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Show COTTONWOOD. The Pnnca of Wales and Antelcpi Company's Property- A Visit to and Brief Description of It. Salt Laee Citv, S-:pt. 2-2, 79. Editors JJtrald: Having just returned from a brief visit to the upper sections of Big and Little Cottonwood mining districts. I thought a few notes taken while out would interest some of the Herald's j readers. ! Through the kindness of Mr. W. :E. Halt, superintendent of the Prince of Wales and Antelope Compaiiy'd j property, which includes the grcup o mines at the head of Silver Fork, oi Big Cottonwood, I made tbe round of many of the works there. To one who has never been inside a large mine, the workings throughout are a continued source of wonderment. The stupendous magnitude of the Ubor is i amazing, and one is kept inconstant mc-diiation, while viewing the "ways jtbst are dark," open tbe cost, time, : parence, perseverance acd probable jatjjp;a consequent upon mining on extensive scale. The "Prince," 3s it ia commonly know all over, ia ULui.ubudiy the "biggest thing" in tbe miniag line in that vicinity, and hecce is a good subject. Accompanied by the Buperintend-?n Buperintend-?n I entered the main tuunel tbe V ington which runs clear through mountain, a distance ot 2,360 feet io:o Honeycomb Fork. From the beginning I was shown how the vein was followed and tbe tracings made though the strata of blue and white lime rock. And these are some of iuw mysteries to one wiio ia not an expert. Plodding a.ong for about 500 feet ive come to the Wellington hoist ing works, operated by a little 15 horse engine at the mouth uf the tunnel, and ore and waste are brought up from tbe Wellington shaft, which is down 40C feet. The ventilation of this shaft U perfect, a seven-inch stove pipe being in place, which was shown to have a strong draft through it, by holding a lighted candle to ita mouth. Further in, about 1,00 feet more, in an old cross-cut, ia a storehouse store-house or magazine for powder and other supplies for those at work. Near by ia the exit to the top of the mine, a shute from Sharp's incline, whera waa taken out tne largest and most valuable body of ore of the whuie dnriDg the working -ol the property. Here are several winzc-s SO or 90 .'cet deep. The walk through was deliberately made, aud Mr. Hali traced and showed the vin where it was fallowed and worked on in the numerous sbute3, winzes, pockets and chambers. On the re!urn we des cecdetl below and examined a branch of Sbarp's incline, where large crevices and chambers have been emptied ol their valuable contents. At the end of this there is a big open fissure in the country rock, where the tracing has been for the present abandoned, on account of the expense incident on getting out the waste. On the backward track we followed the leader down laddera, which, by. the way, are strong and well made, I with iron rungs, to a depth of 175 feet, past levels .o. 4 and Middie No 4 to Lower Xo. 4. Toia latter level is j 230 feet below the main tunnel, and has been run east and wear, and im-j oleosa quantities of high grade ore j lhave been hoisted herefrom. At short distances, my attention waa called to holes on the line of march by an ofl-hand "Here's a winze down here 50 or 60 feet." Beneath us are two more levels, the lower one being 250 feet below Lower No. 4. All through tbe mine, in placeB where the ventilation was previously imperfect, imper-fect, aheet iron pipes have been inserted in-serted in the stulls, and free ventilation ventila-tion has been the result. The exploration below completed, during woich it waa shown that hundreds of thout.vnds of dollars have been expended ex-pended aud returned from the pro-dac'., pro-dac'., we ascended up and up into L'vel No. 2, where much the same order of things was manifest. Tne e:cit (rem this is at the Highland Cnk-r, a considerable distance above where we entered. Ore ia beinit taken out i'?re in good quantities ond has a paying appearance. The number of mec 'o the entire property is limited jus: ir-ow, many ol them working on triUiia, that is, IhEy receive a percent, per-cent, ge of, perhaps, 40 to 50 and oo cents on every dollar's worth of ore wage at those figures. But a scarciiy of minera at present compels tbe working of a small force. Fifty more men, on tribute, could be put to wort, and this announcement should stop tbe clamor for employment, especially amorg miners. In the afternoon, a visit lo the upper up-per worka of tho Prinos showed U3 some very fine machinery, well preserved pre-served and in excellent running order, for hoisting ore from tbe lowest depth, about 1,000 feet. Tne ei gme is a 3-5 horse Ames, and doea its work perfectly. Tho ho.-rdiog house, offico and other buildings are convenient and sale, and 200 men could be occommo-1 dated. The water for tbe mine and houses is brought in pipes from the pump house, located in a small flat above Grizzly, a distanco of a mile and a quarter; but the scarcity of water in the well at present creates a fear that it will give out entirely very flrTfin. The oro bodies are numerous, and the ore now being taken out assays high. To use a very common term among miners, the mine loofeB well The order, system and regularity which characterizes everything in and about tho property shows superior management on the part of those having hav-ing it in charge. Tbe limited time spent at the Prince will not allow of a tnorough description descrip-tion of it now, but eulhcient was learned lo warrant us in giving it ront tininno tho IcariiniT mlilpfl of Utah. A Prince by npme and one by nature Tbe present communication, I believe, be-lieve, will bo sufficient tortbia lime, and I will reserve my notes taten in Honeycomb Fork, Silver Fork, and the head of Little Cottonwood for another le'ler. Tbe mining prospects at these points are not very tUttering, hut au awakening has commenced which will give renewed li!e lo the miin industry in that region. J. E. E. |