The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-12
OLD OPERATOR
TALKS OF PIOCHE
Ben Hampton Tells of Visit to
District After Quarter of
Century.

impressions OF ElOCues New atleF an
absence Of a quarter of a century. was
the story recited yesterday by benjamin
Hampton. one of the oid-time operators
there. who returned from a visit to the
district yesterday with Murray c. GOdbe
In many ways Mr. Hampton declares it
IS the same old Phoebe that he used to
know. That is, the city is about the
same, but the mines are much larger and
better developed than he ever expected
to see He asserted that he was more
than surprised at the vast bodies of ore
developed. When he went there he said
he expected to see some good mines, but
IN this he was surprised to find them
greater beyond all expectations
Mr.. Hampton is an engineer Of wide
experience, and he and his associates have
taken millions from the ground. His
experience in mining has covered nearly
half century, and he has opened up
some Of the largest producers Of the early
days Among them were the Cave, the
property now known as the Beaver Car
Donate and many others in the Star min
ing district, Beaver county. He first went
into the Phoebe country in 1884 with w
), GOdbe, father of the GOdbe brothers,
who own the Prince Consolidated mine.
With ". s. GOdbe he worked the tailings
of the famous old Raymond and Ely mine
from which they shipped over 100 cars
that brought $1,000 a car. Shortly after
that Mr. Hampton became interested in
other parts Of the country and left Mr.
mOnd and Ely properties into what is now
q part Of the OhiO-kentuclzy and Nevada
Utah properties. In this he is said to
have spent between $500 90 and $4,000
Il was certainly surprised at the ore
exposed" said Mr.. Hampton yesterday.
THAT the Prince is a big mine is putting
it mildly. believe 1t IS the biggest prop
erty that I have ever seen. and I have
seen many. One can hardly realize the
amount of ore there. And it is going
down stronger. The solutions came up
from below and not from above.
Big Graveyard.
''The city has not changed much since
I was there, although there are not as
many houses. At that time there were
10000 people there, and now, ] believe.
there are about 1000 Many of the build
ings have been torn down and moved
remain. The town looks more dilapidated
but there are now some signs of activity
and some new buildings going UP. The
people there told me there were 1903
graves in the graveyard. 1 guess that
was stretched a little. The place looks
as dilapidated as ever a graveyard could
In the old days there was 10 trouble in
filling the graveyard and they got some
one every day. Now the town is well
watered and there is a good water sys-
tenn.
Il was all through the Prince mine. In
the winze below the 550-fOot level some
the mine is coming out. It is getting bet
ter as the work goes down.
Il never thought 1t possible that there
was so much ore in the old Raymond and
Ely vein as I found in the Susan Buster
mine. 1t is an excellent property, and il
made me want to get in.
''The Mendha is another property that
looks good to me. They are blocking
the mine is shipping right along, I under
stand.
"One thing must say Of the men who
are working in the Phoebe district. and
There are no high-priced officials, and !
find that The men who are working the
hardest are some of the heaviest stock
holders. At one place the superintendent
was working as hard as any of his men.
There are no fancy boarding houses and
big offices, but every man works with
some instrument IN his hand. IT is not
camp for idlers, but one where the peO-
pie work, and they are getting results
At old Dump.
81 saw many of the old dumps Just as
they were when I saw them last and if
the people but knew it, there is many a
fortune in them yet In the days when
not shipped. Phoebe had nearly ali south
eTn Utah working for It at one time In
those old dumps Is lots OF good ore
when l was in the camp years ago
q
person staked out his ground cor patent
some one would jump him with a law
suit.
''The first patent that was ever taken
out in the district, / believe was taken
out by W. 5. Godbe. That was about
twenty-five years ago, but in the old
days Of the camp there were no patents
"One Of the properties that interested
me was that being worked by Alex. Col
bath OF Salt Lake City. He IS certainly
doing some fine work on the property
and he viii get good ore. From the show
ing I saw while ] was there, I am Ger
tain he has caught a stringer or tail-end
OF the old Meadow Valley vein. which was
worked many years ago, and which
yielded millions. There are three or four
assures running through the property.
and they are crosscut by a bedded vein
The property has an excellent showing of
For a young man, AIR. Goliath is
doing some fine work. Everything thar
has been done at the property was done
in first-class shape. Mr.. Goliath like
the others in the district, is not afraid
20 work, and he has been working himself
on the armstrong hoist on the shaft
zone thing that is needed is the extern
sion OF the railroad around the mountain
to the west of Phoebe. It viii be a good
feeder to the present road. ! understand
49, q. =. ....sI-