Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-29
.PR0SPECT0R TALKS OF
La SAL MOUNTAINS
a. NJ. Rogers Points Out Great Possi-i
btlitIes in Little Heard OF Dis
a. trict on san Juan River.

- lNohSTs IOiii&s S'uGfJS 9IlOSSl-
bllitIes in Little Heard OF Dis
trict on San Juan River.
Although little Is heard OF the La
sal Mountain district in Grand county
M. Rogers, an old prospector OF
the district gives rather glowing
| picture OF its opportunities in the
Grand Valley Times. In his article
Mr.. Rogers says:
The many and varied mineral re-
sources of the La Sal Mountain re-
sion are scarcely UNPRECEDENTED By
even those who are best acquainted
with the Geographical conditions ex-
isting there. That there are large de-
posts of gold and copper bearing ores.
and In some places a very good grade
of silver ores has long been known
hut the vast bodies or gold bearing
telluriunI ores in the form of sylVanite
and calaverite and occasional pockets
OF petite, Very rich in the auriferous
wealth, is sarcely understood by even
the. oldest and most experienced pros
5pectors
rs The greatest drawback III most cases
is chat the greater number Of tests are.
+ mad by mail order assayer, who. no
doubt, use the open scoritiel, fro test
and the volatile properties of all tel
Sluric ores are such that by that pro-
cess most OF the values are lost and
the consequent results are very dis
8colraging to the prospector.
METHODS OF TESTING,
The only reliable fire test volatile
ores. either telluric, antiinonial or zinc
Is to make a ton assay in II sufficiently
large crucible to insert vertically a.
bright clean piece of steel, Ia ten pen
ny Wire nail Is most conveniently and
cover the cruclble with a close fitting
sooritier, and on taking it from the
nlnffler carefully remove the nail from.
the crucihle and when 1t ,cools remove
the values which collect in fine fila
5trtentss somewhat resembling the man
her in which frost will gather on Il
nail, weigh such deposit and add re-
suit to the button obtained by cupella-
ton, and iii most cases 1t has been the
writer's experience to get much great
or values from theSnail and the inside
of the Inverted scoritier than from
the cupelled button.
The most satisfactory methods, how
ever, to me, have been by the wet or
chemical process, or by cyaniding 1t
takes a much larger quantity of ore
and more labor and expense for the
latter process to make anything Ike
an accurate determination.
PRESENCE OF TELLURIu1sf.
\ During the past five years the writer
has made numerous qualitative tests
mot having scales OF sufficient fnenSss
FORE testsl on ores from va
riotIs parts of the La Sal mountains,
chiefly from Miners Basin, Gold Ba-
sin and the Pacli Greek region and In
nearly every instance the presence of
tellurium was manifest, and the gen-
eral average of gold values was far
above my expectations SO far above, in 4
fact, that am. convinced that an in 4
estimable tonnage of $40 and better per
ton, cyanIding ore Is here awaiting
treatment.
1t is unnecessary, nor will space per
nit to enumerate the specific claims,
but to any experienced mining man
who will make a careful examination
OF Miners Basin. Gold Basin, Pack
Greek and 1 believe Lackey Basin,
Geyser Pass, Burro Pass. Deep Creek.
Beaver Basin and IN fact any part OF
the La Sal district where the igneous
and edimentarys formations are5gin
contact that paying ores of gold. sill
yer or copper or ores containing all
or these metals may be found In adj
dition to these and containing perhaps
far great ter wealth than the combined
red, white and yellow METALS are the
almost inexhaustable mass of magnet
Ne and hematite iron and large bodies
OF high grade manganese and lungs
ten, and uranium, ana yanadium de-
posts iii the foot hills which are easy
of access. The facilities for economi-
cal treatment are abundant.
HIGH GRADE GYPSUM.
In addition to the metallic Wealth
Of the district there are large deposits
Of high grade gypsum, and sufficient |
tsrh
hill OF corn in the United States and
have enough LETT to fertilize all sue
ceeding crops tor the next hundred |
years CT more, and then some.
Tests which the writer has made on
samples from various places along the
llarl beds in the upper part OF Grand |
Nalley have given results of phosplipor-
3 acid from 4 to per cent, and 1t is
-lch in nitrogen and iron. 1t is prob
Able that 1t is owing to the presence
of these properties in the seemingly
sterile sands that Vegetation is caused
10 thrive 50 profuSely under frrigl-
lion in some parts OF this valley.
The greatest, and almost the only
drawback to this section and to the
Blue Mountains. and the vast oil region
Of from 70 to 30 miles on each side OF
the San Juan river and more than one
hundred miles in length easterly and
westerly. Is the lack Of transportation
facilities. Give this country capital
Ia develope it's resources and trans-
portation facilities will come with all
the hurry up means at command; give
1t means OF reasonable transportation
and capital will rush In like a tidal
wave.
NEED OF CAPITAL
With the combination of transporta-
ton and intelligently directed labor it
viii yield as great, perhaps greater re-
turns In agricultural, horticultural or
mineral products than any section Of it's
size in this or any other country, on
which Gods benign sunlight and well
come showers are wont to fall. And
this country Is peopled with as brave,
tauntless and progressive a class OF
men and women as ever pioneered the
west or tickled nother3earth into sIail-
ing with bountiful harvests and rich |
treasure.
EDDIE MEAD JOINS scHErTELs.
Edward II, Mead, we'll known in
mining circles of Utah, Nevada, and |
other parts of the west, hrs come. to
New York to join the staff of B. Fl. |
Scheftels s. Go. Mr. Mead was assoc i
elated for a long time with Samuel I