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Show I kmanfling or Old- Tramway Reca lis Colorful Mining History of .American Fork c anyon - - i By KATIIRYN IJ. GROSBECK Chill winds of October sweep down from the snowy heights above the bid Yankee and Globe Mines in American Fork Canyon. At the tipple site they race on through the dilapidated remains of the tail frame of a tramway and tumble on over themselves as they ""1 whistle around suspended rusted iron buckets, long out of use whistling" stories of glorious mining days of the past when the picturesque canyon offered gold, silver', lead, and zinc along with its rugged beauty. Few but the venturesome ones. take the rqad of the winds up to the mines. Now it is chiefly when the sha, dows of eve come creeping in and children long to know the stories their parents knew , when they were children that legends of old mines come to life. Then again, when the last of something out of the past is about to be taken away, folks tell tales. Stories come to life. Way back some of them go to a time in 1869, when prospecting activity spread to American Fork Canyon from Bingham, where peneral Connor's men had made discoveries. Then some of the first big mines in Utah were discovered, Among them in American Fork Canyon were the, Yankee, Miller, Globe, Sultana, Wild Dutchman, and others.. From the time of its discovery UP until 1953, the Yankee Mine produced millions in lead, zinc, silver, and gold. It is asserted that the rich mine paid out $30,000,000 over the years with one. little stope alone supplying: a mil-- lion dollars worth of ore. If you were ever a part of th-Yankee, a hurt may hang heavy about your heart when you learn that the old tramway to the mine from the forks of the canyon below; is being dismantled as the last signs of mining activity play . out. Maybe you have heard about those who once risked their lives riding over the snowy elevations on the tramway when it was impossible to reach the high mining area of the Yankee even with pack animals. Those men threw caution to the winds as they were carried jhigh above the slopes, sometimes over 800 feet from the ground. Even Chet Whitlock of Pay son who "is in charge ,of the present dismantling crew, shudders as he tells about those courageous miners of the past. Memories of mining days will come to those who were once a part of the Yankee Mine as they read about the, end . of the old to Mr. Whitlock, one of the longest in the country. Maybe at the end of 30 days if no more early snows hamper their work such as the , recent 8 inches of snowfall did at the Yankee - the workmen will have dismantled all of the tramway that once hauled 100 train car loads there a week in the glorious days of ore production. Mr. .Whitlock and his crew drive from the tipple site to the mine up a grade so steep that the wheels of their truck spin as it climbs, even when half a ton of rock, said Mr. Whitlock, is being used for ' . traction. When the tramway is finally dismantled maybe to be rethe old sold to make a ski lift Yankee mine will join the Miller and the Wild Dutchman and the Sultana and the others as, an interesting chapter of the story of a canyon, a story fascinating in its history echoed by the winds of the Wasatch, echoes of a sentimental past in mining history, when hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold, silver, zinc,' and lead over the years since 1869 came out of majestic American Fork Canyon of rugged peaks, snow- - tipped by early September. 1 TIPPLE OF YANKEE MINE Recent pnoto shows tipple (bare y visible in lower left hand corner) and tower at base of aerial tramway to Yankee Mine in American Fork Canyon. And the winds will, shriek the wind, Pittsburg, storyxat the site of thef boarding-hous- e Wild Dutchman, near the eaten all the Yankee, by ravages of time. Arid massive loneliness will envelop the once great mining area. Years ago the laughter of 25 men. filled the' boarding-housCabins for the men dotted the hillside. Some children there in July. played snow-ba- ll Once in a while fear came.x Water seeping within the Yankee caused a cave - in. Trapped underground the men could see no escape possible. It was a mining engineer from Tintic who figured the way out to safety by leading the miners through the water that was causing the trouble. There are those .who recall the four and six head of horses and the ore wagons at the Yankee and Globe, when all the ore was brought put of a common tunnel. They tell about the men swinging fast to sleighs or pack animals with the coming of the deep snows. Carl Ferlin, George Adams, and, Williard Cleghorn knew the remote area then. People that knew them tell their stories now. All the sweep of the magnificent Wasatch Range had stories, stories not only of the Yankee and Globe, but of the Miller, one of the biggest mines in American Fork Canyon, and of the Whirl xand the cabins i e. ; ' tramway. Sultana, and when mining boomed and supplied the life blood in the veins .of many. The mines made life before timbers rotted and cages rusted and cars came to rest as glory faded. Big activity once hinged at the Miller: Early in September, 1870, the mine later named the Miller was discovered and sold the following year to the Aspinwali Co., wealthy eastern men, for $120,000. It has been said that ores running into millions of dollars came from the Miller. Aspinwali built a railroad in 1872, hauling the engine for the cars' from Lehi on skids. Because of steep grades, the cars were run up by locomotive power, but came down by their own momentum. During last years of the railroad mules were used instead of locomotives. Then as thexrail-roa-d became highly unprofitable, was done away with, the tracks-beinit torn up in 1878. There are stories about George Tyng. In 1902 he leased the Miller from Aspinwali Co. After many a fruitless try he finally opened up a big vein with his last charge of powder. His findings brought a boom to the whole area again. It has been said that Tyng made millions, the report being that the royalties to the Aspinwali Co., amounted- to around $700,000. Then Tyng met his death in a snow slide. g - As he requested, his put to its final rest mine in the canyon Stories say that in body was 1 - Utah Sales Tax Receipts Up Safety Pamphlets Approximately elementary But Amount Going Into children throughout Utah receive fire safety this take General Fund Takes a Drop pamphlets them as a reminder Utah 20,000 school County will ' week to home with to County residents that fires are no Although state sales tax col- Legislature, in the final hours of respecters of persons and may strike any of our homes at any lections in Utah are up nearly the 1961 session, also increased, time. $300,000 during the first three the state sales tax rate from 2 These pamphlets are being dis- months of the 1961-6- 2 fiscal year per cent to 2xk per cent and. aptributed courtesy of the Utah Coun- compared with the correspond- propriated $4.1 million for a ty Safety Committee in cooperation ing period a year ago, the school building program, it was with local fire departments, and in amount of sales tax revenue go- thought that the increased reve- cent . connection with Fire Safety Week ing into the general fund is down nue resulting from ithe more in increase tax the sales .than $750,000. would activities. The safety committee by Vz has also made available to schools According to an analysis pre- cover the 13 per cent diversion during the month of October a fire pared by Utah Foundation, the to the school fund and the $4.1 safety film, "What to Do In. Case private tax research organiza- million appropriation for school of Fire." tion, this seeming contradiction buildings. School children will be receiving is explained by the fact that the One factor that was overlookinstruction throughout the week on 1961 Utah Legislature earmark- ed, however, according to the fire safety. Parents, too, should ed 13 per cent of all state Utah Foundation, was the lag beturn their attention to precautions sales collections to the Uniform tween the time that' the sales that should be aken for protecting School'Fund for state aid for the tax is collected at the retail level children from fire. It is estimated public schools. Although the sales and the time that it is reported that 20 per ceni of the persons who tax rate was raised by Vz per to the state. Most of the sales die as a result of fires each year cent to offset this transfer, the tax collections reported to the are children under five years of allocation to the schools applied State Tax Commission during the age. Many, many more are burned to one quarter's sales tax col- period July through September some will carry the scars for the lected at the old rate of 2 per of 1961, for example, reflects cent. rest of their lives. retail sales made during the - The safety committee lists the period when- - the 2 The Foundation noted that the April-Jun- e per cent state sales tax rate was following precautions for parents: 1. Never leave children alone. still in effect; As a result, the Vs g 13 sitavoid dren a for flimsy, per cent diversion, of sales Arrange dependable baby tax revenue fabrics. instructo the School Fund ter and give specific 4. Never use lighted candles at reduced the revenue to the Gentions on what to do in case of fire. j , . " -- fast-burnin- hr r loots BEAUTIFULLY LAUNDERED j HEAVY, MEDIUM, LIGHT, or NO STARCH ' i How would you like a af grass-and-le- Some ' Hangers or Folded . . . On sandwich? scientists claim we may. be eating such concoctions someday if the population explosion continues. Instead of burning leaves and grass we would get half to of their protein as human food. After special processing, such "fodder" is nearly tasteless and can be used to commercially prefortify pared foods. APPROVED; AVIXIUUIMKJ Irrt 1 Three Convenient Locations SERVICE Encyclopedia Eritannica THE OLD Tt. SUNNY BROOK D1STI5.LERT CO.. LOUISVILLE, r n n if rm BOURBON WHISKEY KENTUCKY STRAIGHT 90 PROOF, KENTUCKY BLENDED WHISKEY 85 PROOF. 6SX look As su mi BR0( 1961 fx? " " Yri (1) discover that this great old brand has the taste of today! (2) There are two kinds of Sunny Brook to completely suit modern drinking tastes. , .the smooth and mild Kentucky straight bourbon and . . . the smooth and extra mild blend (3) Tonight try Sunny Brook. You're sure to like it introducing the stylo of the year is getting to be a habit with Pontiac! Wide-Trac- have introduced the style that's been the years most ks looked at and longed for. And along comes the '62 with the kind of freshness and fineness that only Pontiac comes up with. New length. New p grille. A crisp?low silhouette. Cleanly curving twin-scoo- taillights. You don't have to look twice to tell a '62 Pontiac! And you only have to drive it once that nothing else to know CATAL1NA STAR CHIEF will do for you. Why not take the wheel BONNEVILLI and go Wide-Tracki- . ,x ngfcwm'i' ir sunny 1 i , soon nq r , Y0U1L LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT! One right after another, 'the NEUTRAL SPIRITS GRATJI r n nan n b It fl A 1960 . 4 v- GRAND PRIX $ I j" ... f L V ;"V-;- V.' 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In selecting clothing for near open fires. higher sales' tax rate. 1871 - DAILY HERALD 2. near the he loved. at the Sultana there was quite a community. Still other tales tell about a recluse of American Fork Canyon, Ed Hines. In the early i870's he wandered about the canyon, occasionally staking out a claim. One he sold for $5,000, spent his money fast, and then looked for more ore. Since most big mining firms operstopped their large-scal- e ations some time ago, leasers have been able to make some money at the American Fork mines. At the Yankee they have shipped siliceous ore to the copper smeltef at Garfield for use as a fluxihg material. Unquestionably, though operations have, slowed down to a minimum, there are good reserves left that might at some future time be developed when- condi ions are more favor-ther- e will be more able Then to td add the mining chapters story. Today about the only activity up the left fork of American Fork Canyon nea r an old tippl is that of Chet W iiitlock- and his four workmen, making a conclusion for one story at the Yankee. They are working up and down a steep hill, dismantling a tramway, all 8 and Vz miles of it, and according WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11, 19G1 Utah County, Utah , School Children To Receive - I j f 297 Vest Mdin St. American Fork, Utah ... 5 a ' Buy the Straight SMOOTH AND EXTRA MHO? Buy the Blend |