Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-30
MINING, BUSINESS AND STOCKS.
TELLS OF RICHES IN
LA SAL MOUNTAINS
A. VI. Rogcrs Describes Geology of
Mineral Region Which Is Full OF
Promise for the Future.


In hin Usual graphic manner Of
description, A. NJ. Rogers, geologist
nr Moab describes the La Sal noun
tains and also has considerable to
say of tho geology of that section in
tho Christmas edition OF the Grand
Valley Times. For a paper published
81 miles from the railroad The Times
does Itself proud in cuts and typo
graphical work.
In the edition Mr.. Rogers has the
following to say:
The La Sal mountains, geologically
considered, present the most sur
prising and inviting field to the pros
pector, the miner and investor Of any
like area in the United States.
This group comprises fourteen
prominent peaks, ranging from 10000
10 about $4,000 feet altitude and
numerous lesser ones, all of which
nre composed mainly of the various
igneous rocks OF the porphyry FAMILY.
chiefly of diorite and rfyolite. with
numerous ribs of andesitc and basite
and occasional beds of monHonite. IN
n few places may be found domes of
granite porphyry. showing that the
upheaval which formed this range
came from great depth, as the sur
rounding sodimentary formation
where exposed by erosion Is OF great
thickness The permian sandstoneS,
jurnssic and jura-trias beds: Tor
Instance show thickness of over
500 feet and the pliocenc and miocene
beds arc of unusual thickness as COM
pared with those formations along
the continental divide and adjacent
thereto Those immense igneous
mountains IN forcing their way
through the thick sedimentarN beds,
IiGnlHrpulnnt
the latter, and in places have carried
IN with them large bodies OF the
sedimentary, which appear like
islt.Uhs 6r metamorPhoscd sandstones
and dolomitic limestoncs and DC,
cnsional beds of carboniferous ana
argilaceous shnles.
IMMENSE VEINS.
In nearly every case where dolomi;e
Is found associated with the igncous
formations, where 1t was carried up
ward by the uphcaval 1t Is accompa.
NED by dixie or rib of mineralizea
nndcsite. which Is usually much richer
in feldspathic properties than of the
siliceous. These bikes generally con-
stitute what are locally termed iodcs
or veins and are generally OF immense
size and consequently of rather low
grade in values. Particularly Is this
true where the low values are of gold
"A
bearing veins Is that In most cases the
values are accompanied by telluric
bases, fluorite and sylvanite, with oc-
;casional lunches or pockets of petite
and calaverite.
The collaborating veins are not con-
fined to any particular area or district
OF the la Sal group, but are found on
every mountain side and every gulch.
Owing, however. to the average low
grade of the ore. the inaccessibility
and dcarth OF transportation facilities,
the development has been greatly re-
tarded. but n few of the determined
prospectors have hold on with bull
dog tenncity and nro beginning to show
10 tho world that tho Ia Sal noun
tains contain n greater amount of from
$40 to $40 cyaniding gold rock than can
be found in any like area in the world.
NOT ONLY TREASURE.
Nor Is gold her only treasure.
Numerous veins of large size and
wonderfully high grade copper prop
critics are only awaiting Transports
is n competitor in the field that will
equal If not excel Butte. Anaconda,
Bingham and all the other red metal
producers in the country.
Tho most distinguishing and for
lnany years tile most Duazling feature
VI iiiN sal itSipii sNtis' WV i'i
quantity of what was locally known
ms the ribbon quartz" placer deposits
surrounding these mountains. Fab
,,lously rich placer dirt of disintc
grated quartz has been known for
Years to surround tho La SAILS. Recent
development work has proven beyond
all question that this was but the
croded sclvage of positively three and
probably five blanket veins of this
material, which Is in reality 4 por
phyritic quartz In the form
of immense intcrcalated sheets. some
of which are demonstrated to be over
80 feet In thickness. These are prob
ably enriched By the pcrcolaton of
aurfcrously impregnated thermal
waters during the formative period of
these mountains.
Much more, in fact volumes, might
he written about the wonderful re-
sources of the La sails, and the pref
ace of the story not then be fould. 1t
will take generations of tntelligentiy
directed labor to demonstrate and
centuries to exhaust their treasures.