History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

MINES OF GOLD AND SILVER. 743
nected with it after its sale to a party of English capi-
talists, for the sum of $5,000,000, have no parallel in
the history of mining swindles, except perhaps in
connection with the Comstock lode. 65 The Big Cottonwood
district lay immediately to the north of its
namesake, both being near Alta, in Salt Lake county,
and from 8,000 to 9,000 feet above the sea-level. In
1871 none of the mines promised well, but a year
later several were yielding largely, and some hundreds
of claims were located. 66
In the American Fork district, south of Little
Cottonwood, many locations were taken up in 1870
and 1871, some of considerable value—one mine,
named the Pittsburg, being afterward sold for $20,000,
and one called the Miller for $190,000. The most
prominent mine in 1882 was the Silver Bell, in which
a strong vein of milling ore wT as encountered at a
depth of 300 feet. In geologic features this district
resembled the Cotton woods, and was on the same mineral
belt. 67 In connection with it may be mentioned
the Silver Lake district, on Deer Creek, containing
several promising locations, and now merged in the
American Fork district.
On the extreme southern end of the Oquirrh
Range, and on its western face, was the Tintic district,
overlooking the Tintic Valley, where the first mine,
named the Sunbeam, was located in 1869, the district
beincr organized a few months later. On the Sun-
65 See further, for history and description of Emma mine, Beadle's Western
Wilds, 120; 8. F. Call, March 11, 1876; 8. L. C. Tribune, Jan. 11, 1872,
March 25, April 8, 1876; of swindle, Id., Nov. 30, 1875; of lawsuit, Coast
Rev., 187 S72, vol. ii., no. 5, 192, no. 6, 230-1; S. F. Bull., Jan. 7, 1875; S. F.
Post, June 8, 1872.
66 For further mention of the Cottonwood mines, see Godbe's Statement,
MS., 4-5; Paul's Utah Ineid., MS.; S. L. C. Tribune, Jan. 1, 1SS1; Tribune,
Jan. 3, 1880; S. L. Herald, Jan. 3, 1880; 8. F. Alta, Feb. 9, 26, 1873; Hayden's
Geol. Surv. Rept, 1S72, 106-8.
67 For further details, see Murphy's Mm. Res. of Utah, 32-4. In this
work are descriptions of all the mining districts of Utah up to 1872, and of
the leading districts to 1882, in Hollister's Res. and Attract, of Utah, 1882,
22-41. In the former are also the names of the productive mines in each
district, with no. of feet, assays, etc. In Utah Gazetteer, 1884. 73-104, there
is also a description of the various districts.