Texas thru Utah

920. Texas. Hardin/Jefferson. Spindle Top. Sempire Oil Co, c.1900. Prospectus. No date is offered in this prospectus, but a paragraph concerning the first major dividend check paid to Rockefeller of $6 million is quoted. The company had lease to 1500 acres in Chamber, Hardin and Jefferson Counties with a well on Spindle Top. It does not specify where Spindle Top is located. The most interesting part of this prospectus are the people involved in the company. C. F. Blanke, President of the C. F. Blanke Tea & Coffee Co; John W. Mason of Desnoyers Shoe Co; J. L. Hill, president of the Cameron, Hill & Baker Wholesale Grocery Co; B. Milmo, Lumber Dealer, etc. These are not your typical mining men with backgrounds in science but rather shows the "wildcat" nature that oil had in Texas. 3.5 x 6". Red and black print. Fine. $50

921. Texas. Lavaca. Wiedeville. Wiede & Son Token Set. Lot of 6 pieces. C. Wiede/ &/ Son/ Wiedeville,/ Texas.// GF/ X/ IT. The X placed on the reverse side description indicates that the obverses are the same with varying denominations. Denominations include 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 1.00. Oct, alum, 31mm. We received these tokens from a small quantity of tokens. Previously these trade tokens were unknown and unlisted. The tokens were manufactured by the Stafford Lowden Co, Ft. Worth, TX. All are BU. We have 3 sets available. $100/each

922. Utah. Beaver. Beaver Lake. Skylark Copper Mining & Milling Co, c.1903. Lot of 3 different prospectuses. The company owned the Skylark group which included the Skylark, Ole Tipa, Oregon, Argo, Hermit, Maine, Buena Vista and High Point mines all located in the Beaver Lake district. The prospectus offers a short history of the district. Ore occurred at the contact between limestone and granite with average of 4% copper and varying amounts of silver and gold values. The primary claim was the Ole Tipa, which had a 225 shaft. The lot includes a Letter from the President, 1902, that shows that the budget from April 1901 to April 1902 has deficit of $76.80. This required an assessment to be levied on all shareholders. The assessment was expected to bring in $1500. This report is dated June 9, 1902 with assessment due June 28, 1902. Failure to pay resulted in forfeiture of stock. (It is amazing anyone ever invested in mining companies - vp). There are 2 copies of the Letters of the President. In 1904, the Skylark was purchased by the Utah United Mines Co. All 3 items are 4 x 9". Very fine. $75

923. Utah. Beaver. San Francisco. Imperial Copper Mining Co, c.1903. Marketing letters and other correspondence. A convoluted story emerged from a simple check of the Copper Handbooks regarding this company. Checking the company arose from the second item in this lot - a typed, 2 page letter to the Editor of the New York Commercial Mining Department, 1904. The letter states, "These mines are known as the Imperial Copper Mining Co...were discovered, located and staked out by me (Ralph A. Hawkins), several years ago and I was the exclusive owner in un-disputed possession of the same. I met A. B. Lewis...and showed him my mines." The letter goes on to described how a business relation developed between Lewis and Hawkings resulting in the incorporation of the Imperial Copper Mining Co. According to the letter, Lewis took control of the property and sold it to the Imperial Silver & Copper Mining Co which became the Monarch Mines & Smelters Co. Hawkins claims that the Imperial Copper Mining Co never existed as a legitimate corporation. The letter is signed by Hawkins. This letter inspired the check of the Copper Handbooks to see if there was merit to Hawkins claims. As stated before, this check leads to a convoluted story of company reorganizations, fraud charges and consistent officer changes without ever having a pertinent production. The Imperial Copper MC was reorganized by the Neveda-Utah Mines & Smelters Co, 1907, which owned property in Nevada and Utah in several different districts and counties. The infamous Thomas W. Lawson was involved with the Nevada-Utah Cons. "The standing of the company has been greatly injured by its connection with the notorious Thos W Lawson, who concocted a very clever scheme with the rigging of the stock market, in March, 1907. On Feb 28, 1907, Lawson advertised, at heavy cost, that he was planning taking up Nevada-Utah, and, by clever manipulation, strung along the speculators for two weeks, but, on March 13, announced that he was through with the property, as it was not as represented, following this statement with another that he, himself, would double the market price, or thereabouts, to help out the speculators, and, of course, unloaded his holdings. The stock was sold mainly to street hawkers, newsboys, bar porters, scrubwomen and other unfortunates of similar caliber, who comprise the bulk of 'Lawson's Following'. These, as a rule, were wiped out completely, and the profits accruing doubtless went to the virtuous Lawson. The company states that Lawson took an option on a large amount of its stock, and allowed the option to lapse, this being the company's version of its connection with the malodorous campaign." (Copper Handbook, 1908, p.1027). The Nevada-Utah was bankrupt by 1910 and reorganized to the Consolidated Nevada-Utah. This company persisted through 1930, but the officers had changed hands in every Copper Handbooks (Mines Handbooks) published through 1931. 4 pages, printed on yellow paper, 8.5 x 11". Very fine. $100

924. Utah. Beaver. San Francisco. Royal Copper Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. The property owned the Cactus claim group in the San Francisco district. In 1902-1903, the company was merged, or bought, by the Cactus Copper MC, which was purchased by the Newhouse Smelters and Mines Co. The Cactus group of mines had changed hands often had never been successfully worked until Newhouse Smelters and Mines Co. Production began in 1906 with 125,000 pounds of copper. Like a skip on a bad record, Newhouse was viewed questionably and it was believed that production and assay values were exaggerated (Copper Handbook, 1908). 4 pages, 3.5 x 6". Vf. $50

925. Utah. Box Elder. Park City. Century Gold Mining & Milling Co, c.1900. A 3 page, no frills, typed prospectus outlining the facts of the company, minus assay values. The company claimed to own 10 claims: Laura, Marion, Lizzey, Century, Patrick, Century Mine No. 2, June Bug, Uncle Jim, Gold Star and Gold Star No. 2. Also owned to ranches and had squatters rights to a large chunk of "railroad land". There was a 50 ton mill in place. The erection of this mill by the original owner of the company, Dr. White, drove him into bankruptcy and the company was taken over, forcing White out. In a legal document format, 8.5 x 13", with staining of outer cover. Very fine. $75

926. Utah. Box Elder. Park City. Flagstaff Bonanza Mining Co, c.1934. A one page prospectus for the Flagstaff mine located in the Park City district. The mine was situated near the Old Quincy (the most famous in the district) and other pertinent mines. The letter is soliciting investors with an offer to acquire 5000 shares for $125 paid over about a 8-9 month period of time. On the reverse of the typed letter is a note back to Chas. Moore, the promoter for Flagstaff Bonanza, from a C. E. Weeks, requesting purchase of 5000 shares, dated at top Nov. 21, '34. Fold creases. Vf. $50

927. Utah. Cache. La Plata. La Plata Consolidated Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. The story being sold in this prospectus is that a sheep herder found mineralized ore outcropping in veins. A camp sprang up and operations ensued. The Union Pacific RR stepped in and claimed the property was owned by the railroad and killed the camp and mining with continued court action. Three men prevailed, won the case against the UPRR, and secured all the property incorporating the La Plata Cons MC. By 1901, there was a 270 incline shaft and a 180 foot tunnel that was reported to have intersected several rich veins. The ore from the veins is listed as $54 per ton (of what minerals we are not sure). The company is listed in the Copper Handbook, 1908, p.865, as a being dead and was a bad egg. 4 pages, blue paper with dark blue print, 8.5 x 11". Fold creases. Very fine. $50

928. Utah. Grand. Sonoma. National Copper Mining Co, c.1903. Prospectus. Property included the National group located on Dry Fork of Onion Creek situated on the La Sal Mountains. There were 4 tunnels, the most elaborate is 344 feet long. The Copper Handbook, 1908, p.1007, lists the ore running 9.5% copper and 17.5 ounces silver per ton. Company was idle and presumably idle (Copper Handbook, 1906). 8 pages, 3.5 x 6", original brown cover. Extremely fine. $75

929. Utah. Juab. Tintic. Boston & Tintic Mining Co, 1900. Prospectus. The company owned property between the Rabbit Foot and Star Consolidated companies. By 1900, a tunnel had reached 350 feet. The ore reported assayed at 48% lead, 160 ounces, and 0.04 ounce gold per ton. The 1910 Mines Handbook, p.462, list that there were 3 tunnels of 40', 70' and 103' with assays of 1-3% copper, 20-55% lead, 25-45 ounces silver and $0.80 gold per ton. The company was idle since 1905 with a little worked report in 1909. 5.5 x 8" with original blue cover. There is a square cut out in the middle of the front cover and we are not sure why. 20 pages, fold creases near left edge. Printed by Tribune Job Printing, Salt Lake. Vf. $50

930. Utah. Juab. Tintic. Dakota Mining Co, 1902. Letter to Stockholders. The company owned the Buckeye mine in the Tintic district. Ore was said to carry copper, lead, silver and gold but no hard numbers offered. This is more a response letter than a prospectus for the company. It would appear that this letter accompanied a subscription slip for stock purchase. Promoted by Brigham T. Cannon of New York with the company office in Sioux City, South Dakota. Frank Cannon, probably the brother of the promoter, was the president. Not listed in the Copper Handbooks and has the earmarks of a stock jobbing corporation. Foxing and minor tears along edges. Vf. $50

931. Utah. Salt Lake. Bingham. Kennecott Copper Corp, The Utah Copper Story, c.1956. This booklet was published by the Utah Copper Division of Kennecott Copper Corp to highlight the nearly 60 years of mining at Bingham Canyon. There is a wonderfully written history of the district leading to acquisition by Kennecott and the eventual full development into one the world's largest open pit mines. Included in the booklet are statistics of the decrease in the ore percentage, the massive amounts of dirt that has to be move to produce 1 pound of copper or even an ounce of gold. 10 photographs, my favorite being a three page fold out photograph of the Bingham pit. 31 pages, original copper colored cover, 6.5 x 10". Minor wear to left edge. Very fine. $35

932. Utah. Salt Lake. Bingham. Niagara Mining & Smelting Co. Inc. in UT, 1888. Cert #942, issued to Ole Peterson for 200 shares in 1891. Signed by pres. P. Abe Franklin and sec. Howard J. Schermerhorn Vignette at the top of Niagara Falls; also vignettes at left and right of underground mining scenes. Green border and underprint, silver seal. Datelined Salt Lake City, Utah. Printer - Wm. H. Hoskins, Phila. 13 x 9. Uncancelled. XF. The company owned the Niagara group of 15 claims and produced silver, gold and lead. They had a 5-stamp mill in 1898. By 1905, the property was controlled by United States Mining Co. through ownership of a majority of the stock. Silver corporate seal with impression of the Morgan Dollar. (Ref: Poole, 1898, p752; CH, 1905, p609.) $125

933. Utah. Salt Lake. Bingham. Thomas B. Crawford Letterhead of the Rio Dolores Copper Co, 1912. The two page letter is actually promoting the company, touting the profits to a potential shareholder. Signed by Crawford. Crawford was the Secretary/Treasurer for the Rio Dolores. Properties Located in La Sal Mountains, Bingham, Utah & Goldfield, Nev. printed at upper left. Vf, some foxing at left, folds. $20

934. Utah. Salt Lake. Salt Lake. New York Smelting & Refining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. The company was planning on constructing a 500 ton smelter in the Salt Lake Valley. The prospectus has an interesting layout design. Part of the brochure is of semi rigid paper that folds out to 8 pages with an attached thinner paper fold out. This insert is glued to part of page 78 slightly obscuring that page. 3.5 x 6". Blue print on brown paper. Company not listed in the Copper Handbooks. Very fine. $50

935. Utah. Salt Lake. Salt Lake. Weekly Comments and Market Letters, 1900. Lot of 6 different pcs. E. W. Young published these weekly Utah mining stock reports to promote his brokerage firm. On March 23, 1900, there were 2 strong stock performers: Centennial Eureka trading at $26 and West Mountain Placer trading at almost $30 per share. 4 of the items are all the same format being 4 pages and 6 x 9". The last item is page which folds out to 12 x 15". All are slightly worn along fold creases. A wonderful resource of the mining companies performance during the 1900's. Very fine. $100

936. Utah. Salt Lake. Salt Lake. Weekly Review of Mining Investments, 1900-1901. Lot of 3 different pcs. William H. Tibbals published these concise 4 page reviews of Utah mining companies stock prices. Tibbals was a broker in Salt Lake who was also a regular name on the boards of many a Utah mining company. The reviews are dated from February 2, 1900, January 25, 1901 and February 1, 1901. The format of the reviews are the same with a brief one page discussion of the recent happenings. The second page has a listing of the mining company and the exchange quotations of Utah mining stocks. In the February, 1901, listing, the Centennial Eureka was trading at an outstanding $25 per share. 6 x 9". All very fine. $100(no illustration)

937. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. Boston Cons Copper & Gold Mining Co, Ltd., 1902. This is a letter dated from Boston, 1902. The letter is in reference to stock in the Boston Consolidated Copper & Gold MC, Ltd, which was a British company which was the parent of the Boston Consolidated Co, an American based company, that operated the mines at Bingham. The Boston Consolidated Co produced 3.5 million pounds of copper in 1906. In 1907, the mines produced 6.15 million pounds copper, 78,000 ounces silver and 12,500 ounces gold. In 1909, the parent company and Boston Cons were purchased by the Utah Copper Co. (Copper Handbook, 1908, 1910). 2 pages with attached newspaper advertisement. Very fine. $35

938. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. Butte & Bingham Copper Mining & Development Co, 1900. Prospectus. The company owned claims in the West Mountain district near Bingham including the Snow Bird and Mirror mines. Both of these claims were reported to have short tunnels showing very rich gold and silver bearing copper ore. The prospectus does not offer an average assay value, rather reports assays from specific locations. Assays values were 0.5-12% copper, trace to $3.40 gold, trace to 90 ounces silver and as high as 73% lead per ton. 7 photographs, 3 of which are underground shots showing a miner in the claimed ore zone. There are 3 different maps of the claims and workings. This is a quote from the Mines Handbook, 1910, p.495, "Lands supposedly were in the West Mountain Mining District, but nor trace of operations thereon ever secured." 5 x 6.5" with original tan cover and gilt lettering. Stain along top edge. Minor fold creases at left. Very fine. $100

939. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. Dewey Consolidated Copper & Gold Mining & Milling Co, c.1904. The prospectus is concise with only 3 pages, 7 x 8.5" with a map of the claims at the center of pages 2 & 3. There were 5 claims under its control that supposedly had a rich stand of timber with a value of $5000. The assays reported ran as high as 28% lead, 12 ounces silver and $1.80 gold per ton. The stock offering was only for 10,000 of the total 100,000 at 5 cents per share. Not a very large capital enrichment for the company. There were 2 women officers of the company, Mrs. E. V. Bryant, vice president and Miss Eva M. Branting, secretary of the company. There is some confusion surrounding this company. In the 1905 Copper Handbook, this company was listed as having the letter returned unclaimed from the office at Salt Lake City. But the Copper Handbook lists that the company had its mine property at Grangeville, Idaho County, Idaho. There is no mention of the Bingham properties. The company is listed as dead by 1908, Copper Handbook. A few pencil notes on inside. Very fine. $50

940. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. Lombard Mining Co, 1901. The title of this item is Report of the Lombard Group of Mining Claims." The company owned the Nevada, I.X.L., Fire Clay, Copper King No. 1, Copper King No. 2 and Copper King No. 3. There was no development work done and the surface outcrops were extremely leached. The property was initially worked for clay that was used in fire bricks, later thought to be have metalliferous ores. The report was done by Daniel Kane. 2 page, typed, carbon copy in a legal document format. 8 x 13". There are a few colored pencil markings. Very fine. $50

941. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. North Utah Mining Co, c.1908. Prospectus. Incorporated in Maine. Owned 15 claims adjoining the famous Bingham mines. An average ore sample ran at 1.2% copper, 3.8% lead, 6.2 oz silver and 0.03 gold. In the 1908 Copper Handbook, p.1059, is the following quote, "No trace of operations secured." This clearly got the attention of the management, because in the 1910 Copper Handbook, p.1318-1319, has a full description of the company and property. 6 pages, 8.5 x 11". Tear at right edge affecting last 2 pages. Discoloration on front and back. Fine to very fine. $50

942. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. Red Wing Gold Mining Co, c.1899. Prospectus. The company claims to own the Red Wing property near Bingham. At the same time as this prospectus was published there was 2 other companies entitled Red Wing operating in the Bingham area. Only one of these had title to the Red Wing mine and that was the Red Wing Mining Co which was taken over by the New Red Wing MC in 1900. Later the New Red Wing was succeeded by the Utah Development Co, which itself was presumed dead by 1906 (Copper Handbook, 1906). The prospectus for the Red Wing Gold MC does say that they operated the Red Wing mine (which had limited gold values) or the absolute location of the property controlled. It may have been a scam using the Red Wing name. 4 pages, with blue print, 6 x 7". Blue pencil mark on front page. Minor foxing along edges. Very fine. $50

943. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. St. Joe Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. The company owned 17 claims that had the Uhlig Tunnel at 1700 feet, Rexite Tunnel at 1250 feet, Upper St. Joe at 265 feet and the St. Joe Deep Tunnel at 280 feet. The company had grand plans of driving a tunnel more than a mile underneath the more famous mines in the West Mountain district such as the Highland Boy, United States MC and Boston Cons. There are 4 photographs showing different mine properties. At the end is a fold out map showing the proposed St. Joe Deep Tunnel course and the properties it will underlie; map is 4.5 x 11.5". The St. Joe Mining Co experienced litigation over properties but was successful in the US Supreme Court in 1905. At that time, the company had the second longest tunnel in the Bingham area at about 2500 feet. The company was dead by 1908, with the property sold by the sheriff. The sale of the property was insufficient to meet the debt of the company. (Copper Handbook, 1906, p.881; 1908, p.1199). 6 x 9", with exposure stain along top edge of front cover and back cover. The cover and text are printed in blue with red print accents at edges. Very fine. $75

944. Utah. Salt Lake. West Mountain. West Mountain Mining Co, c.1903. Prospectus. On the second page is a property map of the West Mountain MC. The first 2.5 pages are devoted to a short history of the mining in the Bingham area. The last paragraph is a wonderful resource for it lists the producing mines in the area (that list is far to extensive to list here). The company had 8 claims that included the Freeman, Kansas No. 1 & No. 2, Wedge, Anderson No. 2, Snyder, Chubb and one unnamed. These claims adjoined the Red Wing, Red Wing Extension and Montezuma mines. Development was minor with short shafts. Ore was assaying at 24% lead, 20 ounces silver and $1.60 gold per ton. The Copper Handbook (1908, p.1423) lists that the company lost its lands and money was refunded to the stock holders. 8 pages, 8.5 x 10.5". Discolored by sun exposure. Small tears on last page. Very fine. $50

945. Utah. Utah. Peepstone. Massasoit Gold & Copper Co, 1900. Correspondence and market letters. The company had 16 claims that adjoined the Alice and Gypsy Queen that had a 95 foot shaft with several drifts. No assays offered. The last page has a claim map. In th 1908, Copper Handbook, p.919, is the following quote "Location of lands, if any, unknown." There is a 2 x 0.5 inch piece missing from the upper left corner. Promoted from Boston. Fine to very fine. The second item is a typed letterhead from the Smith & Stern Bankers and Brokers of Boston dated 1900. The first sentence of the second paragraph is "The Company has just been organized, and owns a valuable property in Utah." A vague allusion to the property which is reinforced by the Copper Handbook, 1908, p.919, which states in one sentence, "Location of lands, if any, unknown." 1 page, typed, 8.5 x 11". Very fine. $50

946. Utah. Washington. Harrisburg (Silver Reef). Brundage Mining & Reduction Co, c.1902. Prospectus. The company operated a series of mines near Silver Reef. The Walker mine had a 200 foot incline shaft. "This mine was worked for about 2 years, both there is no record known to show quantity of ore produced." (an odd statement to put into a prospectus, don't you think - vp). The Barbee mine had a shaft that connected with the Walker mine and was once a strong producer. The Jumbo, Wonder, Free Coinage, Jack Whacker and Side Lode No.1 & No. 2 mines all had glory and dog holes as interpreted from the description in the prospectus. Ore samples assayed prior to purchase of the property and formation of the company offered silver values ranging from 12 to 3000 ounces of silver per ton. On page 14, the prospectus makes reference to the developing mining camps near Peoche (sic), Nevada. 10 photographs and 1 cross sectional view of the "reef" formation. 27 pages, 7 x 9", original dark gray cover with white lettering and original book mark style string. Stains along edges. Not listed in the Copper Handbook. In the 1870's, Silver Reef was a small thriving camp of nearly 1500 miners. The prospectus offers a short history indicating that miners strikes led to the demise of the camp along with the camp at Pioche. Very fine. $100