Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-18
Deep Creek

Inc ETcaIcf part VI tuc COuutiy
monty designated as Deep Creek, is In
the state of Utah, but some of the min
ing districts lying close to the Utah
Now dl line are sometimes included,
from tso similarity of the formations
ard other considerations The scope
oil this article will be the Deep Creek
range OF mountains and the various
mining districts therein, all Of which
are within the State of Utah.
The Deep Creek range of mountains
is some so miles In length. with a
northerly and southerly trend. 1t is
one of the most beautiful and imposing
ranges IN the west, II you approach
1t from the east, since 1t rises abruptly
form the dead level OF the desert to an
altitude of some r. 900 feet. The great
or part of the range is heavily TIM
bered with pines common In this cli-
mate. and of n quality suitable for
lumber or for mining timbers. There
is also plenty of cedar, pinon and
mountain mahogany that Is of superior
quality for fire wood
The range. as a whole, IS we'll watered
by numerous mountain streams, many
of them alive with the luscious noun
tain trout. Game Is plentiful, such
as deer. antelope In the foot hills,moun-
tain grouse and sage hens. Water
fowl are also very plentiful In the
nearby lakes and valley streams. The
climate Is mild and salubrious; the
ncsrness OF the alkaline desert having
marked effect. seemingly, upon the
climatic conditions.
FAVOR OUTDOOR LIFE.
Al the natural conditions are. there
fore. favorable to outdoor life. and
consequently for prospecting and min
Ing throughout the year.
The first discovery of mineral In the
country was evidently made by the
Indians, and by the United States sol
diers who were stationed there In the
days of the pony express which passed
directly through the Deep Creek coun-
try The Indians were hostile In those
days. and many blood curdllng stories
are told of murders and narrow es-
cnpoS of the passengers on the overland
stage and the pioneers who first at
TEMPTED to settle in the country.
That the Indians knew at an carly
date of the presence OF lead IN tne
c-u7try, Is plainly evident by the flnd-
ing Of samples of fine galena ore at
IN OF the old camping grounds where
they were accustomed TO congregate
TO make their arrow heads. These
camns were usually near a spring or
stream: and it seems quite natural
that when they first began to acquire
fire, arms. the old camping grounds
.-hould still remain the favored places
fcr making their bullets That they
l,d SO Is also clearly shown by the
c.,ide implements of Iron that nave
. en- found In these camps, which were
evidently used for the purpose oil melt
ing the lead The older Indians also
seem 10 have had some knowledge Of
copper ores, but it Is not likely that
they attempted to make any use oil the
copper
The earlier white settlers in the
country were stock and ranchmen. at
tracted by the fertile lands of the val
leys and foothills. and by the nne
Grass and other stock forage on the
range. Many Of the old ranchers and
>;tockmen have become very wealthy
and untold wealth Will be made In the
years to come from the fertile, but un-
occupied lands of that section.
But the pride of Deep Creek Is IN It's
mineral wealth; and there is no place In
he wide world that has so great
variety of minerals, In such quantity,
as the Deep Creek country. The en-
fire range for SO miles Is highly mlp-
eraiized with gold, silver. copper. lead'
zinc and iron. In the Clifton dlstrict'
a greater variety OF minerals is round
Including nickel, tin, antimony, molyo-
denum, and the rare and highly Vaiu-
able tungsten ,.,.
n is proper here to say. that while
the mineral wealth OF the country M
discovered many years ago, there was
uttie effort made to dcvelope any but
thel very rich silver and silver-lead
oros Small smelters were built at
dfterent points and were operated az
a good profit until the price OF silver
became so low that they were forced
Ia close. Smelters were built at Bull
lIouville. clifton, Cane Springs Go'o
Hill. and at other points farther away
from the central portion OF the section
under discussion. AS the mlneral
wealth of the country became better
known. and better developed. atten.
tion was directed to the gold ores OF
the country. The first gold mill was
hunt upon the property oil the Cale
Springs company. the Midas and the
QUEEN of Sheba mills following later
CANE SPRINGS PROPERTY.
The property formerly belonging 10
the Cane Springs company covered con-
siderable territory IN the Clifton district
and was among the earliest OF the
carly locations made upon the mineral
grounds of that district.
1t at one time owned all the patented
property now held by the Woodman
Mining company and the Western Utah
Mining company. The holdings o. tnese
two companies arc in several groups
and are at different points through the
most heavily mineralzed section of the
district The late Col. j. L. Woodman,
a man OF large mining experience, GER
tainly showed good Judgment In select
ing his properties as he did, as develop
nent has amply demonstrated. He had
made a great deal of money from mines
in Sother parts of tho state, but hAd
disposed of practically all his mining
property with the exception of his hold
ings in the Clifton district and had
plans almost completed that would
have involved the expenditure OF an i'm
monse amount of money In the erection
OF modern plants that would have been
of fjnestlmable benefit to the whole dis
triet But death intervened and his
property passed into new hands just at
time when he could confidently look
forward to the great success of his life.
wooDMAN COMPANY.
This company OWLS the old Cane
Springs locations and has been large
producer of gold. The company also
owns the Bonnemort claim and the
FraniSy claim and the Elverada group.
The Cane Springs Alverada groups
have been most extensively developed.
and 1t Is from these two groups that
the greater part of the orc so far eX-
tracted has been taken. The ore has
been a high grade gold ore, averaging
something like $40 per ton. The ores
have been found mostly in lime near a
porphyry-lime contact. II Is free mill
ing but the ore from the Cane Springs
carries small percentage of copper,
generally in the form OF carbonates.
The BonDemort claim Is gold and cop