Show The he Story of Copper in is Utah I i h Y r. r f 44 s st t y v r I 0 i t I Opening of Utah Copper Mine at aided In rapid expansion of electrical and mechanical era during first quarter of century Editor Editors Note This Is b the third of a series eries of or eight articles article titled The Story of ot Copper Cop n in Utah The Twentieth Century might well veil be called the Century of Cop Cop- Copper Copper Copper per because of the widespread developments de de- developments developments in n the production of the red metal that followed the opening of Utah Copper In 1904 This Th pio po- pioneering aided In the rapid expanse expansion expansion ion of the electrical era by provid provid- providing ing vital copper at a lower cost After ACter Jackling had shown the way at Bingham for tor large scale copper production from low grade deposits the development of Nevada Con Con- Consolidated Consolidated Ray Consolidated ami an in Arizona and the Chino mine In New Mexico and other low grade mines followed swiftly Anew A Anew Anew new era was established in production production production tion of tow tow- copper early In Inthe Inthe inthe the Twentieth Century to aid the swift expansion of Industry during the first Quarter of the century The limits of this short series of articles permit tracing briefly the events that led up to the establish establish- establishment e establishment ment and progress of the Utah Cop Cop- per Bingham Canyon oldest of Utah's mining districts has been the scene of more or less profitable mining since 1864 1861 Siliceous gold gold- golde we e and silver beatIng lead ores that so frequently occur In copper oppe districts were sought in the early days eta's Until 1900 Bingham remained es essentially es- es essentially 8 a silver lead-silver mining camp Smelters were built at Murray and Bingham Junction now MIdvale near the Jordan river 12 miles be be- below below low Bingham and a substantial part of the intake of these two plants came from 15 to 20 campara comparatively small underground mines in Bingham Canyon Colonel Laos Enos A. A Wall who had mining experience in Colorado Idaho and Montana first visited the camp in July Jul 1887 Colonel Wall was attracted by the usual signs of copper Then ac according ac- ac according cording to the tho story he entered an anold anold anold old adit started probably about 1865 when prospecting was first done by Federal soldiers under Gen Cen- General eral oral P. P E. E Connor first command commandant ant at Ft Douglas Wall became Interested and ac ac- acquired acQuired ac- ac acquired property in the district by location and during the succeeding 10 years added to his holdings through purchase and other loca During this period he spent approximately driving feet of tunnel drifts and crosscuts in the hills I This exploratory work began to I unfold the possibilities at Bingham Canyon as each foot of work added to the evidence that tho the copper I bearing mass was large although I low in grade Wall financed his work by b the sale of the Brickyard mine at Mercur Utah and the Yam Yam- Yampa Yampa pa property near the th Highland Boyat Boy Boyat at Bingham The fourth article In Inthis Inthis inthis this series will appear in these col col- columns columns soon |