The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-09
MINING NEWS
WHERE UTAH GETS
MOST OF ITS GOLD.


Salt Lake City, July 3.-During re-
cent years mining developments In
Tooele county have attracted world
1 wide attention The county has once
more been through a boom and this
time weathered the storm. In the
early fall of 1883 Mercur was discov-
cred and by the end OF that year had
already begun to produce precious
metals. Since 1889 this one camp has
[ far outdistanced all the remainder of
. the state as a producer OF gold. It
may be noted that Mercur has pro
| duced $4,000 900 In the last seven
years 1902-1909). or 56 per cent OF
Utah's entire gold yield for that pc
| riod, AS producer of silver ii Is
seen that Mercur Is inconsequential,
contributing only seven one-hun-
dredths of one per cent of the total
| output Of the state.
The growth of the mines OF Mercur
has been vigorous and constant. The
| only year that failed to show an In
crease over former years was in 1902
However, the cause for this was plain
ly apparent In 1890. the year after
the first wild rush into the district.
the people began to put In permanent
equipment and to develop their prop
critics; leasing was less active and
companies began to store low7grade
ore to await the completion of reduc-
| ton works on the grounds In 1893
the setback was due TO the financial
depression. At the same time. when
| II is considered that tho years pro-
duction from Mcrcur represents only
seven months work, 1T is evident
that even in hard times the camp
continued to grow During the first
two months of 1899 Mercur suffered
from a bitter labor controversy.
This dispute was at last satisfac~
| torily arranged for both sides.
Many visitors came away with the
impression that this was only a tenn
porary camp. Comparison was often
made with Tintlc. bringing out tho
older camp as compared with the
malle-shift conditions found at Mer-
cur This was true at first wnen
most Of the properties were being
worked on leases. but it does not ap-
ply at present.
Mercurs population at the present
time is about $500 and is of much
more permanent character than 1t
was during the rush days when it
was supposed 10 amount to about
5000 persons The completion of the
Salt Lake and Mercur railroad to
Fairfield added materially to Mercurs
prosperity.
The Mercur mills, when those un-
der construction are completed, Will
he capable of treating something like
1000 tons OF ore per day. The Con
solidated Mercur Gold Mines company
mill is now treating 700 tons Il dag:
the Sacramento has a capacity Of 200:
the West Dip. 100; the Boston-Sun-
shine, 200, and they are of the latest
type. These can all be crowded to
far more than their capacity.
The most satisfactory indication OF
a mining camps prosperity Is its
record as dividend payer Up to
June 80, 1908, one company-the Con-
solidated Mercur-had produced $13,-
1S9,73i-34. and paid dividends of So
415,3l2. The production of the Mer-
cur companies for the year 1907,
year In which mining companies all
over the world discontinued dividends,
WIS CLOSE 10 - fO,VVU, Wduc up as I0l-
lows Consolidated Mercur. SILL
7iSlG, and Sacramento approximately
S125.j00. Other companies. of which
we have no record, probably increased
this record to S275.000
To make an approximate value of
the ores taken from the Mercur
camp would be hard but 1t probably is
in the nelghbornood of $25 900 900 At
the present time the Consolidated
Mercur is producing in the neighbor-
hood of 100000 worth of bullion a
month, and the Boston-Sunsnine. $14,-
900. The old Sacramento ore dump,
which is being worked over by leas-
ers, is expected 10 make a good yield
of bullion this month and the West Dip
will be working shortly, it is said.
The Boston Sunshine will shortly
declare a dividend of about cents n
share, and the Consolidated Mercur
will this year declare a dividend.
which will be the first since December
30 1906. The Boston Sunshine is in
corporated with 250,000 shares. and of
this number 100000 are In the treas
ury. The property Will be one of the
first new dividend payers this year.