The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-24
INTEREST IN GOLD
OF COLORADO RIVER
Henry Mountains Apparently
Source of Southeastern
Utah Placer Beds.

Thomas G. Parker, who returned the lat.
ter part OF last week, as noted In these
columns at the time, from a trip OF nves-
tigati OF Colorado river pacers In Gar
field and San Juan counties. southeastern
Utah, was much Impressed not only with
the extent and richness OF tho golden
sands but with several other features of
that remote and peculiar region.
The section of tho river visited by him
is that from the mouth OF Crescent creek,
six or seven miles above the little settle
rnent OF Hite TO a. point on tho river about
thirty-nVe miles below Iiitc. He spent
about two weeks there. He says that
all the placer beds OIL the stream in that
distance as well az those on the two prin-
cipal creeks coming down from the Henry
mountains havc been taken up.
The claims along the river are not con-
tinuous for the reason that tho, great
stream, as If In preparation !or the task
OF cutting out the Grand canyon which
II has accomplished further on in its
course, has been In the evading business
mere too. It's banks at times on both sides
OF the stream consisting of perpendicular
cliffs several hundred feet In height. rising
sheer from the water and leav4ng no
chance for bars to exist. One company
the Good Hope. owns all the bars for
eighteen miles along the stream The
source, or at least the chief source, OF
the placer gold ground here seems to be
the Henry mountains and most of 1t seems
to have been brought down by Crescent
creek. Practically all the placer ground
on this stream also has been located.
peNth lIoHi lllS river on DOln SlueS along
this portion of It's course, the country is
one of sand and sandstone, waste
where both vegetation and animal life
are almost entirely absent. 1t Is pic
the 1ayman. but in a way that Is 81 de-
light to the geologst Time and the
action OF the elements have carved from
the sandstones OF the region, monuments.
pillars, towers and battlements In end
less profusion. some of the formations
from a distance presenting the appear
ange of ruined castles and cities.
The postoflce of Hlte-there Is no
town-sets. Its name from John Hite, who
owns ranch there. The country eX-
cept for few scattered ranches along the
streams, is without permanent population,
although there has been some working OF
the placers and In the past year and
half many prospectors and mining eX-
perts have visited the region attracted by
the finds of carnotite and other rare
metal ores
The pioneer and one Of the interesting
hsures OF that region is Cass Hte bach
elor, 10 years old. who lives alone in
CABIN at the mouth OF TiCllaboo creek,
fifteen miles below the postofnce at uite
He first went into that section about for
" years ago and for the past fourteen
Years mas lived there continuously. hav-
Ing IN that time made but one trip out,
and that only as far rs the town of Green
River, He OWNS several placer claims and
has obtained his livelihood by working
them.
He was the first white man TO explore
much of the San Juan country on the op-
posite or eastern side OF the river, and
discovered several OF the great natural
bridges that have since become famous,
Mr. Parker says much of the placer
Sravel along the portion by the river WIS.,
tied by him carries gold values OF from
81 TO 81 90 yard. n portion OF which is
sufficiently coarse TO be saved by the
usual sluicing methods. Some OF the very
iine or flour gold in the black sand IS
very difficult TO recover by small or mex
pensiYe operations. such as heretofore
have been employed, but despite the re-
moteness OF the locality from a railroad
Parker is convinced the time is near at
hand when capital will step in and with
modern methods and adequate machinery
recover the millions I'm gold the gravels
OF the streams arc believed to contain