Show p r dry cany canyon on and stoc stockton k ton by cor cordon adon W higgins over thirty years ago discoveries were nade out in the ophir district tooele thoele anty which resulted in the first general oom for mining industry in those early days when silver had reached its zenith ophir and the surrounding territory was the mecca for the pioneer prospectors and millions were extracted from pot holes and surface what was then considered Onside red worthless ore to be left in the nes or thrown over the dumps is today very attractive proposition even with ler er at its present level the thousands of ons on s left by the old timers can be made to stand baand shipment the early work in this 1 strict only prospected the ground in a bew ew most favorable places for later genera tons and it is remarkable that such a om ising region should not have invited ignore ore thorough development than it has received traditions of dry canyon the traditions of dry canyon and old lion hill read like novels of the early days and yet a visit to the old workings there re will bear testimony to their remarkable past it is estimated that over was taken from the properties on lion hill and the same can be believed of dry canyons past production and this was all 7 30 AL hoisting works at the stockton mine photos hj by carldon TP if higgins the town of ophir extracted from within a few hundred feet of the surface as no deep mining was ever attempted since that time however systematic work has developed some big mines in various parts of the district lion hill high grade ore in the early lion hill became productive of some remarkably high grade silver ores and for a short period wa was the main excitement in mining circles at this time general connors prospectors located the old chloride point and northern light properties with the crude methods of that day the rich ores were gouged and hacked from the surface and now the top of the hill appears like a honeycombed network of gopher holes the same conditions prevailed in dry canyon nine miles to the north and east here the ore occurred in ift large chimneys and when tite th e cream of the ore was ex and further work became unprofitable they were abandoned the process being repeated in other favorable localities it was in this part of the country that marcus daly began some of ills his early mining operations and many other prominent men date the beginning of their successful careers to the palmy days of this old district the town of ophir the camp of ophir is located in ophir canyon about nine miles from st johna john a station on the san pedro road at one time it was the largest and most prosperous mining camp in utah with a population of over people the townsite is located on ophir creek which furnishes an abundant water supply and gives a touch of green vegetation so pleasing after the barren aspect of so many other camps living here is comparatively cheap and no attempt is made to hold up strangers and visitors A noticeable feature in the town is the absence of the down and out spirit that is so prevalent among camps of the has been type it is encouraging to get in a mining town like ophir where every citizen has the progressive habit of boosting one is infected with this enthusiasm upon first entering the camp and begins to feel that ophir is the only town in utah like all mining camps ophir has had its share of ups and downs through the various stages of prosperity and depression the population fluctuated and with the big fall in silver the town was almost deserted before modern equipment and large capital has charge of the leading hotel in the camp the town is well officered and civic aff affairs airs are said to run along very smoothly the ophir hill con the most prominent of ophius mines at the present writing is the ophir hill consolidated soli dated owned by senator W A dark clark of montana this property has been one of the most steady producers in the state for the past seven or eight years although very little publicity has been given this extensive and successful enterprise the results have been quite satisfactory to the management which has quietly and steadily been forging ahead with added equipment and systematic development geological conditions the formation here and in other parts of the district consists of bedded limestone striking generally ew easterly sterly and westerly crossed by prominent porphyry dykes at right angles A series of north and south fissures also cut the strata and the intersect elevation and re grinding is necessary and the milling cost has been reduced to a minimum the mill is operated by electricity tri city the power being generated by the company plant a few miles down the canyon and a shutdown shut down of more than a few days during the year is seldom necessary about tons of concentrates daily have been the record tonnage for the past few years and this output can be easily maintained if not increased for an indefinite period the record of this mine since the present management took charge has been one of great success and this success may be measured by the able set of men who have taken the mine from the prospective stage into that of a regular producer E W dark clark the superintendent has been with the property since the first and its present excellent showing is largely due to his ability and experience haines gridley the company engineer and C E green manager of the electrical department are men whose 5 aaa 14 A 41 aa lower shaft at the ophir hill mine photos by corydon TP higgins the buckhorn mine permitted of extensive mining the district was almost entirely in the hands of leasers leaders lea sers who always by careful sorting of the high grade ores were able to eke out an existence since the opening of a few big mines however the camp has assumed a substantial and permanent condition and from the present outlook will develop into one of foremost mining centers several developed mines and the launching of other large enterprises are beginning to awaken general interest and to show the outside public what a really promising district the ophir territory is growing into the camp boasts the usual number of saloons two hotels and two general stores the leading business house is the ophir mercantile company which carries a most complete line of general utilities at the head hea d of this institution are B W dark clark H A wagner H J green and C E green who are among the leading and most progressive gres sive citizens mr air edwards conducts the other mercantile establishment and also tion of these makes the large ore shoots along the beds the ore in character is a sulphide heavily impregnated with iron and running well in the metals the exact value of the ore is not given out but it can readily be seen that it is of excellent milling value with bunches of higher grade intermingled ter mingled this however is not sorted but is sent through the mill along with the second class mine development the mine development is carried on through two shafts which with connections constitute a whole network of underground workings the ore after hoisting is conveyed to a large bin at the head of a gravity tram from this point the ore is automatically treated until the concentrates reach the railroad for shipment the system employed here is one of the most perfect and cheapest in the state the ore is 4 sent down the tram which is about yards in length directly into the ton mill and is then handled throughout the treatment by the sluice system only one ability has proven an invaluable asset to the mines success the ophir hill will probably go on producing when a great many of the new properties now inthe in the limelight have been forgotten the buckhorn mine above the ophir hill and on the same mineral zone is the buckhorn mine owned by the cliff mining alining company while comparatively new in the limelight lime light as a producer it is now making into one of the big ones of the district the same conditions prevail here as are found in the ophir hill excepting the character of the ore which Is a high grade rade carbonate with deeper levels the ore will likely change to sulphides sulp hides here the method of mining is confined entirely to tunnel work three tunnels all in about 1800 feet constitute the main workings with clear through and numerous drifts and cross cuts the ore is accumulated on the lower tunnel level from which point it is crammed by mules to the loading station one of the latest improvements prove ments has been the erection of an aerial tram one and a quarter miles in length over which the ore is transported down from the steep mountain to the canyon bed from here the product is hauled by wagon to the san pedro road at st john the working of this tram has proceeded without a hitch since its installation and tile the adoption of this system has greatly reduced the operative cost the mine is now fully equipped and in line for a big production sixty tons per day has been the output for the past year and conditions warrant a greater increase over this superintendent anderson is carrying on an active campaign and is opening up the mine in good shape A D thompson of duluth Alinne minnesota sota and willard F snyder of salt lake are those chiefly interested te in the property the lion hill properties to the south of the ophir hill is old lion hill the mother of the district and which although it has produced its mil installed at one time on the property but its operation was never successful in taking out the pay products immense quantities of good milling ore running from thirty to sixty ounces in silver have been developed and left in the mine with an economic treatment a mill could be kept running for a long time on the amount of this class of ore now in sight occasional bunches of rock going ounces have been taken out and ounces is quite a common occurrence for a number of years leasers leaders have been working the ground and with very suc results at the present time george dark clark and associates are working a lease and making regular shipments by way of mercur which is about three miles distant last month a small lot of fifty two tons was taken out and the ore will probably average between ninety and ounces in silver the old northern light over the hill to the north is the old ac a sa 7 7 z X 41 ov wr 44 d U chloride point workings on lion hill photos hy corydon lal Ilig gini ophir mercantile company lions is still in its infancy A more wonderful surface showing is hard to find anywhere in the country and should the future prove in comparison with its past history the wealth in the old hill can only be estimated on the east side is located the chloride point where so many sensational sat ional strikes have been made in days gone by one unacquainted with the mine could soon get lost in the intricate maze of drifts slopes and caverns the lead was only followed tor for about 20 ft when an ail immense body of high grade chlorides was encountered and scoped out for over feet the shoot averaged from four to six feet it in width and produced over prom from here on the ore has been followed through its windings and turns with slopes dinzes and raises where the rich ore was gouged out with the least possible effort no attempt was ever made at any systematic development and no deep mining has ever been en done Pos possibly silly feet would cover the deepest workings A cyanide mill was northern light property which in its day has been a big producer its early history is very similar to that of the chloride point hundreds of tons of high grade horn silver and chloride ore were taken from the surface workings and the property gradually declined into idleness when deep mining became a necessity A mill and other equipment was once installed there but has since been removed to other parts A big consolidation plans are now being perfected by george georgc st clair a pioneer of the camp and who is well versed with its past and enthusiastic over its future for a big consolidation of the lion hill properties the scheme includes the chloride point northern light and columbia mines and if will take in the entire hill embracing over acres the idea is to combine these old producers and develop them i jointly into a big proposition there is no apparent reason why this should not prove highly successful cess ful geological conditions give ample assurance that the veins g go down and the values should be the same if not better with depth the formation is a bedded line with contacts of quartzite and cross fissuring at right angles the new company will probably drive a long working tunnel at considerable depth below the old workings and erect a mill for the treatment of lower grade ores it is confidently expected that this enterprise will make good and add another to the list of gophers producers all in all the general outlook for the ophir district is very bright with lion hill and dry canyon in the ascendancy and the ophir hill and buckhorn steadily grinding away there is every evidence that the camp will make into a permanent one and among the foremost of the state the stockton district six miles to the north of ophir is the stockton district which of late years has come rapidly to the front like its neigh bor it is one ot of the oldest in the me anu has had its periods of prosperity and adversity situated on the main line of the salt lake route forty one miles from salt lake city it has easy access to the smelters shelters sm elters and isnow is now sending regular consignments consign ments to the garfield plant in the early days it produced considerable in high grade ores but has now settled down to steady work until the last decade it has been worked only in small way by leasers leaders and small companies and only recently has any extensive world work been accomplished the honerine the honorine company has been perhaps the largest exploitation in the camp but after what appeared to lie be an assured success looks like a blank failure this is by no means accountable to a lack of merit in the property but to poor management and to what some believe to be crooked dealing it is only necessary to say that after building a large milling plant and driving a long drain tunnel at enormous expense the company is practically without resources and heavily in debt at any rate it is certain that the honerine deal has done more to hurt the stockton district than any other combination of circumstances the stockton mine the new stockton mine formerly the old ben harrison is now the only company in the district doing work on any large scale it is located just over the divide in soldier bridge canyon about three miles from the town of stockton for the last s seven years the stockton company has been prospecting and developing its ground wi with th admirable energy and its reward is coming into view in large measures the mine is now in a splendid condition for heavy production and with the removal of obstacles that have heretofore here to fore retarded progress plain and easy sailing is now ahead since the installation of the steam hoist and other modern equipment the new company has thoroughly opened up the property and now has the mine ready for large operations there are over feet of underground workings and exploration is still progressing at the usual rate the main work is carried on through a double compartment part ment shaft which is now down 1125 feet from the various levels drifts have been run thousands of feet and the extensive ore bodies are blocked out from the surface to the thousand foot level lime beds and quartzite Quatt zite the formation in this section is com prized of a series of lime beds and quartzite belts striking east and west and dipping from about forty five degrees at the southern end of the zone to almost vertical at the north the formation is cut at right angles by large porphyry dykes and a series of north and south |