The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-11
RICH GOLD STRIKE
ON RICE MOUNTAIN
Modern Effort Where Others Failed
in Early Times Brings
Results.

Modena, Utah, July 10.-In the his.
tory OF mining many yicissitudes are
the rule Possibly no case exciting
more interest nor exhibiting the i'm
potence OF the best intentioned efforts
of locator and prospector whose in-
dustry Is not sustained by the knowl-
edge of elemental geology than Is af-
forded by the disclosures made on
Rice mountain. Utah. sixteen miles
north of Modena.
Ten years ago much was heard of
the Statelne mining district The
discovery of the Johnny gold mine and
the Ophir silver led TO great eXpecta-
tions and the production for a time
OF some very sensational ore. As
matter of truthful history, the Ophir
lapsed into idleness through a bank
er's heavy defalcation in an eastern
bank. who was the principal stock.
holder as far as known at the time.
and the Johnny mine, which was once
a producer of ore running as high as
So per pound in gold. is supposed to
have been drowned by an influx OF
water too great to handle.
II is matter of fact that tho FIRST
discovery of gold was made on a high
backbone, known as Rice mountain.
to the north of the Stateline camp
proper, as early as 1895. which uItl-
mately led to subsequent discoveries
and the founding of the adjacent camp
OF Stateline. Rice mountain was abun-
dant in gold float down its rugged
sides, all unsupported for a time. until
some cattlemen. known as ths Rice
brothers, tied their tagged steeds To
piece of float as large as a summer
kitchen, and when untying their
horses caught the CLINT of tha precious
yellow metal from this moun;oiu frag-
ment.
Knowing nothing about mineraloEv
OF geology, this piece OF 1loa- eXcIted
them, and when the returns showed
the substantial values il carried. let
ter than $500 per ton In Ire yellow
metal, they were willing 20 hang ther
lariats on q peg for a time and delye
for the riches they felt certain this
mountain held Untutored In the
ways Of natures placings of her treas
ures, they started a tunnel frccl the
spot, and after eXpending something
like 100000. discovered everything
but the object of their search.
In the meanwhile Stateline b1ddcd
developed and blossomed as n camp
based on substantial! discoveries. And
notwithstanding nattering offers for
Rice mountain, the owners held out
for impossible sums A pathetic fea-
ture of the case is that as the camp
went down for the reasons stated In
the opening paragraphs. the owners,
while willing to reduce the figure. still
held out for exclusive figures. owing
no doubt TO the fact that a certain
party, who gathered up shipment OF
the rich float which lay up and down
the mountain sides and obtained more
than 5000 per ton net
Recently the Keynote of Rice noun
tain was discovered by b. l., Nolf OF
Modena, and ledge in perfect place
uncovered some forty feet In width,
which promises to show up the great
est gold discovery in southern Utah.
According TO Nolf, some 300 feet OF
work has been done on the mountain.
all in drift or detritus, the owners be-
ing impelled onward by encounterlng
fragmentnry quartz carrying splendid
gold values. but nothing In place. AS
a matter of fact this big vein now ap-
pears to have reared up with the coun-
try, and an extension of only 425 feet
will give a depth OF 250 feet with 1,900
feet of drifting directly on this I'M
mense vein ahead.
The pathetic feature is that little
knowledge of geology would have put