The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-22
TAFT IS TAKEN DOWN
FAMOUS GOLD MINE
Unique Feature of the Presi-
dents Trip to the Black
Hills District.
SPEECH AT RAPID CITY
New View of the Executives
Constitutional Duty; Sioux
Indians Modest Request.
SPEECH AT RAPID CITY
By Associated Press.

Dba OODS -. u, oci. -l'--i iSsi
dent Taft further qualified as a miner
today when he was taken eleven hun
drcd feet down in the famous Home
stake gold mine at Lead. Two years
ago, Mr. Taft was taken down 10 the
1200-foot level in the Leonard Copper
mine at Butte, Monts aud spent fully
an hour cropping about the drifts aud
tunnels aud watching the men at
work.
His experiences today were much the
same, the principal difference being IN
the more precious quality Of the quartz
veins through which Mr.. Taft was
guided, with miners lanterns lighting
the way. The president began his
trip TO the mine bv first learning the
Of Lead. which is not named after the
metal lead, but for the mining term
Indicating lead into body of ore.
Next ne climbed a high flight OF
steps and crossed long treste leading
TO the mouth of one of the shafts.
The altitude at the entrance 10 the
mine is Just one mile above sea level.
and the president stopped to rest seyy.
cral minutes before allowing himself
to he locked with several members Off
his party into one of the steel cages
used in hoistiDg men and metals from
the bowels Of the earth. II was a !
long, dark ride down the shaft, the
depth being twice the height of the
Washington monument. Elevators IN |
the Washington monument creep 10 the |
top OF that shaft in from ten to fifteen |
minutes.
Goes Sailing Down.
Mr. Taft went sailing down in the
darkness today at a speed which car
ried him TO the 1l0o-foot level in less |
than two minutes. Three-guarters of |
an hour later he was boisted to the sur
face at . pace even faster.
All work in the mine bad beeu sus
pended this afternoon. partly to give
the men an opportunity to hear Mr.
Taft speak in Lead. and partly as a
precaution fop the president S safety IN
visiting the mine. il being deemed in
advisable to have any blasting while
be was in the tunnels,
The entire process Of mining the ore
and of smelling il was explained to the
president. Outside snow was on the
ground. and there we're f)urres Of fall
ing flakes. Down III the mine the tem-
perature rose to between 20 and so.
One of the drifts followed by the presi-
dent led TO au enormous cave-likc open
ing where most OF the orc is now being
taken ont. The dome of the cave was
fully fifteen feet high; Miners sta
toned at different levels in the enor-
NOUS cut burned calcium paper to H.
Illuminate the cavern.
How are you, BillG' one of the
miners yelled far above.
Pretty good the president an
sweTed with q laugh. '' How are you
way up there7'
Fine, old boy, glad to see you ;,
Given Gold Brick.
Mr.. Taft also spent some time in the
government assay office al Lead, and
watched the casting of real cold
brick. Later he was shown roomfu
OF the bricks. each of which weighed
l25 pounds aud worth about 100000
apiece. Someone stumped - the presi.
dent 10 lift brick. He picked up one
OF the bars with the greatest ease. Sep.
ator Gamble tried to do likewise. but
was not so successful.
In this city, where he spoke shortly
alter noon op the tariff vetoes. the
president was presented with small
gold brick worth more than 5000.
1t is. great pleasure to gold. brick
the, president Representative Martin
said i'll making the presentation
1T is great pleasure 10 be gold
piled
Mr. Taft received q noisy welcome
both in Deadwood and in Lead. Practi-
cally the entire population of the two
communities turned out to greet him.
He lupched with Representative Mar.
tin. At Lead be was presented with y
replica of miners candlestick done
in gold.
Earlier in the day the president spoke
at Edgemont aud Custer. After leaving
here he spoke at SturGis and Rapid
City leaving the latter city at 10 u. M.
for Pierre. where he will spend Sunday
and Sunday night,
Speech at Rapid City,
By Associated Press.
RAPID CITY, S. D.. Oct. 2l.-Pres.
ldent Taft reachcd here tonight an hour
tanned at dinner and made an address. ,
he president was met by committee J
of citizens aud by delegation of In.
dians. including Chief John Kills-a-
Hundred: Chief High Hawk. Chief Dog c
Trail, Chief White Bull, Chief Black a.,
I, Ihupder and Chief White Mngpic from
the Sioux reservations. They present '
ed the great white father with a S
larRe and ornate pipe of peace I
The Sioux chIefs presented a petition
to the president asking for the return II
Of the BLACK Hills to the Indians They
declared that they never intended to
give up the land to the white man. and
they wanted ii back fright now" II
this were not convenient they wanted
90 cents an acre t'to pnt in our pock. l
cts. - When Mr.. Taft promised to give
the matter due consideration the chiefs I
gnlnted cheap good.
In his speech the president brought J
out n new point on the tariff vetocs, |,
that under the constitution :
-, q
Continued on Page Three.) II