rapidity, several ho-
tells and boarding houses. a brewery
and a bowling alley all appearing to
meet the demands OF the particular
class of people that are usually found
In such places. Twenty years ago
flood came; and in a day the whole
city was wiped out. The main ore body
dwindled and finally disappeared! In
terest Jagged and finally the smelter
was closed, never again to resume OPP
erations, The railroad and smelter
were finally torn up and sold for scrap
iron, and all that was left OF the camp
was an old coke oven as monument;
s1,700,000 had been expended in flnanc-
ing the enterprise and all that was
ever realized was little over sS75,000,
only one car OF bullion ever having
been shipped over the railroad. 1t
must be borne in mind, however. that
this stupendous failure was due to no
lack of merit In the property, but ratt-
er to a lack OF executive ability and
persistence.
GEOLOGICAL FORMATION.
bles the Alta and Park City sections,
There are few lines and quartzites and
the granite zone appears very near
the surface. The upper line resembles
closely that of Alta, but the quartzite
is much harder. The whole formation
is rather fiat in comparison with that
of other districts, the dip averages
about 20 degrees, First comes cap
ping Of blue lime 90 feet in thickness;
then another of the same extent after
which comes Il quartzite zone, a thin
shale and granite. Running nearly
north and south are g. series of por
phyry intrusions intersected by cross
assures. The pay ore, usually car
Donate, 10 found in the upper lime; but
below this, in the shale and quartzite,
appears the sulphides which however,
are not ordinarily in paying quantities,
being silicious and impregrated with
much zinc. There true value Is never
theless open to deeper investigation, as
no systematic working has ever been
undertaken in the shale and quart
ute.
a re-awakening has taken place In
American Fork canyon; and once again
popular interest is causing many to
invest their money there. Within the
last half dozen years fortunes have
been made: many times the amount
originally taken from tho district, have
been shipped, and altogether mild
boom Is astir. Some Of the principal
properties may well be considered
THE DUTcHNIAN MINE.
The Dutchman mine on NIIlley Hill,
has been small producer and prob
ably tho most extensively worked mine
in the district. Its discovery Is report
ed to have been wholly accidental; II
travellers horse stumbled and exposed
the ledge.
The property has been opened up by
q main tunnel, 1,200 feet III length and
much drifting and stopping has been
done. The tunnel, however, being too
low for the carbonates and 100 high for
the sulphides has been abandoned.
though just above it, leascrs arc fol-
lowing n promising stringer of good
ore and have a good showing 1t is the
Intention of the company 10 sink a ZOO
foot shaft which. it is expected, will
=intersect large vein of zinc Work
will begin in this direction the first
part of the season.
The writer is informed by DR.. w. ].
Holden of Cleveland. Ohio, who con-
trolls the property, that the mine is at
present producing a high grade OF
Carbonate ore, which assays 10 ounces
OF silver, and from 80 TO 40 per cent
of lead with some copper and gold.
The mine constantly employs eight
men. and in view OF the fact that II Is
25oo feet lower than the Miller mine
in fact the most accessible OF all the
canyon properties--and has produced
practically since June. 1907 thousand
tons OF ore, worth in the aggregate.
$4,000, 1t Is confidently expected that
1t VIII become big producer.
THE BOG MINE.
The Bog Mine, so called from tho
Doggy ground on which il is situated |