Show 1 I 1 ahe 5 he erie copper mine of beaver bea ver ladeo sl t in th the early history of mining in beaver county utah the mines of this richly mineralized erali zed section were prolific producers of the precious metals and millions of dollars came from this source to stimulate trade and commerce quite quit e a number of years before it was discovered that the northern portion of the state was also possessed of rich mining camps and districts mining was at a fever heat cheat in beaver county many years before the advent of a railroad into that locality and be it remembered this road was built almost expressly for the congenie con venie nee n c e and a n d use or the horn silver mine at frisco a mine that has produced over for ty four million dollars lars worth of ore activity in copper mining under thip the direction of hon hoh sam barn newhouse senator A B lewis and dr P A H franklin when mining was in its infancy in beaver county all efforts were directed to the th production of gold and silver there ther and neglected became of great value because of an increased demand and improved facilities for its handling and treatment of late years creais the immense deposits of copper bearing ore so long disposed dispi sed have also become the bone of contention between those in MEMO ier Z I 1 f 42 A P nn birdseye view of erie workings for its fortunate owners and shareholders before the building of this road however several smelters shelters sm elters were in operation in frisco and in ther other portions of the county there were two or three at frisco one for the horn silver one for foj the cave mine and one for the old carbonate and rattler one or two were in operation at Shaun shauntie Sh auntie tle and the remains of another are to be seen on the other side of wah wah valley from the mouth of copper gulch now the scene of so much was no stable market for lead and copper was worse than valueless indeed the occurrence of copper was a hindrance as there was no market at that day for this commodity nor was there any known process for its successful and profitable treatment with the advancement in the times and commercial conditions changes became noticeable ti in mining ope operations rations in beaver county deposits of lead ore long ignored 15 search of wealth through the avenues of our oui great mining industry the rapidly increasing popularity of copier copper milling havink having been brought about because of the alm almost os t unlimited uses to w which copper is applied in this day and age the ease with wh which ich it is now mined and handled and the greatly enhanced q quotation u upon the red metal As a result beaver county at one time productive almost exclusively of gold and silver is now in the lead as a copper p producing cing section and stimulated by the heavy demand for this metal a small army of mining men is now engaged in prospecting and mining for copper bearing ore in the camps of this section the principal operations in this line being in beaver lake lak e rocky star and san francisco districts senator A B lewis with his great 0 K mine in beaver li lake ake set the pace in the production 0 copper ore to be followed by I 1 many others who have surl 1 rounded him until in almost every and gulch are now to be founds found plants boarding houses waterworks water works telephones from the 0 K mine not a year ago senator lewis sent a trainload of 40 per cent copper ore to the local market and a ton smelter is rapidly approaching pro aching completion which will not only treat ores from the companas comp anys mines but will handle custom ores as well solus switch on the 0 S L road ten miles from milford and about the same distance from frisco is the railroad point from which there are good wagon roads to the 0 K and adjoining properties the distance being but a mile and a half to the scene of operations of a number of companies all of which are confident in the belief that with more development and exploration they will be able to usher into active and profitable existence producers of copper which will not be behind the 0 K mine in their popularity and breadwinning qualities one of these is the property of the erie copper minin mining company in the active and systematic development of which work has been under way for the past six months under the direction of frank C morehouse in a straight line from east to west and within a distance of scarcely more than a mile within the environments of the great copper bearing zone for which this section is so justly famed there are several properties now in course of development south of the 0 K is the beaver con while to the north is the 0 K extension and on the west the erie all of these mines are located in the low foothills and are about an equal distance from solus the erie copper mining company owns a group of fifteen claims or about acres in aalthe all the 0 K mine being about feet east of the end line of the eries possessions while the treasure group also belonging b Ve elo nging longing to the 0 K company adjoins the erie company companas comp anys property on the west while this big domain covers a number of east and west and north and south veins the erie company is of the opinion and belief that its workings are on the big east and west vein so extensively developed on the 0 K Y ground and which has been productive of such sensationally high grade copper ore and of such an immense tonnage of low grade milling rock development in the early history of the erie before it passed into the hands of the present company a twenty foot prospecting shaft was sunk on the main east and west vein the formation at this point disclosing a copper bearing zone of almost feet in width from this shaft considerable copper bearing rock has been taken and is still piled up on the dump assays essays from four to six per cent copper with accompanying gold and silver values while samples from the outcrop and a number of open cuts after being submitted to tests by fire nave shown average values of about three per cent in tle the red metal with some gold and silver present As a matter matier of fact from the prospecting klaft already described 43 per cent coppee has been taken but in small quantity in these shallow workings the vein almo almost stat at the grass roots has an indicated dip to the south at an angle of about for ty five degrees but it now seems almost certain judging from the showing in th the e working shaft that it will straighten up considerably with depth about feet south of this shaft the erie company has established shed its main workings and in acost al most accessible location has started its main working shaft which has already been sunk to a depth of feet under the able direction of george W morehouse the well known contractor this shaft is feet in the clear embracing a single compartment and manway this shaft is a splendid piece of workmanship and is timbered from top to bottom the cross and upright timbers being inches in dimensions while the lagging is two by twelve inch planking A bucket is used in connection connection with a guide the same as if a cage wire were used from the surface the shaft has been sunk in a formation of por granite CT cr rhyolite rby olite the rock in the opinion of mr morehouse being more of a porphyry denuded of its quartzite capping than anything else prom i ane collar of the shaft to the foot level the porphyry is heavily oxidized from this point to the bottom there is a noticeable change to a sulphide the ahe rock being charged wita iron pyrite with occasional colorings of copper and and traces of mole benite at the foot level a stati station is now being cut the intention being to crosscut to the north to uncover the vein disclosed by ane prospect hole already alluded to which which nad it maintained its dip as indicated on the surface should have already been encountered in the working shaft however judging from the strata of the formation in the bottom of the shaft the vein evidently has straightened up with depth yet there seems to be but little doubt but that this vein will be cut in the cross crosscut cut within a d distance of fifty feet at least according to the contract with mr morehouse the shaft is to be sunk to a depth of feet with a 50 foot crosscut with option to ex av views of droppings Crop pings on the erie group showing famous blue bivie acre blowout Blow ovit in the center tend the crosscut an additional 50 feet if desired or necessary equipment and improvements the erie main workings are equipped with a buffalo horse whim with a sinking capacity of feet the shaft ls is covered by a substantial gallows frame with its necess necessary aTy accompaniment of bucket car and steel rails and everything is in such condition that no delay or inconvenience will hinder the installation of the casolene ga solene hoisting works which it is the intention of the company to put in at an early day in the way of improvements the company has a frame boarding house blacksmith shop stable and other necessary buildings the location being an ideal one in many respects for the carrying on of successful and economical mining operations formation the erie is located upon a large copper bearing zone which cuts through the foothills to the east and west the first work done in the exploitation of the vein was at a point now designated as the famous blue acre outcrop of copper and which is shown in one of the accompanying illustrations according to general acceptance the formation of the southern end of deaver beaver lake district conforms in its general characteristics over quite an area and to describe the geology of any one group in this locality would be a good description of them all the country rock as a general thing is a granite or rhyolite some call it a granite but it is not a true granite and in some places Is more of a mineral bearing porphyry the exceptions J being that some veins are fissures between two walls of granite the veins are true fissures running east and andrest west and north and south the east and west veins are nearly vertical while the north and south veins generally have a dip of from 45 to 50 degrees to the east at the present time development work on a large scale has not i uplift the eastern side having a aa dip to the east the droppings crop pings at this point are very strong and in places massive but the erosions ero on the west show very plainly the porphyry or rhyolite zone with its east and west trend on this quartzite capping it is believed a hundred foot shaft would penetrate Ws this zone and show very plainly the continuation of the east and west vein through the properties already mentioned the editor of the mining review visited the property of the erie company a few days ago and was impressed with thle the suli substantial nature of the improvements being made and with the care and forethought being taken in mine development the surface formations so strongly impregnated with copper indicate the presence of the ore body I 1 with depth while the general characteristics s of the country as being copper bearing war warr rant the work that is now being done in the endeavor to open up the mine in an intelli av A T WIT 4 f 21 1 ilk 61 a ly ae ZA pa k 4 1 all shaft aad hoist of the erie attained that point where it is possible to arrive at an intelligent conclusion as to which are the main veins of this portion of the district the east and west or the north and south as on the surface they are about the same in size and in indications of permanency and continuity but there are many who give preference to the east and west ledges and who are of the opinion that with more development and exploitation these will prove to be the strongest and the most productive of the series of mineral bearing zones so numerous in this portion of deaver beaver rake ime district on the east cast ground of the erie group and between the erie and 0 K X workings the granite formation is seem bigly capped by a quartzite reef heavily stained with iron this reer reef dared by erosion along its western edge has seemingly been raised and broken by the por gent and systematic manner the company is largely composed of iowa and salt lake people of excellent standing the management being in the hands of L G brown of tilis this city C E albrook of eldora iowa is president of the company P V C morehouse of salt lake is vice president W J murray of eldora iowa treasurer and L G brown secretary these with colonel A C ellis and J S ferris of salt lake and J D newcomer of eldora iowa and william welden of iowa falls iowa complete the board of directors |