| Show I 1 S When the gentiles the non non-Mor- mons came to Utah they found all the tho agricultural land that had water convenient already appropriated d said the Utah commission In its annual an- an nual report by the majority of the commission to the Interior department depart depart- department ment in 1887 Both the land and the water had been secured and land without water Is practically worthless worthless worth worth- less for tor agriculture The gentiles were equal ire In Intellect courage and energy to those or any other com com- continues the report and there was nothing l left t for them but the mines These they searched forand for tor torand and opened This says the report re- re port is work that none but superior supe- supe nor men can carry through as It takes capital courage faith sagacity sagacity ity endurance and ceaseless work Ot Of nIl all the mines found some Bome have brought riches But of th these se sea a vast goes for tor labor supplies for machinery and to tomake tomake make roads Silver mines are generally generally gen gen- found among almost Ina ps p.'s sible mountain tops and every movement connected with them il ie costly These mines have yielded up to the present time 1887 around Quite hall half ot of the has been paid to Mormons for labor labor la- la bor and supplies and ugh e. from a 0 very poor people they Il have ve become prosperous They possessed the tho land when the Gentiles went among them but they were so poor that some whole families did not secure 10 in money throughout the year What the gentiles gen gen- tiles have been able to accomplish h has s been In spite of the Mormon combined competition and tion They wrenched from the rugged rugged rug rug- ged and barren mountain tops the gold and silver sUver until they owned or r the assessed property ot of the ten ter- neatly nearly third one exclusive of railroad property Then the report pa pays s 's high tribute to the men who opened and devel- devel open the and cities of the Little Cottonwood district t. t giving a brief description of mining district as It was at the date of the report Where mining lining is conducted conducted con con- ducted under more than ordinary difficult circumstances which h will convey an adequate idea of the toil and danger which attends any of the superior abilities required for tor successful mining Little Cottonwood mining district dis- dis is located fifteen mUes southeast southeast south south- east of Salt Lake City continues the report Entering the canyon the granite walls rise feet above the valley The granite forms the cone around which the mountains have grown until their peaks are feet above the level Jevel of the sea and nearly feet above the valley Passing up the canyon the granIte walls for r five rising In grandeur tar far toe which tramway transports transports trans trans- ports passengers and freight to the mining town of felts Alta eight miles above The grade Is feet to the mile over cover the rails nearly the entire distance Leaving the granite one pastas a great quartzite reef reet interspersed with Above this the lime lime- stones the devonian and carboniferous rise In succession and andIn andin In the limestone the ore is found and scattered around the steep declivities declivities de- de can be seen the cabins of the miners The rock Is so hard that the average cost of tunneling Is some 10 per foot Miles of tunnels have been run at enormous el cost Snow commences to fall in August and continues until the following following fol- fol lowing May 1 The average tall fall Is thirty feet At Alta Aita City where the elevation Is nearly feet the average average av- av depth covering the ground the winter through Is fifteen feet teet The citizens communicate with each other through tunnels run under the snow The tramway is closed in the early fall and the only means of communication with the valley beI be- be I ow w for six months Is by a 0 hazardous hazar- hazar dous trip down the canyon through the deep snow The snow gathers around the summits of the peaks In such heavy masses that are of frequent occurrence Since 1870 seventeen years persons persona perished in the can canyon on by and the town ot of Alta AHa as been repeatedly swept as If by bya i a c cyclone clone Many of the miners work In the mines the year year around One has built a cabin under the summit of Mount Baldy Bady a pe peak k between the Little Cottonwood anti aoel American Fork canyons feet above the level leel or of the sea In these altitudes the rocks which lift their heads through the soil become bare the tempests having left ft them naked anti and gray A life In these vast soIl soli tudes is not very enchanting and nd yet thousands of energetic able and patriotic men pass their lives among them the great reat majority deprived of the comforts ot of lire life and by unremitting unremitting toil toU contributing to the material material ma- ma wealth of the o territory A |
