The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-27

Not long ago. and after three years
or so Of earnest development work,
the Mason VALLEY Mines and the Ne
vada Douglas Copper companies paused
in their task for a survey OF the sltua-
tiop. 1t had become matter of his,
tory that the BMestone nine contained
. over 600 600 tons of copper ore, tnat
the Mason Valley held 100000 tons
and that the Nevada Douglas contained
over 100000 tons of demonstrated cop
per resources
1t was long road TO the nearest
copper smelter even after the South
ern Pacific tracks at Nabuska were
reached, and the three mires mentioned
were entirely too far from Wahuska
TO allow production to be contemplated
until n railroad line was built to the
ore bins,
After due consideration, the Nevada
Douglas and Mason Valley officials de
cided to divide the labors OF the dis.
trict. the former to install the railroad
line, the latter TO build the smelter.
tion, the result being the organization
of the Nevada Copper Belt Railroad
company. and the financing of the
same through bonds guaranteed by
the Nevada Douglas Copper company
and the financing of the smelter by the
Mason Valley Mines company.
Agreement Made.
Contracts were then signed between
these two companies by which the tom
mage OF copper cres of each nine was
TO be transported to the smclter. and
by which definite smelling terms were
established for period of years. work
was begun on the railroad. and the
Mason Valley officials began the Sc.
oF e,,t- al cI -
protection from the surrounding ranch
ing interests.
The smclter site is located about three
miles northeast OF the town Of Wa
buska, to which point the Nevada Cop
rer Belt line now extends, and where
the contractors having IL charge the
smelter construction have started OK
cavations fer the plant. The smeltei
interests believe that the plant will be
ready for the treatment of ores by
next juno. TO which tho mines of the
Mason district reply that they viii
be ready for their maximum production
at the appointed date.
The town of YerinGton. one Of the
roted' old cente-s OF Nevada. was con
sidered TOO far east Of the range hold
ing the principal mines of the camp
TO serve them properly, so several Salt
Lakers conceived The plan Of building
ND 2 new lOWU CLOSER 10 Tue .pihpcl-
ties. The town of Mason was the re-
suit, and it is one of the most sub.
stantially built and prosperous of Ne
vada communities The town of Ma
ton is pow linked with Wabuska and
the world by the Nevada Copper Belt
line. ard il has become an important
shipping point for farm products of
every description and the headquarters
for all visitors to the district
The Nevada Douglas mine is located
on the western slope of the mountain
range. while thc Mason Valley is on
the opposite side To reach the Ne
vada Douglas. therefore. necessitates the
extension of the Nevada Copper Belt
line from Mason on the south to the
extremely picturesque pass through the
hills, by means of which the Walker
river is enabled TO leave Smith valley
for Mason valley. The ties and rails
are now laid practically two miles be
yond Mason, and the grading for many
miles through the pass and we'll into
Smith valley is now ready for the ties
and rails.
= Line Nearly Done, 80
aFronr the point where the completed
grading stretches northward into Smith
valley. TO the Nevada Douglas prop
erty. there is NOT TO exceed seven miles
Of the line remaining TO be finished.
This will be The easiest part of the
railroad work. Tue line follows the