Show A n boulder dams waters effacing old salt mine that thrived thrive d as far back as A D waters of lake mead slowly pil mg ing up behind boulder dam are wiping out an industry which thrived as far back as A D writes a las vegas nev united press correspondent the old st thomas salt mine with its mountain of salt feet high said by scientists to have been worked by pueblo indians as early as the start of the fifth century is disappearing residents are won dering if the great pile of salt will contaminate the waters to any ex tent several years ago the salt mine attracted scientists from afar when evidences were discovered that man in the dawn of history had engaged in industry there digging tools fashioned from rocks tied to gether with leather thongs were dug up they proved said arche that the mine was the base of one of the principal workings of the pueblo indians who inhabited the territory from about A D until about 1200 A D the more modern history of the mine started in our own early west ern days when the first of the bonel li ii family emigrating from switzer land settled in the st thomas sec tion and became influential in its development there the banellis Bo nellis accord according ln to old timers organized the virgin river salt company and operated the mine and a salt mill for many years finally the virgin river corn com pany died and the mine was worked iy ay by residents of the area during the last few vears thousands of tons of salt hav been taken out the old mine lies at the asse of the salt mountain but the rising wa of lake mead have fevered the road over which thou Ms adds of tons have been hauled four teen centuries |