Wyoming

979. Wyoming. Albany. Jelm Mountain. American Gold & Copper Mining Co, 1902. This is solicitation letter from the American Gold & Copper Mining Co. dated May 17, 1902. Property included 14 claims near Jelm. The company was dead by 1906 (Copper Handbook, 1906). 8.5 x 11" with 2 small holes near bottom of letter. Fine. $50

980. Wyoming. Albany. Jelm Mountain. Wyoming Queen Mining Co, 1903. Market letters and advertisements. The 3 items in this are promotional ads for the Wyoming Queen MC which owned the Rising Sun group including the Colorado, New York, Boston and Rising Sun mines. The Copper Handbook, 1908, p.1443, claims that there were 4 shafts, two at 70 feet and two at 100 feet. Ore carried copper, silver and gold but not assays or production offered. "Out of funds and idle several years." The first item in this lot is an advertisement that has been cut out of a publication that was probably a Wyoming promotional, 6 x 9". The second item is an promotional article taken from an unknown publication. The article is itself taken from the Western Trade Journal touting the potential wealth to made by investing in the Wyoming Queen . There is a photo of the shaft with a cabin behind. The last piece is a cut out of a stock quote listing of Wyoming mining companies. The Wyoming Queen is one of the companies listed. All very fine. $50

981. Wyoming. Carbon. Battle Lake. Haggarty Jordan Copper Mining Co, 1901. Prospectus. The Haggarty-Jordan Copper MC claimed to own the Victor group containing the Nellie B, Victor, Granite and Fair View. The vice president is Edward Haggarty, who credited with the discovery of the Ferris-Haggarty mine, one of the best producers in the Battle Lake district. Copper was reported to run as high as 44% per ton, but no assays are offered in the prospectus. There are several spelling mistakes especially of geologic terms. The second item is a 2 page typed letter from the Haggarty-Jordan Co datelined Watertown, NY, 1901. The letter is in response to a potential investor asking for a prospectus. The Copper Handbook, 1906, p.551, entry for this company is that the veins assayed at 35% copper, $5 gold and a trace of silver per ton which was untrue. "Company suffered a mysterious 'burglary' by which all its books and papers were stolen. Moribund and should be decently interred." The prospectus is 14 pages, 4 x 9" with original dark gray cover and red print. Extremely fine. $75

982. Wyoming. Carbon. Battle Lake. Verde Copper Mining & Milling Co, 1901. Prospectus. The Verde mine showed a mineralized vein 300 feet and 50 feet wide. Here, the company sunk a 40 foot shaft that carried ore assaying as high as 21% copper and $2 to $50 gold per ton. The bottom of the shallow shaft gave an average value of 15% copper. 14 pages, original green cover with dark green print, 3 x 6". This company is not listed in the Copper Handbook suggesting that it never really got off the ground. Xf. $75

983. Wyoming. Carbon. Battle Lake. Wyona Iron & Copper Co, c.1901. Propsectus. The company had over 16,000 acres, mostly located in Carbon County. Copper claims in the Battle Lake district included the My Queen, Uarda, Bastille, Argonaut and the Kicker. There were a series of shafts on each claim, no deeper than 45 feet and no assays offered. In addition to copper, the company was also interested in oil, coal and iron properties in Carbon County, as discussed in the prospectus. The company is listed in the Copper Handbook, 1904, p.734 but is not listed after that year implying that the company was dead. Promoted by the Bona Fide Securities Co. Printed by Borsodi Advertising, New York. 4 pages, 8.5 x 11". Wear to fold creases. There is a tear at the left edge between the 2 fold creases. The top edge is worn. Dark streak along bottom edge. Very fine. $50

984. Wyoming. Carbon. Battle. Beulah Copper Co, 1901. Prospectus. Property included 12 claims, or about 90 acres, near Battle, Wyoming. This area is called the Encampment and the Battle Creek district, which seem to be interchangeable. Henry Carmichael, a Boston assayer, is cited for an assay he ran on March 4, 1901. The results are 32.5% copper, 3.1 ounces silver and 6.3 ounces gold per ton worth $242.61 9remember just one assay). There is a page that lists some of the major copper mines in the country for comparison of copper assay values. The company was absorbed by the United Exploration Co of Boston prior to 1904 (Copper Handbook, p.217). The United Exploration Co was dead by 1908. 4 pages, original gray construction paper cover, no title on front, 4.5 x 7". Extremely fine. $75

985. Wyoming. Carbon. Grand Encampment. Blanche Copper Mining Co, c.1901. This prospectus is in the format of a broadside. One side is a map of the company's claims, 5 claims adjoining the New Rambler mine near Encampment. The reverse side has "The Mining Age" at top and is from March. Isaac Van Horn, from Boston, was the stock promoter. There were veins that were reported to be auriferous oxide, carbonate and sulphuric ores. No assays or production numbers listed in the Copper Handbooks. The Copper Handbook (1910, p.433) reports that the company is in bad financial shape being idle for some years and bankruptcy eminent. Printed on brown paper with black print, 10 x 14". Has been folded. Very fine. $50

986. Wyoming. Carbon. Grand Encampment. Carbon County Gold Mining & Milling Co, Gold Coin Mining & Milling Co, 1901. A prospectus for two different mining companies: Carbon County GM&MC, Gold Coin M&MC, both run by the same officers. Both of the companies had properties and mines located on Cooper Mountain, Carbon County. The information given in the prospectus jumps around quite a bit with references to the famous Cripple Creek mines, the fortunes made by such men as W. A. Clark and W. S. Stratton. There are stories about a poor woman's luck in purchasing $100 of stock in the United Verde, a man who passed on an opportunity to purchase stock in Gold Coin mine of Colorado (not the Gold Coin mine of Wyoming for this company) and a Chicago minister's opinion on mining. There are 2 pages entitled "A Word About the Mines" which tells a brief history and location of the discovery of the claims for each company. One the 1st page is a portrait of W. R. West, president of Gold Coin M&MC, 2nd page has a portrait of B. F. Bracken, president of Carbon County GM&MC and the 3rd page has a portrait of Dr. L. R. Swigart, secretary of both companies. 4 photographs, one is two pages wide. The end of the prospectus has 2 pages of assay reports for both mining companies. The values are for gold and silver and are all over the place. Printed by the Mining Age, Laramie, WY. Copper Handbook (1910, p.558) entry for the Carbon County GM&MC suggests that the company was only operating in 1904, even both companies claim to have incorporated in 1896. 28 pages, original green cover with dark green and red print, 4.5 x 8". Extremely fine. $100

987. Wyoming. Carbon. Grand Encampment. El Rey Gold & Copper Mining Co, c.1902. This prospectus laid out in a legal document format. The second page, at the top half, is a map of the area around the claims that were located on Purgatory Creek. Common in prospectuses, a history of the discovery of the claims is offered that typically has no relation or bearing on the company but makes a great story and sales pitch as is the case with prospectus. The first page has a photo of where Jim Baker (of the original discoverers discussed) found gold on Encampment River. The El Rey Gold & Copper MC were succeeded by Consolidated Gold, Copper & Coal Co in 1904 (Copper Handbook, 1906, p.473). Pages are 8.5 x 11", cover is blue and 8.5 x 14". Staining along edges of the cover. Very fine. $50

988. Wyoming. Carbon. Grand Encampment. Island City Copper Mining Co, 1900. Prospectus. Owned 5 claims known as the Michigan Girl, Detroit, Lansing, Albion and Bellevue comprising over 100 acres in the Battle Lake district. The property laid about 1 mile north and 1 mile east of the Ferris-Haggerty mine and was believed to have the continuation of the same main ore body. A trivial amount of development work had only led to a 15 foot hole with assays reported at 7% copper and the prospectus claims that selected float pieces run at 20%. The company attempts to compare itself to the very successful Michigan copper companies and to companies in the Battle Lake and Grand Encampment districts, which as we have seen, were all dead and gone by 1906. In fact, that was the same fate for this company, "idle and apparently moribund." (Copper Handbook, 1906, p.588). 7 pages, original lime green cover with dark blue print, 3.5 x 6". Extremely fine. $75

989. Wyoming. Carbon. Upper Platte. William Penn Mining Co, 1903. The prospectus offers no specifics to the location nor assay values. The Copper Handbook (1906, p.1429) reports that the company had 3 claims showing a 4 foot vein "carrying carbonate ores and chalcopyrite, opened by a 75 foot shaft. Idle several years." The last page of the 4 page prospectus has a signature, but it does not match any of the names listed for the officers. Printed on stiff gold colored paper, 4 x 6". Stains at upper right corner. 3 fold creases. Very fine. $50

990. Wyoming. General. Midwest Oil Co Panoramic Printed Photographs, c.1920. Collection of seven large panorama photographs (off-set prints) of various aspects of the Salt Creek Oil Field. 10 x 46" each. 1} View of Midwest Refining Co. refinery at Casper, Wyo. Looking north. 2) Salt Creek Oil Field looking west and showing Home Camp. 3) Salt Creek Oil Field showing one of main pumping stations. Home Camp and Franco Camp. 4) One of the Halfway stations of the Midwest Refining Co. 5) View of the Midwest Refining Co. at Casper looking west. 6) Salt Creek Oil Field showing at right, storage tanks and improvements on state school lease. 7) Salt Creek oil field looking north showing north pumping station, storage tanks, and other improvements. All are very fine to excellent. $350

991. Wyoming. Lincoln. Wonderful Prepared Fossil Fish. The fossil fish were dug from the Green River Formation of Lincoln County, Wyoming. The fossil fish are set in rectangular slabs of the original rock as they looked when dug. The slabs are about 24" tall x 28" long x 1" thick, although there are individual variations. The fish fossils average around 16" long and 5-6" tall. We have 3 of these fossil fish. $650/each

992. Wyoming. Sweetwater. Reliance. Lincoln Reliance Mining Co. Cert #201. Incorporated in South Dakota. Issued to W. J. Tignor for 7 shares in 1909. Signed by Robert Byars president and C. W. Coulter secretary. Vignette of spread winged eagle with American flag. Green border and safety print. Uncancelled. Printer not noted. 9 x 12". We are not sure where this company had its operations. There is a Reliance and Lincoln within the state of Wyoming. There is also a Reliance in South Dakota, but no Lincoln. Very fine. $50