Salt Lake Tribune | 1909-01-03 | Page 51 | American Fork

American Fork It is human nature "to ignoro the things that lie within our very grasp, j Thc greater tho distance the separates j us from tho goal,. the mre pleasuro'is there in its acquisition. It -was the distance to tho Klondike country ns much as tho reported wealth to bo gained there that cnused men from every corner of tho globe to hasten to tho far north. , So it is that American Fork, ono of tho uudoubtod richest mineral camps of tho state of Utah, was allowed to drag on for years without attracting the attention of Salt Lako mining lal ent. It was too close to Salt Lake, and it was a camp that had been worked years ngo. jo one deemed it .worth while to "ascertain how far the resources re-sources had been worked b' the- early operators. Tho camp was allowed to ho idle as far as Salt Lako generally was concerned, until some daring operators, oper-ators, among tho - being tho T'ng brothers. Wild brothers and Judgo Baskln, had demonstrated that tho early miners had but imperfectly touched tho mineral wealth of the canyon. Jesse Knight Interested. Early In 1908. Jcbbo Knight of Provo, the wizard of Tintic, began to take an interest in American Fork, and it was not long until ho hnd gathered in scores of claims. It has boon paid that ho owns sovoral hundred claims, many of which ho paid n liberal price for, but tho majority ho simply staked off, and for which ho could gather in a snug fortuno now that tho world is beginning to appreciate how valunblo nro American Ameri-can Fork proportics. N This, account will not deal extensively with this district, for it is to 1909 that American Fork will turn for positive proof of its merits. It is sufficient herb to sn3' that tho Tyng brothers for ono havo reaped very close to $1,000,000 out of thejr leasing operations in tho camp, sending out remarkably rich ores during tho past two years to tho Salt Lnko smcltors. Tho ores are not only rich, but thoy wero ideal smelting rock in character, and in tho majority of instances tho shippers woro' paid a royalty by tho smelting companies. Mines Now Active. Tho Tyng brothors gained their wealth from operating tho noted old Miller lease. This was a former scone of activity, but tho operators ceased work when they became convinced that tho task was useless. The Tvng management man-agement extended one drift "just two foot before breaking into ono of tho richest, ore bodies over found in the rnngp, wliilo another old working was driven loss than twcnt3 feet into nn-ol nn-ol her largo block of mineral wealth. So this demonstrated that when the camp was abandoned years ago those who flu-noil nrrmnrlini! liml Tirf fi.lK. opod their possessions. Tho Miller lease is now in their hands, and during 1909 should bo coming into the market with a steady lot of rich orus. Tho Dtuchman propcrtv at present pres-ent is shipping as much ore" as teams for hauling purposes can bo found to nssist in tho task. Tho Mineral Flat, Sunday, Texan, Whirlwind, Yankee, Pittsburg, Bluo Bock and numerous othor properties aro now boing treated to a very onorgctjc campaign of development devel-opment work, and each ono should bo due during 1909 with splendid results. Tho rejuvenation of American Fork is now assured. Tho camp is an ideal tunnel - district, and all tho properties abovo montioned aro being so opened at splendid dopth.