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Show ' . TIMELY TAMELY METHODS ROUT M MERCUR RCUR GHOSTS . ' . .w w . " . . . a + ce cea a ( - vne- vne vne'tw - + - 'tw tw ' s w , . * 4a 4ai i + Yr . - F It is f - : . ' ' .1 1 . .1'r _ -'r 'r r - * ' ' By GEORGE W . SNYDERit SNYDER it \ , , lAMP FLOYD , , an early militarypost militarypost military CAMP itCAMP ( post in the Ogulrrh Oquirrh mountains mountains"six , -"six "six six - " six miles mUes south ot of Great Salt SaltLake SaltLake SaltLake Lake , g8\ g8 g8e gale ga \ e Its name to a . < district hstrlct to astonish astonishmotallurglsts astonishmetallurgists astonishmetallurgists " ' ' * which has never ceased motallurglsts metallurgists by tho the diversity and andcomplexity andcomplexity andcomplexity complexity of ot Its ores Mercur , one oneot oneof oneot ot of Its subsidiary camps , has been a averitable averitable averitable veritable test . tube ot of mineralogy mineralogy.There mineralogyThere . There nature outdid herself herselt la in de- de devising devising de devising - vising obdurate oMurate combinations combln\Uons combln Uons ' \ of ofmetallic ofmetallic otmetallic metallic elements c'ements cements ' nnd and the miner minercountered minercountered minercountered countered by working out . no less lessSngemous lessIngenious lessIngenious Sngemous Ingenious s solutions s"lutioDs slutioDs " lutions ot of her metal metalIurglcal metallurglcal metallurglcal Iurglcal lurglcal an I 1 mechanical mecha.nlcal mechanlcal . problems problemsIt It was th3 luro lure ot of Mercur a s goldwhich goldwhich gold goldwhich which led to the general use ot of otcyanide ofcyanide otcyanide cyanide in l leaching achlng , to the building build build- buildIng building - ing ot of the first long distance elec elec- electrical electrical electrical - - trical transmission line and to the thedevelopment thedevelopment thedevelopment development of ot \ vacuum acuum tiacuum mtratlonDISCOVerIes filtrationDiscoveries filtration mtratlon filtrationDiscoveries Discoveries began in 1896 . Find Find- Findfag Finding . - ing fag ot of o ( a ' \ icin Sern em of ot antimonlal antimonial sUver sliver sUver1n sliverin silverIn 1n in the Sparrow Hawk brought ex- ex ox- ox oxsoldiers exsoldIers ex-eoldlers ex eoldlers - soldIers , , firmers 1rmers farmers and vrospectors prospectors prospectorsto vrospectorsto to Lowistou Lewiston canyon . Exposures ot of otcinnabar ofcinnabar otcinnabar cinnabar ( sulphide ot of mercury mercuryand ) and gold added to the excitement excitementOne excitementOne excitementOne One Capt SIla Shaw w built a mill mlll la Sn in the thecanyon thecanyon thecanyon canyon in 1872 . Some silver sUver was wasJaved wascaved waspaved Javed caved : . . The gold , however , was waselusive 1 1elusive thei : elusive . Assays were good , but thecInyllke theolayliko the i claylike cInyllke olayliko 01 oie ore e containing it would wouldnot wouldnot wouldnot not yield to any l known lnown nown method of oftreatment oftreatment ottreatment treatment Mill MUl changes vrovlng proving vrovlngfnetfectual provingineffectual provingIneffectual fnetfectual ineffectual , Capt Shaw gave UD up UDthe upthe upthe the struggle and the little lItUe townbecame townbecame town towniecame became iecame a . "ghost ghost " " camp . . _ _ _ . _ n _ _ _ _ _ _ North ot of Camp rioyd noyd I'loyd Iloyd ' lead lend mInes mInesand minesand minesand and smelters sprang up , but Mer Mer- Mercur Mercur Mercur - cur slumbered Then , in 1890 , someNebraska someNebraska some ! Nebraska farmers were induced to toInvest toinvest toinvest Invest In the gold bed The Mer Mer- Mercur Mercur Mercur - cur Gold Mining & Milling M11ling Co was wasolganized wasoiganlzed wasoiganlzed olganized oiganlzed Less than 20 % ot of the thegold thegold thegold gold v3 v.as vas was . , & saved by the small smal1 'pan pan pan- panamalgamation ' pan-amalgamation pan amalgamation - . amalgamation mill installed at atManning atManning atManning Manning . Cyanide saved the day day.This dayThis . , This chemical was being tried experimentally ex ex- experimentally experimentally - perimentally at Denver . , Testa Tests ot of otsmall ofsmall otsmall small samples from Mercur prov vrov- vrov vrovIng proving proving - ing encouraging , a carload of ot the theore theore theore ore was forwarded More than 85 85ot % of the gold was recovered . A 50 50-ton 50 ton - . ton cyanide plant started at Man Man- Manning Manning . - ning in 1892 was able to show a aprofit aprofit aprofit profit and in 1893 its capacity was wasdoubled wasdoubled wasdoubledTwo . doubled doubledTwo Two years later Capt J . L Del Delnmal Delamar Delamar ' nmal amar ' bought the Golden Gate Gategroup Gategroup group roup , next to the Mercur claims claims.Pyrite claimsPyrite . Pyrite , sulphur and carbon in his hisore hisore hisore ore made trouble Two years yearsmore yearsmore yearsmore more , and experimentation proved provedthat provedthat provedthat that with finer grinding grmdIng and roast roast- roasting roasting roasting - ing the bise b'lse blse base ' ores could be cya- cya cyanided cyanided cya-nided cya nided - nided . Delamar built the Golden GoldenGate GoldenGate GoldenGate Gate mill m11l in m 1897 18978 S 8 and , in 1899 1899effected , etfected effected a consolidation with the theMercur theMercur theMercur Mercur company under undel ' the name nameConsolidated nameConsolidated nameConsolidated Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines MinesCo MinesCo MinesCo MinesCoThe Co CoThe The two tVtO companies had produced produced1,045,138 produced1045138 1,045,138 1045138 , , tons ot of ore are at a profit prom of ot2,190,901 ot2190901 $2,190,901 2190901 $ ? $ , , . During the 11 years yearstollowing yearsfollowing yearsfollowing tollowing following . , Con Mercur milled 3- 3 3137,757 3137,757 3-137,757 3 137,757 137757 , - 137,757 137757 , tons with a gross value ot of ot10,245,175 ot10245175 $10,245,175 10245175 $ ? $ , , and paid 1,235,000 1235000 $1,235,000 $ ? $ , , in dividends I : ; Extraction .tractlon tractlon hatraction > . was WIIS at the therate therate therate rate ot of 76 ' 761 167 7 % \ After Atter the closing of ot the Golden GoldenGte GoldenGato GoldenGito Gte Gato , mill in 1913 the camp lan lan- languished languished languished - guished . In 1917 the mill rom machin machin- machinery machinery machinery - ery was sold , bouses houses were movedaVtay movedaway moved | away aVtay and the railroad rafJroad torn up upMercur upMercur upMercur Mercur was a . ghost town againAdjacent againAdjacent again againAdjacent Adjacent properties had been beenoperated beenoperated beenoperated operated for years with varying varyingsuccess varyingsuccess varyingsuccess success The Sacramento , just lust justsouth lustsouth justsouth south , had paid $308,000 308000 $ , In di divldends dividends dlvidends vldends vidends , chiefly from profits on its itsQuicksilver itsquicksilver Itsquicksilver Quicksilver ore The Geyser and andMarlon andMarion andMarion Marlon Marion mines had united In 1897 1897to 1897to 1897to to form the Geyser Marion com corn company cornpany cornpany pany . Until 1900 their respective respectivemUls respectivemills respectivemills mUls mills ran to capacity and about about$100,000 about100000 $100,000 100000 $ , was paid vaid to stockholders stockholders.Thereafter stockholdersThereafter . Thereafter little was done until until1933 1933 4 * ' when a cyanide plant was wascompleted wascompleted wascompleted completed and a steam shovel shovelturned shovelturned shovelturned turned loose to scoop BCOOl ) up Ul ) low grade gradegold gradegold gradegold gold ore in QuantihesFour quantitiesFour quantities Quantihes quantitiesFour Four miles south ot of Mercur the theSunshine theSunshine theSunshine Sunshine Gold Mining MImng Co , , with a a50 60 50 ton mill was operated with In- In Indifferent indifferent in indifferent - different results . , The Con . , Mercur Mercurtook Mercurtook Mercurtook took control In 1908 and incorpor Incorlor- Incorlor incorpor- Incorlorated incorporated incorporated ) - ated the Boston Sunshine company company.The companyThe . The mill mm was remodeled and In the the14 14 months ensuing $ $19,500 19500 $ , , was wasvald waspaid waspaid vald paid in dividends The nearby nearbyOverland nearbyOverland nearbyOverland Overland pioperty ploperty property treated % $2 2 $ .a a . i 20 tAt to ! te2 $2 2 ? $ 40 gold ore in a 500 ton mill mm , but butwas butwas butwas was unable to finance its opera op61a- op61a opera- op61ations operations operations - tions and closed down In Sn 1902Beginning 1902Beginning 1902 1902Beginning Beginning in 1933 , new Ufa lIre life was wasmtused wasinfused wasinfused mtused infused into the Mercur Mereur Mel-cur Mel cur - area afea by bythe bythe bythe the W . F . Snyder & : Sona Sons Co . The , built bunt aplant Aplant a aplant and associates Snyders Snydersand the oldManning oldManning old at atManning . MannlDg Manning to leach plant , , , chunna Theissue Theissue The Manning " l- l lW - - and - > Mercur W M dumps theincrease the theIncrease when balance In tho the issue hung the mint price of gold goldfrom goldfrom Increase m in turned turnedtho turnedthe from $ $20 20 $ 67 to $35 35 ? $ 35 an ounco ounce miucitho * & Sons Imme immadiately * . tho the scale Snyder the pur pur- purchase purchase - dlately diately closed a deal for chase ot of o ( the Con Mercur properties properties prop- prop propwS - erties ' under - a lease * , wS and oVUon option oVUoncontract optioncontract antlon contract . Incorporating the LewIston Lewiston Lewis- Lewis Lewisloo - . they , arranged arrangedfor _ . _ . ton loo . Peak Jfeaic Mining Aiiuiui , Co ou . , * - - .tor tor tor for the removal ot of their Manningplant Manning " " - Leasing T o oifiB- oifiB oifiBAnera - Anera opera- opera operations * - plant to Mercur . , . _ PfcUW * * kr * claimswere claimswere claims claimsviwyvmj tlona tions In some some'ot someot some.ot ' . of the llercur Mercur profitable and , with the theprospective theprospective were very prospective recoveries from the old oldtailing oldtailing ot of otprosperity ofprosperity another perIod tailing dumps , prosperity viwyvmj for * .v v . * the r.u ru . . twice - . . - - ghost- ghost ghosthaunted ghosthaunted _ - haunted camp camv could be foreseen toreseen . has hasseen hasseen hasseen Tho The recent era of activity seen the payrolls ot of o ( the distrIct distrIctrise districtrise districtrise rise from a few hundred dollars in in1930 1930 to approximately $15,000 15000 $ , .P P . per permonth permonth r rmonth month , which is steadily increas increas- increasing increasing increasing - - ing . This means about 130 men menemployed menemployed menemployed employed on company account accountwith , with 75 to 100 lessees also produc vroduc- vroduc produc- vroducing producing producing - ing . . Food and mining mlmng supplies supplfes to tothe tothe tothe the value of around $6,000 6000 ? $ 6,000 6000 , a month monthare monthare monthare are procured vrocured locally and from Salt SaltLake SaltLake SaltLake Lake City , while whlIe electric power at ata ata ata month Is Ss con- con consumed consumed con consumed - a cost ot of $ $3,000 3000 $ , a sumed . Insurance and taxes ot of otvarIous ofvarious otvarious varIous kinds , together with mis mis- miscellaneous miscellaneous miscellaneous - cellaneous expenditures , account accountfor accountfor accounttor for another (3,000 3000 $3,000 ( $ , monthly . It S is isestimated ifestimated . estimated thit th'1t th1t that ' 35,000 35000 $35,000 ? $ , to (40,000a 40000a $40,000a $40,000 40000 $ ( $ , a month la is being put Into circula circulI circulation . . ' tion tfon Instead of ot nothing at all a11 . |