Last Chance Mine, Bingham
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Last Chance Silver Mining Co.
(The Last Chance mine in Bingham Canyon, and the Flagstaff mine in Little Cottonwood Canyon, were under common ownership of the same English directors, investors and superintendent right from each company's beginning in November 1871 and April 1872, respectively. - London Pall Mall Gazette, November 30, 1871; April 27, 1872)
The Last Chance mine and its initial claim was first located in October 1870, and was mentioned in numerous lists as one of the most successful mines of Bingham.
The Last Chance mine was discovered in 1870. It was sold in 1872 to an English company for £100,000, part in stock. Work continued until 1877, when pyrites were encountered at the water level and the mine was turned over to leasers. In May 1878, the putting in of pumping machinery was begun. After pumping water for some time, the mine was shut down in the autumn of 1879 on account of the money being exhausted and the inadequate power of the machinery, and has been idle since. During the first few years of operations the company ran the smelter at Sandy on their ore. Afterward the ore was sold in the Salt Lake market. (D. B. Huntley, Mining Industries of Utah, Appendix I, Reports of the Tenth Census, 1880, page 418)
From Boutwell, "Economic Geology of the Bingham Mining District, Utah." U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper No. 38, 1905, page 276.
Last Chance Mine. The Last Chance property is situated on the southern slopes of the head of Muddy Fork and extends westward beyond the intrusive over the extension of the middle limestone on West Mountain below West Mountain road. It has been opened at three main levels: the British tunnel, which is the lowest and adjacent to the Last Chance concentration mill; the 500-foot level, about 400 feet above and 1,800 feet southwest; and the Hooper level, 600 feet above and 2,400 feet southwest of the mill. A country has been opened which measures 1,900 feet east-to-west, 2,700 feet north-to-south, and 600 feet vertically. The British tunnel, where all exploitation is now being conducted, is the main working level.
(The Nast mine is situated in Muddy Fork, 2,500 feet above Carr Fork, between the Last Chance on the south and the Stewart on the north. Muddy Fork ran from Carr Fork on the north, to the ridge separating it from Galena Gulch on the south.)
(Elevations from the 1904 USGS topographc map: Stewart at 7,000 feet; Nast at 7,250 feet; Last Chance at 7,400 feet.)
Last Chance Silver Mining Company of Utah, Limited, was organized in London in April 1872. There was an extensive prospectus for potential investors in the London newspapers. The mine was located in Muddy Gulch, in upper Carr Fork of Bingham Canyon. Within a year the Last Chance was one of the hottest Utah mining stocks in London. The prospectus showed that by mining 12-13 tons per day, with 25 working days per month, the projected pay-out was about $39,000 (or £8,000). The ore itself was 47 percent lead, and an initial smelter run of 30 tons of ore at the Chess, Symth & Co. in Pittsburgh produced gold and silver of $311 per ton, and $120 in lead. "The ore in depth has improved in richness." (Pall Mall Gazette (London), April 27, 1872)
The glowing projections in the 1872 prospectus were accurate, at least for a while. In the 30-day period in late July through late August 1873, the mine brought in £8,900 for the company's investors. Then the price of silver collapsed and the character of the ore changed, and by September 1878 the company was in the hands of its creditors.
Last Chance Was A Popular Name
(There was confusion in the the Salt Lake Weekly Tribune of January 11, 1872, in its article "Resources of Utah." The article shows three separate Last Chance mines:
- Last Chance mine was in the Bingham District, in Muddy Fork near the Saturn mine;
- Last Chance mine was in the Little Cottonwood District, near the Flagstaff and the Wellington mines;
- Last Chance mine was in the Rush Valley District, near Stockton.
(It was the Last Chance company at Bingham that built the smelter at Sandy, for the same reasons as the Saturn company.)
Last Chance Not The Wellington
(In 1929 a history of early lead smelting in the West was published in the USSR&M employee magazine AX-I-DENT-AX. In that article, it was stated that the Last Chance smelter at Sandy had been built by the Wellington mining company. This is an error.)
(Read more about the Last Chance smelter at Sandy not being built by the Wellington company.)
(The Last Chance smelter at Sandy was built by the Last Chance mining company of Bingham, and was later owned and operated by the Flagstaff company.)
Timeline
October 1, 1870
The original Last Chance mining claim was located on October 1, 1870. (USGS Professional Paper 38, Bingham Mining District, Utah, 1905, page 98)
January 18, 1872
From the the Pall Mall Gazette (London), April 27, 1872; long article, summarized.
The prospectus outlines the formation of The Last Chance Silver Mining Company Of Utah (Limited). Registered under the Companies Acts of 1862 and 1867, the company features a total capital of £100,000, divided into 20,000 shares valued at £5 each.
Public Subscription of company shares: 10,000 shares are offered to the public.
The company intends to distribute dividends monthly, targeting August 1872 for the first declaration.
The company’s board includes prominent directors, notably Sir Alexander Malet and G. C. Frames, who are both directors in the established Flagstaff Silver Mining Company of Utah (Limited).
The enterprise was formed specifically to acquire and operate the Last Chance Silver Mine, located in Bingham Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah.
The total purchase price for the property is set at £60,000. A formal purchase contract dated April 16, 1872, has been established between Robert Johnson Anderson and Horace Nelson Wilkinson.
The company plans to very soon build its own smelting works for approximately £3,000, which will be capable of processing 40 tons of ore daily. In the interim, extracted ores will be sold or processed at external furnaces. Mr. N. M. Maxwell, who also manages the nearby Flagstaff Mine, has been appointed as the superintendent to oversee operations.
Daily Production: 12 to 13 tons of ore, yielding 5 tons of bullion (at a ratio of 2.5 tons of ore per ton of bullion).
Operating Costs: Mining and rail haulage cost $20 per ton of bullion; reduction costs equal $50 per ton.
Net Profit: Bullion is projected to realize $445 per ton at Omaha, leaving a net profit of $329 per ton after shipping and separation.
Monthly Income: Based on 25 working days, monthly net profits are estimated at $41,125 (exceeding £8,000), representing an annual return rate of 96 percent on the proposed capital.
In an independent report dated January 18, 1872, Mr. N. M. Maxwell verified that the mine's title is perfectly clear and legally held by Mr. R. J. Anderson. Located on Muddy Gulch, the property encompasses 1,200 feet along a true main lode with a uniform width of four feet.
The vein consists of rich argentiferous galena, lead carbonates, quartz, and gold-bearing iron oxide. Historical data highlights that early smelting tests were done in Pittsburgh at the works of Chas. Smyth and Co., where 30 tons of crop ore yielded an impressive $431.87 per ton of bullion in gold, silver, and lead.
Crucially, the ore is free from antimony and iron pyrites, which minimizes processing costs in a district where fuel is expensive. Current operations focus on driving a tunnel to intersect the lode 250 feet below the discovery shaft, which will significantly lower extraction expenses and open up extensive ore grounds once the mine is fully organized.
February 6, 1872
Robert J. Anderson applied for a patent from the U. S. Land Office for the Last Chance Lode in the West Mountain Mining District, at the head of Muddy Gulch in Bingham Canyon. (Salt Lake Daily Review, February 7, 1872)
(The Last Chance Silver Mining company began paying a monthly dividend in February 1873, which continued through June 1873.)
February 1, 1873
"The Last Chance Mine. Situated in Bingham Canyon, belongs to an English company and was incorporated in London with a capital of one hundred thousand pounds sterling. This mine was only partially opened when the company took possession. Work was immediately afterwards commenced and developments continued. The mine is now well opened and shows a body of ore estimated at seven thousand tons. The ore in the upper levels is free milling [second class] ore, giving assays of from sixty-five to one hundred and fifty ounces in silver and one ounce of gold to the ton. As the shaft was sunk, the nature of the ore changed to smelting [first class] ore, giving assays of from sixty-five to one hundred ounces in silver, and from thirty to sixty per cent of lead, with some traces of gold. Six hundred tons of ore have been raised and are now on the dump. A furnace site has lately been purchased, and works will soon be erected for the treatment of all ore coming from the mine. The capacity of the mine is twenty-five tons daily. Superintendent, N. M. Maxwell, Esq.; Assistant, J. B. Stanford, Esq." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, February 1, 1873)
March 15, 1873
"Bingham Canyon." "The Last Chance Mine." "About 500 tons of ore are on the dump averaging $85 per ton. 270 tons were lately sold at $50 per ton net on the dump, the buyers to take it away. The quantity of ore developed by the various workings now fully justifies the erection of furnaces, which will be shortly commenced so as to be ready when the narrow-gauge connection with Bingham City and Sandy is effected." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, March 15, 1873)
April 26, 1873
"Last Chance; the ore in depth is found to contain a sufficient percentage of lead to prevent the necessity of purchasing lead ores for fluxing purposes; the furnace will soon be turning out bullion, when increased dividends may be expected." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, April 26, 1873)
April 26, 1873
"The Last Chance Mining Company of Bingham Canyon are erecting a fine, capacious [smelter] building a few hundred yards east of the [Sandy] station on the line of the W. and J. V. Railroad to contain two furnaces. The timbers and lumber, also stone for foundation and brick for the walls, are all on the ground. The building and works are under the management of Mr. W. J. Wressels, who is the company's Superintendent." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, April 26, 1873)
Last Chance Reorganized (1880)
When pyrites were encountered at the water level of the mine in 1877, the Last Chance was turned over to leasers. "In May 1878, the putting in of pumping machinery was begun. After pumping water for some time, the mine was shut down in the autumn of 1879 on account of the money being exhausted and the inadequate power of the machinery, and has been idle since. During the first few years of operations the company ran the smelter at Sandy on their ore. Afterward the ore was sold in the Salt Lake market." (D. B. Huntley, Mining Industries of Utah, Appendix I, Reports of the Tenth Census, 1880, page 418)
October 9, 1880
The Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company, Limited, was among the new companies "registered this week." (London Morning Post, October 9, 1880)
(Shares of the company on the London stock market went on sale on November 1, 1880)
By 1880 it had 6000 feet of tunnels, which provided access to mineral veins of other adjacent companies. Its later value came from its surface property lines and its infrastructure, including its underground tunnels and a mill situated at the head of Muddy Fork (or Gulch).
December 6, 1880
From the London Standard, December 16, 1880
Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company, Limited -- This Company has been established to take over and develop the property of the Last Chance Silver Mining Company of Utah (Limited), and to acquire and work the Hooper Mine (adjoining the Last Chance), and the Opulent and Silver Maid Mines, all being situate in West Mountain Mining District, about twenty-eight miles distant from Salt Lake City, and about sixteen miles from Sandy, the principal smelting center and ore market of the territory of Utah.
The Last Chance Mine has a surface area of 1200 ft. by 100 ft. The Hooper Mine adjoins the Last Chance, and has a surface area of 1500 ft. by 200 ft. The Opulent has a surface area of 1500 ft. by 200 ft. And the Silver Maid 1200 ft. by 200 ft.
In regard to the Last Chance Mine, it will be seen by referring to the Report by Mr. Cullins, formerly Manager of this Mine, and now Manager of the Emma Mine, that it has already been worked by a Company, and ore to the value of $475,000 (£95,000) taken from it during the short time it was systematically worked.
The Opulent and Silver Maid Mines have been only partially developed. They are situated within half-a-mile of the Last Chance and Hooper Mines.
Regarding the Hooper Mine, Mr. Cullins in his Report states that it should yield ten tons per day if worked vigorously, and in course of time should produce a larger daily output than the Last Chance Mine.
Of the other two Mines — the Opulent and Silver Maid — Mr. Morton, Managing Director of the Northern Chief Mining Company, states as follows in his Report: "These two Mines, if properly opened, will furnish enough ore to keep a mill steadily at work; and with the silicious ores of the Last Chance and Hooper Mines, should furnish enough for a 20-stamp mill at least."
It will be observed that the Last Chance and Hooper Mines adjoin each other; in fact they are for all practical purposes one Mine, and can be very economically worked as such.
(A series of six contracts were made between September 16, 1880 and December 6, 1880 between John Porter, "Liquidator of the Last Chance Silver Mining Company of Utah," and various persons with financial interest in the old Last Chance company, including Erwin Davis. The final sixth contract transferring all properties to the new Last Chance company was made on December 6, 1880.)
February 4, 1881
"The following telegram has been received from the Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company's agent at Salt Lake: 'Have possession of all properties, and will start work immediately.' The Directors will therefore proceed to issue the share certificates immediately." (London Guardian, February 4, 1881)
March 21, 1881
"The Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company have received the following telegram from their agent in Salt Lake: 'Tunnel extended 68 ft. since starting last; 45 in. ore; improving daily; increasing force." (London Guardian, March 21, 1881)
(Later reports show that this work was being done in the Hooper mine, and not the old Last Chance mine. The work was in driving new tunnels. The sinking of a new shaft was suspended within 90 days after hitting the water level.)
August 5, 1881
From the Salt Lake Herald, August 5, 1881.
Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company. -- That star property, the Last Chance, is situated near the head of Carr Fork and has been one of the principal bullion producing properties in the district. The main tunnel is in 1,236 feet; the Last Chance vein being struck at 826 feet; though several smaller veins were crossed before running this distance; but no work is done towards their development. The pay ore in the Last Chance vein averages about four feet in width and very fine grade. Large stopes have been opened from this level clear to the surface—a vertical depth of 700 feet—and thousands upon thousands of dollars extracted. When it is remembered that during the years 1872 and 1873 at least $500,000 in round figures worth of bullion produced by this property was placed to the credit of the Flagstaff Mine, and it yet holds its own with a good average output—there must have been an immense ore-body uncovered even at that early date. The ore from these stopes yielded a very high percentage in gold besides silver and lead. It is further developed by a shaft at 826 feet at the intersection of the vein which is down 250 feet. At 200 feet a level was opened and advanced on the vein forty to fifty feet; in grade the latter carrying 77 ounces in silver per ton. The total bullion yield of this property to date is at least $750,000.
The Hooper Mine is also owned by this company, having been purchased last fall. It is developed by the main tunnel 562 feet. At the distance of 134 feet a twelve-foot vein was cut, and the hand-samples were very satisfactory. In the face is a small stratum of very fine ore, assays averaging 90 to 97 ounces in silver and 57 per cent. lead A very nice lot of ore on the dump will average 65 ounces in silver per ton and 45 per cent. lead. This tunnel is being advanced at from seventeen to twenty feet per week. Some little cross-cutting has been done on this level. About forty-five feet above this point another tunnel has been run 205 feet on the vein, which is twelve feet in width. The average assay across the vein is 18 ounce in silver and 25 per cent. lead. The progress for the week being thirty feet. An old winze connects these two levels. About 200 feet from the discovery is a tunnel in 100 feet, the vein being four feet wide and the quality of ore very high grade.
The Last Chance and Hooper Mines are developed to a greater extent than any other of these upper tier of mines, and their great value has increased in proportion to the work expended. Situated as they are, on the main gold belt of the district, the mines of which have produced millions in the past few years, there is no doubt but the prospects of this company are as bright, if not brighter, than any other in the justly celebrated Carr Fork section, and with the advantage of deep mining by tunnel, thereby saving the erection of expensive hoisting machinery at the outset, the outlook for these properties is certainly flattering.
The Opulent, owned by this company, is situated in Black Jack Gulch. The development consists of a tunnel in 100 feet, showing a vein two and one-half feet wide. Another tunnel—about thirty feet —opens up a vein from one to two feet wide, carrying ore which assays from $30 to $80 per ton. It is further developed by a shaft thirty-five or forty feet, which discloses a well-defined vein in the bottom.
November 12, 1881
"A report has been addressed to the directors of the Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company (Limited) by the resident manager, Mr. S. Bamberger, stating the results of the operations carried on at the company's three mines, the Last Chance, the Hooper, and the Opulent, and the present condition of the property. It appears from this that large bodies of ore of various grades are ready for extraction, 20,000 tons, assaying from $11 to $20 silver, $4 to $9 gold, and 10 to 18 per ct. in lead per ton, being exposed and ready in the Hooper Mine alone." (London Daily Telegraph, November 12, 1881)
(By early January 1882, ore was only being taken from the Opulent mine, and by May 1882, in its weekly telegram to London, local management was making excuses for not extending the tunnels or shipping ore.)
May 20, 1882
"The Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company (Limited) have received the following telegram from their agent at Salt Lake, viz.: 'Impassable roads delaying ore and survey of tunnel. No progress possible without survey." (London Daily Telegraph, May 20, 1882)
(The news item above was the last report of a telegram received at the London offices. No further references until the October 1884 items below.)
October 1884
Based on two newspaper clippings, one in the London Morning Post on October 6, 1884, and another in the Manchester Courier on October 8, 1884, here is what happened to the Last Chance mine in October 1884:
The Company Went Into Liquidation: The notices indicate that the company—officially named The Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining (Limited)—was undergoing a corporate winding-up process.
The first clipping from the London Morning Post explicitly mentions a "voluntary liquidator," meaning the company's shareholders or directors chose to wind up the business rather than being forced into it by a hostile court order.
The second clipping from the Manchester Courier categorizes the company under a "Winding-Up Notice." In 1880s British business terms, "winding up" is the legal process of dissolving a company, selling off its assets, and closing down its operations.
Creditors Were Ordered to File Claims: As part of the dissolution, the company had to settle its outstanding debts. The liquidator issued a formal deadline for anyone owed money by the company to come forward. Creditors of the Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining company were required to send the specific details and particulars of their financial claims to the voluntary liquidator. The hard deadline for these submissions was set for November 15, 1884.
In short, by October 1884, the Last Chance mine's British corporate entity was shutting down permanently, and the liquidator was gathering all outstanding debts to distribute whatever remained of the company's assets before dissolving it entirely.
Corporate Timeline (1884–1888)
- October 1884: Collapse of the Original Company -- The original Last Chance Consolidated Silver Mining Company is officially wound up and liquidated in London. (London Morning Post, October 6, 1884; Manchester Courier, October 8, 1884)
- November 1884: Immediate Reorganization (The "New" Company) -- Within weeks of the liquidation, the New Last Chance Silver Mining Company Limited is formally registered in London to immediately take over the carcass and assets of the defunct operation. (Manchester Courier, November 8, 1884)
- September 1888: The West Mountain Consolidation -- After operating the property for nearly four years under the 1884 restructuring, the promoters execute a major district expansion. The West Mountain Mining Company (Limited) is organized in London to formally acquire and merge the independent Hooper, Opulent, and Silver Maid claims together with the entire plant and property of the New Last Chance entity. (Salt Lake Herald, September 2, 1888)
(There is no further reference to the West Mountain company, which may indicate that the sale did not actually take place, with the New Last Chance company remaining as the surviving owners of the Last Chance mine.)
January 1, 1892
From the Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1892.
The old Last Chance mine, just above the Stewart, is a property with a record of $1,250,000 produced years ago, above its 500-foot level, and much of the ground there is still untouched. It has numerous openings, there being 5000 feet of tunnels, cutting the ground from 250 to 1000 feet in depth. Its condition is now such that but little work is required on these various levels to tap the several ore chutes. Besides the first-class ore there is so much concentrating ore that a mill of fifty tons capacity has been provided.
This property belonged to an English company until a few days ago, when the largest owners in the North Last Chance, Mr. C. J. Hodge and associates of Michigan, purchased the property, and hereafter the five claims are to be operated and known as the North Last Chance group.
March 6, 1892
In 1892 the New Last Chance Silver Mining company sold the group of Last Chance claims, including the Hooper, Opulent and Silver Maid claims, along with the Binghamite Lode (U. S. Survey 4001), to Charles J. Hodge, each for the grand sum of $1.00. (Salt Lake Herald, March 6, 1892)
(The location of the Binghamite Lode, Survey No. 4001, is a mystery. Available land records of the Bureau of Land Management, showing the original plat surveys from 1899 for the area of Bingham Canyon, T3S, R3W and T4S, R3W, do not include any reference to a Binghamite Lode, or to a survey number 4001. This confirms that the Binghamite Lode was an unpatented mining claim, meaning that it was unimproved.)
(The above item from March 1892 is the last reference in online newspapers to the New Last Chance company.)
(By March 1892, with silver markets in free-fall, the British corporate structure known as the New Last Chance company collapsed for good. To salvage the physical real estate assets from total liquidation, the properties were deeded over to Charles James Hodge.)
(Read more about the collapse of the global silver markets in 1890-1893)
(All references to the Last Chance mine during the period of Hodge ownership, 1892 to 1904, were only with him as manager of the "Last Chance mine" without any reference to a company or corporation. This indicates that he held the mining claims as personal property. Some references use the name North Last Chance Mining company, but research suggests that this was the name of a mining lode owned by Hodge, and that he used the name as an informal name for his company.)
October 10, 1895
"Mining Interests Attached. - The copy of a writ of attachment sued out in the District court by Samuel Brady and against Charles J. Hodge was filed with the County Recorder yesterday, and went on record as a lien upon the Hooper Binghamite No. 6 and No. 7 in the British tunnel, and the British tunnel, extending 2570 feet from Muddy gulch. The action is to procure the payment of $3480 claimed to be due the plaintiff from Charles J. Hodge, who, with others, began to make investments in West Mountain district about two years ago." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 1895)
September 14, 1896
Summary of a long article in the Salt Lake Tribune, September 14, 1896.
- The new Last Chance mill has successfully begun operations, starting on September 9, 1896. The mill utilizing an advanced grinding pulverizer to prevent the clogging issues that plagued the previous mill. The plant also includes six improved frue vanners.
- The mill is currently processing a mix of stored ore, the mill has a daily capacity of about 50 tons. Moving forward, it will be supplied from the Hooper mine's 600 level, which has an estimated 100,000+ tons of blocked-out ore. If operations prove successful, production will scale up to full capacity.
- While the old Last Chance mine historically yielded $1,500,000 via the 4,000-foot British tunnel, that tunnel is currently caved in and idle. If current operations succeed and the lead market is favorable, the Last Chance tunnel will be repaired to furnish ore to the mill along with the Hooper mine.
- Principal owner Charles J. Hodge has arrived from Michigan to evaluate the property's viability given low lead prices. He is taking a cautious approach and is prepared to shut operations down immediately if running the mill proves unprofitable.
October 10, 1896
"Charles J. Hodge, manager and principal owner of the Last Chance at Bingham, leaves for the property, to superintend the shipment of a lot of concentrates, the first to be marketed since the erection of the mill. Like the average mine upon which steady work has been done at Bingham, the Last Chance is credited with a large body of milling ore, but Mr. Hodge will decline to make the sacrifice that is now exacted by the metal market [low metal prices], and it is very likely that shipments will be suspended until prices have advanced." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 1896)
September 17, 1897
From the Salt Lake Herald, September 17, 1897.
Charles J. Hodge, the manager of the North Last Chance mine at Bingham, informs The Herald that the contract for the erection of the new mill on the property will be let today, and as part of the machinery is now on the ground and the balance is on the way, it is expected that the plant will be in running order within six weeks.
The equipment of the plant, which will be a concentrator, will embrace one 9x15 Blake crusher, one 14x24 rolls, one five-foot improved Chilian mill, one 50 horse power engine, one 75 horse power locomotive boiler and six patented Hodge jigs.
This will be what is termed a high speed mill, and it is believed it will be the best plant of the kind ever erected in Bingham.
As Mr. Hodge is a manufacturer of machinery the equipment of the mill has been built under his own supervision, which is a guarantee that the works will "run like a watch."
Charles J. Hodge died in San Bernadino, California on July 26, 1923.
October 17, 1897
"Mineral Surveys Ordered. - During the past week the surveyor-general has ordered the making of mineral surveys for patent as follows: Nos. 3,528 to 3,533, inclusive, for the Detroit, Michigan, Hodge, Buzzo, Boston and Lydia lodes in West Mountain district. Application made by Charles J. Hodge, through his attorney, L. G. Burton, surveyor." (Salt Lake Herald, October 17, 1897)
December 10, 1897
"The new mill for the Last Chance mine in Bingham, which is to replace the one destroyed by fire in August, is completed, and Superintendent J. P. Turner is placing the machinery as rapidly as it arrives. The latter is being built at the Lake Superior Iron works, Houghton, Mich., of which Mr. Charles J. Hodge, the owner of the Last Chance, is also general manager." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 10, 1897)
April 7, 1899
Charles J. Hodges inherited his mother's estate which included the Lake Superior Iron Works of Houghton, Michigan, adding to his already sizable fortune that included the Last Chance mine in Bingham. "Recently the copper values at the Last Chance have attained a percentage that induces Manager Hunt to believe that that metal will at lower levels predominate." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 7, 1899)
(Included in Hodge's mother's estate were shares in the Calumet & Hecla copper mine, reported as worth $200,000, and his mother's residence in Detroit. The will was contested, but Hodge won the lawsuit begun in February that was decided by a trial of two months, "becoming a very rich man." - Salt Lake Tribune, July 31, 1900; August 11, 1900)
December 13, 1899
"Charles J. Hodge, of Houghton, Michigan, and Thomas W. Buzzo, of Butte, Montana, have purchased the following [six] mineral land claims and paid the required fee to the land office, viz: Detroit, Michigan, Hodge, Buzzo, Boston and Lydia lodes, situated in West Mountain district and consisting of 80.654 acres." (Deseret News, December 13, 1899)
December 31, 1899
"The Last Chance mine of Muddy gulch, Bingham, consists of fourteen claims, which ground adjoins the United States and Boston Consolidated groups. It has been producing ore for many years and is still on the shipping list. The property is owned by Mr. Charles J. Hodge, a prominent manufacturer of mining machinery, etc., of Houghton, Mich. The prominent workings in the Last Chance group consists of the Hooper vein, which is a very large oxidized body of ore. The famous Last Chance vein, which has produced over $2,000,000 of high-grade silver and lead ores all from shallow workings, and the North Last Chance vein. The property is well opened up by tunnels which, as they progress, will tap the ore veins several hundred feet lower than the present workings. The property is equipped with a modern concentrating plant of 100 tons daily capacity. M. R. Hunt of this city is the local manager." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 31, 1899)
August 11, 1900
"Charles J. Hodge, president of the Last Chance Mining company, Bingham, came in from Detroit yesterday, accompanied by Mr. M. Wolfe, a prominent investor of Chicago. The gentlemen will leave for the mine early next week, in company with Manager Morris R. Hunt, when a thorough examination of the mine which has been so productive in former years will begin." "Mr. Hodge, the millionaire owner of the Lake Superior iron works at Houghton, Mich." (Salt Lake Tribune, August 11, 1900)
August 21, 1900
"The Last Chance Mill. - Charley Hodge, the Houghton, Michigan, owner of the Last Chance mine at Bingham, is now upon the ground, accompanied by Mr. Wolfe, his secretary, and before the close of the present week the $20,000 mill which was erected a short time ago will be in motion again. Mr. Hodge, who has a thorough knowledge of the mechanism of an up-to-date plant and who is, indeed, a manufacturer of mill machinery himself, is making some alterations at the Bingham plant and once it is started up hopes to keep it running continuously through the season. In the meantime he is blocking out ores and the outlook in the gulch is more cheerful than at any period in years." (Salt Lake Tribune, August 21, 1900)
August 25, 1900
"The alterations at the Last Chance mill in Bingham having been completed, that plant, which has been on the retired list for nearly a year, has started up again under the direction of Charles J. Hodge, who controls the proposition, and who is convinced that with the alterations he can make it a source of revenue. The milling ores at the Last Chance have always occurred in large bodies and already there is enough in sight, it is said, to keep the plant supplied with all it is capable of handling. In the meantime it is the intention of Mr. Hodge to open up new ground and to work the property systematically." (Salt Lake Tribune, August 25, 1900)
December 30, 1900
"The Last Chance, which has a bullion record a yard long, and that in times past has presented its owners with all kinds of money, was again put in active operation in 1900. The mill was also put into commission after some alterations by Charles J. Hodge, who now exercises the control of the property, and the marketing of concentrates resumed while new ground was being prospected. The company owns a large area between the properties of the Highland Boy and United States Mining companies, and already some very tempting bids for it have been rejected." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 30, 1900)
May 5, 1901
"Charles J. Hodge, owner of the Last Chance mine and mill at Bingham, has returned from his Michigan home, and with some alteration and repairs at the plant will inaugurate the season's run. Developments underground during the winter have been all the while on ore of excellent milling quality, and blocked out is a volume in which lead, silver and gold, with some copper, occur, to keep the plant going indefinitely. Mr. Hodge is accompanied on his return by S. I. Harris of Chicago, who will direct the operations of the mill, with which he has had much experience." (Salt Lake Tribune, May 5, 1901)
June 11, 1901
"The first carload of concentrates to come from the mill at the Last Chance in Bingham since its rehabilitation arrived at the sampler yesterday, accompanied by Manager Charles J. Hodge, the lot to be disposed of today. With the behavior of the plant the management is very much pleased, while the metallic contents of the product shows a striking improvement over results that were obtained last season. He expects to send a car of this to market at intervals of five days, this coming from an output of forty tons of crude ore daily. In the meantime he is prospecting new territory with very encouraging results and the Last Chance should be added to the dividend-payers before the close of the year." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 11, 1901)
July 16, 1901
"Charley Hodge, manager of the Last Chance mine and mill at Bingham, came in from camp again yesterday, and reports conditions at his camp most satisfactory." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 16, 1901)
December 5, 1901
"For a consideration of $1, W. S. McCornick yesterday quit-claimed to Charles J. Hodge, the following mining claims at Bingham: Binghamite, Wasatch, Bear, Cyclops, Hodge, Last Chance, Hooper, Detroit, Michigan, Lydia, Boston and Buzzo. For the same consideration the Salt Lake Hardware company quit-claimed the same claims to Mr. Hodge. The transfers were made to quiet title in the Last Chance group." (Salt Lake Herald, December 5, 1901)
May 25, 1903
"Charles J. Hodge has filed suit in the district court against the New England Gold and Copper Mining company to quiet title to the Wasatch and the Bear lode mining claims in the West Mountain district." (Deseret News, May 25, 1903)
(The New England company property was located adjacent to Hodge's Last Chance property. The New England company was working the Nast and Benton tunnels in the same vicinity at the top of Muddy Gulch. The Bear and Wasatch lodes are not visible in the vicinity of either the Nast or Last Chance properties on available mining claim maps.)
June 27, 1903
Mr. C. J. Hodge, at the head of the Hodge Iron works, of Houghton, Michigan, is another of the dignitaries on hand to make an inspection of the [copper mines of Beaver County]. Mr. Hodge is already interested in Utah, being a heavy shareholder in the Last Chance mine at Bingham; also in the Majestic, which proposition he will also look over carefully while in Beaver county. By way of introduction it might be well to add that Mr. Hodge is the inventor and manufacturer of the famous Hodge jig, used extensively throughout the various mining camps of the country." (Deseret News, June 27, 1903)
October 4, 1903
The News England Gold and Copper Mining company granted certain surface rights to Charles J. Hodge. (Goodwin's Weekly, October 27, 1923)
December 31, 1904
Announcement was made in New York about the organization of the Nevada-Utah Mines & Smelters corporation, which was organized under the laws of the state of Maine. The officers of the company were John Weir, president; Edward F. Cragin, vice president; Herman Doud, treasurer; C. J. Caughey, secretary. The board of directors consisted of John Weir, W. S. McCornick, Edward F. Cragin, Herman Doud, A. B. Lewis, J. P. Haynes, John Griggs, Charles J. Hodge and Edward F. Freudenthal. The properties which were to form the basis of the corporation were the Manhattan and Pioche Consolidated mines at Pioche, Nevada; also the old dumps at Bullionville and Taylorsville, near Pioche; the Comet, Imperial and Montreal mines in Beaver county, and the Last Chance property at Bingham. (Deseret News, December 31, 1904)
The Last Chance group of claims were still part of the Nevada-Utah Mines and Smelters Corporation when it was being reorganized after its November 1911 bankruptcy. The reorganization included the sale of the Last Chance property to the adjacent U. S. mining company. The Nevada-Utah company's properties included copper properties, including the Comet mine in Beaver County, Utah; the Last Chance in Bingham Canyon, Utah; and the Manhattan and Phoebe Consolidated Mines at Pioche, Nevada.
As part of the reorganization of the Nevada-Utah company following its November 1911 bankruptcy, the Last Chance property was sold to the adjacent U. S. mining company.
October 10, 1913
The United States Mining Company bought the Last Chance mine at Bingham, Utah, from the Nevada-Utah Mines and Smelters Corporation. The Last Chance was made up of 13 patented mining claims, and although formally located in Muddy Gulch at the top of Carr Fork, the Last Chance mine and its claims were directly west and just across the ridge from the U. S. company's Jordan mine and in the same mineral belt. The price was reported as $50,000, and would give the reorganized Nevada-Utah company much needed cash to develop its properties at Pioche. (Salt Lake Telegram, October 11, 1913, "yesterday")
October 11, 1913
From the Salt Lake Telegram, October 11, 1913.
United States Co. Purchases Last Chance Properties. - Late yesterday afternoon a deal was consummated in this city whereby the United States Smelting company purchased the Last Chance properties in Bingham. The purchase price was said to approximate $50,000 and the ground involved adjoins the old Jordan mine of the United States company, and comprises twelve patented claims. The purchase was made from the reorganized Nevada-Utah company and gives this concern some money with which to develop its Pioche holdings.
From the Last Chance group there has been extracted ore of an estimated value of $1,500,000. All this has come from workings near the surface, the deepest workings being probable not to exceed a few hundred feet. The ore mined to date being a silver-lead product with some gold, and while this group adjoins some of the dumping ground of Utah Copper, it is not known to contain any of the low grade copper rock, which has made the camp so famous by reason of the Utah Copper operations.
The United States company has workings in the old Jordan ground within 800 feet of the Last Chance territory. So far as can be learned, it is the intention of the United States company to drift over from this working into the Last Chance group and ascertain whether or not there is ore of commercial value at greater depth. Just what depth can be obtained by this operation could not be learned at this time, but the United States people are of the opinion that it will be less than 1000 feet from the surface.
After that, the value of the mine and its claim was in the property itself instead of any ore that may be within the boundaries of its claim.
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