Show BIG COTrON cottonwood WOOD CANYON while other sections of the west may boast of their mountain scenery their rockbound rock bound canyons and their towering clefts still utah embraces within her environments numerous localities which in them the grandeur of their surroundings are almost beyond the power of the most graphic pen to describe big cottonwood canyon a few miles south of salt lake is one of these and the nearer the head of this stream one attains the more beautiful the scenery the more frequent the ice cold springs and rivulets and the heavier the growth of the graceful and sturdy pine while near the fountain head of the north and south forks of this little river are to be found some of the best and most richly mineralized ed portions of the state even at the mouth of big cottonwood there are many evidences of but nothing in paying quantities in ore deposition has been found or developed as yet short of the maxfield which is located a short distance below argenta a mile or so above the lodge which is now occupied by the site of the big cottonwood electric power company in the early days of the history of mining in utah the mines of bis big cottonwood canyon and its forks and tribu baries were all the rage in fact mining operations operations ope lations were then largely confined to this canyon and to little cottonwood a mile or so further south and daily stages from this city to the camps on these two streams were loaded to the guards with mining men investors and capitalists while a steady stream of the precious metals found its way to the valley to help swell the channels of trade and commerce As previously stated the maxfield is hut but a few il miles up big cottonwood canyon from its mouth and today it is practically the only producing mine in the canyon and while the association owning this valuable property is a close corporation it is a well known fact that the company has distributed many many thousands in dividends and that in the workings workings of the property many thousands of tons of good ore are exposed from which continued dividends may be expected and as the company is now installing a large compressed air plant with which to sink below the water level great things may be looked for from this old wealth producer in the future however it is several miles above the maxfield that the most activity was displayed in mining operations in the past and especially was this the case in the south fork of big cottonwood the home of the great reed goodspeed mine fifie and many other producers of worth and merit the reed goodspeed is located almost at the head of the south fork and but a mile or so from alta whose mines li have ave been famous the world over the mountains crest being the dividing line between these two noted localities the reed goodspeed is accredited with a production of something over all or nearly all of which was taken from the 5 zag shaft sunk on the vein high up on the mountain side the workings being so crooked that windlasses wind lasses were stationed at different levels to facilitate the hoisting of the ore and waste and the mineral was rich indeed to stand the expense of such operations being a heavy carbonate and galena a wagon load of which was often valued at 1000 the ore also carried some copper then practically valueless but which would now add materially to receipts from ore sales were the property being worked before the death of major B H C goodspeed several years ago an an electric power W 4 MJ 1 v SOUTH FORK consolidated MINE plant was installed a the forks of the stream and the current was carried to the mine and em employed aloyed in the operation of machine drills by the aid of which a prospecting tunnel was run into the mountain side for the distance of a mile but without disclosing the ledge from which wealth galore was taken years before of late years however the property has been idle awaiting the advent of means and men of mining experience to find the ledge in the lower workings or to straighten the ancient shaft above in the bottom of which it is stated a fine body of high grade mineral is exposed almost within gunshot of the reed goodspeed there is a perfect nest of old producers and promising prospects one of these is the old carbonate mine on carbonate peak on the west side of south fork this is one of the ancient mines of the camp and it is claimed that it has enriched its owners in the past to the extent of or more the formation of the carbonate is described as being a big surface deposit although the permanency of the vein has never yet been determined by any deep workings its discovery beings being credited to a miner who 1 CONTINUE ON PAVE PAE EIGHT 1 BIG cottonwood CANYON CONTINUED FROM PAGE FIVE uncovered the ore body while making excavations for his cabin site the carbonate product was lead carbonates of high grade and it is believed that with more extensive development this mine would rank again as one of the wealth producers of that portion of big cottonwood district the old neptune now known as the phoenix on montreal flat is another of the old time producers of that section and history has it that its yield in the precious metals amounted to or before being closed down by its early owners the mine is now owned by a salt lake company and is looked upon by mining men as a most promising prospect needing only the ous of systematic development and the aepli r qa f W alt ky P N Z U M MILL B BIG cottonwood CANYON cation of capital and muscle to take it place once more as a paying mine snugly ensconced between the reed goodspeed and montreal hill is the patented ground of the montreal mining company in the development of which an incline tunnel has been run into the hill on the vein and in the performance of this work ore was taken out a heavy galena and carbonate which netted the company from 75 to 80 per ton the montreal has all the earmarks of a productive and paying mine and should appeal strongly to the investor the baby mckee just across the gulch from the reed goodspeed is one of the newer properties with which the south fork is graced and at any time the company owning this ground which is patented property L an begin Z ore extraction the baby is on a nort northeast heastand and southwest fissuk in quartzite and a good body of pay ore can be traced on i the surface for a considerable distance the ore being a fine galena with chutes of rich carbonates a statement issued by the officers of the company a few years ago showing that the little work that had been done in the exploration of this prospective bonanza the output had brought a handsome sum on the salt lake market as the average of sixty five tons shipped showed assay values of percent lead ounces in silver I 1 and small values ingold in gold and while the in mineral was not tried for copper then almost without commercial value it is now believed that a test would show the presence of copper in paying quantities wedged in between the reed goodspeed and the baby mckee is the property of the south fork consolidated company of this city in the development of this ground a tunnel was run into the hill in a fissure in quartzite a distance of feet the entire workings following 11 a nice stringer 11 of good ore the expectation being that with greater depth a large body of pay mineral will be uncovered to cut into a parallel fissure a crosscut cross cut tunnel has been driven a distance of feet into the contact and it is estimated that within twenty feet more the workings as will break into the vein which from surface droppings crop pings 11 is evidently a strong one in the he t same locality is the monte cristo discovered by will griffiths a few years ago this is also a fissure in quartzite and a proposition of excellent merit near by is the jones mine in the development of which work is now being pushed this ground covers a strong ledge upon which the shaft has been sunk to a depth of feet the ore showing good values in lead and cop pe and 9 going high in its silver contents with several dollars in gold the clara M north of the baby mckee is another meritorious proposition some work is being done in the operation of this ground and a crosscut cross cut tunnel is being run for the vein adjoining the baby on the northwest is the satisfaction on which the surface showings i 1 are excellent while adjoining this ground is the gustaf adolph group which promises to open out into a producing and paying mine with more extensive development As a matter matier of fact the near the head of the south fork of big cottonwood presents an inviting field for the prospector the mining operator and the investor as it is not necessary to go to the deep in the search for ore the landscape in that locality appeals to the tourist as this spot is an ideal summer resort with its innumerable rivulets springs majestic clefts and forests of heavy pines in fact it offers every facility and advantage to the miner and with its wealth of ore should become a i great favorite with the seeker after health and wealth while the numerous other branches and forks which enter the main canyon at intervals of every few miles undoubtedly are rich in deposits of the precious metals |