Show L the independence gold mine of pikes diggings it was in the spring of 1898 that the pikes diggings country in the southern portion of stateline Stat eline district iron county utah began to attract the min miner 1 er as the lodestone exerts its influence over steel prospectors flocked into it from the camp of stateline Stat eline from deer lodge in nevada from surrounding mining camps and from the mining centers of the west the jumbo and wild irish groups had been previously located by the hollinger and francis boys from eagle valley then roaming over the hils hills with their herds but the greater portion had never been previously disturbed by the application of pick and shovel indeed this section at that time presented to the miner and prospector a great virgin field of wonderful mineral possibilities with quartz and ore enough in sight in the gigantic and mammoth droppings crop pings and to excite the cupidity of the gold seeker and the searcher for imperishable wealth among those who sought their fortunes in the new diggings was R J nugent a sturdy old prospector prospect dr whose deep seated love for his country made patriotism a striking characteristic of his mental makeup make up remember the maine was the cry that stirred the loyalty of the who whole e country at about the time we speak of and brought about events that have since passed pas zed into history upon the day that admiral dewey smashed the spanish fleet in manila bay nugent located three claims in pikes diggings and remembered the maine by calling them the marix the sigsbee and the fitzhugh lee what more proper than that these claims during the following winter should be incorporated under the company name of the independence gold mining company enough work had been performed before the incorporation in prospecting the surface to justify the sinking of a shaft to test the ledge from fifteen to twenty feet in width running through the sigsbee claim and through the south end of the marix assays essays from this mammoth lode at various points on the ledge gave returns of from 3 to 12 in gold god to the ton branching froni from this vein near the south end of the marix claim and continuing through its entire I 1 length e n g t h northerly va t k bif vif I 1 0 A ajr A MAMMOTH ON TIIE THE independence PIKES DIGGINGS there is another ledge from five to seven feet in width with gold values at the surface running from 10 to 15 other veins and ledges have been found on the independence pen dence group which will wilf be mentioned later on but the marix ledge on account of its uniform values and size was selected by the company upon which chic to commence its ini bial operation and development the site chosen for the shaft is near the center of the claim and the location of the main workings was judiciously as on vein prosecuted both to the north and south surface indications being all that an experienced miner could desire the shaft was sunk to the sixty foot level before a stop was made and all the way in ore assaying from 10 to 12 in gold from this level a drift was run to the north for a dis tance of ninety feet and all the way in ore averal averaging ging 10 to the ton in the yellow metal the ore in this drift is a porous iron stained quartz which is easily broken and which can be very cheap y mined in been stated by one of the most prominent metallurgists in utah that the independence ore is the most perfect concentrating ore to be found in the west and that by this method a very high percentage of values 7 k am 1 1 1 4 3 V A r N jerig 1 I HE 1 independence alink AND HOISTING WORKS PIKES DIGGINGS fact this quality in the ore is a characteristic of the independence mine the shaft later on was sunk to the foot level and drifts from this point were run on the vein one to th the e north a distance of feet and the other to the south ninety six feet from the surface to the foot level in the shaft different samplings gave an average of about 10 in gold while below this point the silver contents of the product added several dollars more to the total value in the south drift the ore body is three feet in width and this is an average of 0 f the width of the vein throughout the length of the drift while 6 the metallic values will run about 12 in gold and from 12 to 15 ounces in silver to the ton the vein from ahe the surface to the foot level level in the shaft maintains an average width of about six feet at that point it pinches a tittle attle but wid widens e ns again in the bottom and I 1 in n the drift proving the strength and continuity ot of the ore body the ore is a fine white quartz speckled below the water level at feet with iron sulphides sulp hides s tests of the ore have been made for the pur purpose of determining the best methods for its treatment and a combination of concentration and cyaniding cyan iding was vas found to be adapted for or its successful reduction duct io n and it was found by these processes that 90 per cent of the values could 9 be recovered experiments by amalgamation also disclosed a saving of 20 per cent of the gold contents on the plates thus showing the presence in the ore of free gold by amalgamation and the treatment of the tailings by the he cyanide process should show a high and satisfactory extraction it has can be recorded and at a very low cost in the treatment on the dump at the mine about tons of 6 and 8 ore is piled up ready for treatment when a mill shall have been installed in the matter of water the company is r N 4 4 f 4 4 e t ae 40 1 4 EMBERS 51 OP OF THE ariti northwestern MN investment COMPANY ANY Ej ROUTE TO THE independence MINE most fortunate as in the mine there is a daily flow of gallons of this desirable commodity which is of vital importance in the future operation of this property as surface water is very scarce in the immediate vicinity of the independence property and the fact that it can be secured in the mine in quantity sufficient for mining and milling purposes is an item that means money saved in mine and mill operation judging from the increase in the flow from the th e loot foot level to the bottom of the shaft it is safe to predict a supply of gallons at a depth of feet which would be sufficient for all purposes this in connection with an abundance of wood upon the property erty and in its immediate vicinity which can be delivered at the mine at about per cord promises mining and milling which will not be at all expensive besides the ledges mentioned above there are two others whose development will no doubt open up small bonanzas what is known as the drake ledge enters the marix claim on the east side in such a way as to give the independence com company P any about feet of this vein on its course before passing out of this property this I 1 ledge is about eig eighteen eteen inches in width for 1 its s entire length where it crops at intervals for 2000 feet and will average about 28 in gold this led ledge gehas has been opened up in several places and can be cut on the foot level from the independence shaft which by the way is a fine piece of workmanship and well timbered at no very great expense another rich ledge about a foot in width where it was discovered near the west sideline side line of the sigsbee claim assays essays 47 in gold and 60 ounces in silver to the ton other ledges of lower values intersect the property it is confidently expected by all who have carefully examined the independence pen dence group that rich ledges will be found in the performance of underground development and that large veins will be uncovered that do not show on the surface the formation formati oil would indicate this as the locality abounds in large fissures and dykes dyka and development work in other properties is a tool house stored with an abundance of tool steel and other supplies a blacksmith shop besides ore cars while cordwood for future use has been laid in for future opera k J ia 5 VC WO at 1 THE HORSESHOE MINE MILL AND DUMP AT FAY nearby have brought to light valuable and unexpected ore bodies A striking feature of the group is the immense droppings crop pings on the sigsbee claim these droppings crop pings boldly outcrop to a heights of from fifteen to twenty feet as shown in the halftone half tone illustration accompanying this article while the ledge is from twenty to twenty five feet wide and is heavily mineralized erali zed much of the outcrop being a good quality of millin milling ore thousands of tons of which are in sight and can be quarried for the mill at minimum expense on other portions of the group the outcrops are massive and rugged being natures sil sign n of great ore bodies below the formations of pikes diggings are very similar to those existing in the camp of stateline Stat eline and this locality is the southern extension of the great stateline Stat eline be belt t the veins make in fissures in a wonderfully large belt of porphyry the trend of the main ledges being in a northerly and southerly direction these fissures parallel each other at distances of from to feet and are intersected by stringers and cross feeders while a few cross veins have been discovered the latter like the cross veins of stateline Stat eline showing an increase in si silver ver values the property is well equipped for a prospect it has a whim hoist with substantial gallows frame that can be utilized when steam hoisting works are installed other equipment consists of a 25 horsepower boiler and a smith vaile pump with a raising capacity of 70 gallons per minute and a sink ing capacity of feet besides this there eions so that everything is in readiness for active and bucce successful saul work in future development the mine has been closed down for the past few months but it is the intention of the company combar y to resume extensive work in ig jk ja y Y 7 50 A Y THE AMETHYST MINE AND HOIST PIKES DIGGINGS the near future and later on a mill is to rebuilt be built for the treatment of ores from the mine the showing at the present time will justify the erection of reduction works as by the time the mill mil 1 s in commission development work will have blocked out oie ore sufficient to keep it in continuous operation which should place the company upon a paying basis the company owns three full claims and a fraction embracing about sixty five acres the claims cover the vein system of the property for a distance of feet the three claims are patented and the U S title is fully vested in the company the company is capitalized at shares of each and the stock so far as disposed of is very largely owned by railroad men and employees the officers of the association are men of excellent standing in utah business circles they are as follows C R aley president ocal agent R G W and D R G railways A H warren vice president general mar ager union stock yards W C howe secretary and treasurer assistant ticket agent R G W and A whittemore cf ogden conductor R G W admirable location pikes diggings in stateline Stat eline e district iron county utah is but two and a half miles from fay eagle val valey ey dietr district act nevada and a good read of very easy grade leads to modena sixteen miles distant a station on the san pedro read cr the salt lake route the climate at the diggings and at fay is mild salubrious and delightful and the winters are open and mild the whole country is easily accessible accessibly access ibl e and the independence and adjoining properties can be reached by wagon or other conveyancer ance a easily as a drive boud be taken to ft douglass dougla ss on the san pedro road accommodations are excellent the company running chair cars and pullman to modena the pullman having a buffet attachment so that the passenger can eat and sleep seep and enjoy his trip just as much as if on his way to chicago or new york the editor of the mining review in company with three members of the utah northwestern investment company fiscal agents for the independence gold mining company recently made a visit of inspection to fay and pikes diggings and examined the mines and prospects of prominence in both localities the trip was a hurried one but enough was seen to cause astonishment at the wonderful mineral showing in both camps and to create a feeling of enthusiasm over the magnificent outlook vouchsafed to the mine owners and claim owners of this richly mineralized section in the brief space allotted to this article it would be impossible to describe the ledges and ore bodies of this section but they are immense almost beyond belief and taking them all together both large and small it is safe to say that the independence pen dence averages well with its neighbors in a mining way and there is every reason to believe that with intelligent and extensive development and with careful and able management it will in due time take rank as a steady producer and a paying proposition |