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[Published in the June 30, 1920 issue of the Salt Lake Herald newspaper.]
Career Of Great Utah Man At End
Death Comes as Surprise, Although Colonel Wall Has Been Sufferer for Years; Was Widely Known
Col. Enos A. Wall, one of the foremost mining men of the world and a builder of the intermountain territory, died yesterday at 8.20 p. m. at the family home, 411 E. South Temple street. Death was due to cancerous growth from which the colonel had been suffering for a long time.
Although his death was somewhat of a surprise to many of his friends, he had been in a serious condition for several weeks. Some days ago the members of his family were summoned to his bedside. At the time of his death all were present. They were: His wife, Mrs. Mary Frances Mayer Wall, and daughters, Mrs. Lewis A. Jeffs, Mrs. Clarence D. Lang, Miss Alice Wall, Miss Olive Wall and Miss Enid Wall.
In October, 1919, Colonel Wall went to the Kelly hospital, Baltimore, Md., for treatment for his ailment. He was a patient at that institution until May, 1920, when he returned to Salt Lake.
Started Career In Colorado
Enos A. Wall was born in Richmond, Wayne county, Ind., June 23, 1839. His parents were North Carolinian. His early education was received in the common schools of the vicinity and his western mining career started in Colorado in 1860. He went from there to Montana in 1863, varying the search for gold with general business as a freighter and trader in the material and supplies exchanged between that territory and Utah, coming here in 1868 and remaining for fourteen years.
Colonel Wall engineered the cut-off from Fort Bridger, Wyo., to Montana, which shortened the well-known route by several days. It was at this time that he was given the appellation of "colonel" by his associates.
Then for five years he was chief stockholder and superintendent of the Wood River Gold & Silver Mining company, an important enterprise at Bullion, Ida., where he won the regard of his fellow citizens so as to be elected to the upper house of the territorial legislature and become president of that body. In 1885 he returned to Utah, engaging in mining at Mercur and elsewhere.
Bingham Country Attracts Him
Probably the most romantic of the achievements of Colonel Wall was the Utah Copper mine. It dates back to July, 1887, while Colonel Wall was on a visit to Bingham. He was attracted by the appearance of the country that is now owned by the Utah Copper company. The great mass of low-grade copper in which were black specks of chalcocite and bornite attracted Colonel Wall. From old abandoned tunnels he got assays of 2.4 per cent copper and numerous pannings that showed that a concentrate from 20 to 40 per cent could be produced. This led to his location of two claims, giving him 600 feet by 3000 feet along the ore body.
Through the sale of his Brickyard mine at Mercur for $60,000 and the Yampa for $150,000, Colonel Wall received a small fortune, and he spent considerable of this in rounding out his property. Through association in the Brickyard Colonel Wall had become acquainted with Capt. Joseph R. De La Mar. In 1895 Captain De La Mar secured an option on a three-quarter interest in the property for $375,000, but did not exercise it.
Three years later, in 1898, De La Mar obtained an option on a quarter interest for $50,000 and a second quarter for $250,000. It was then that Robert C. Gemmell and D. C. Jackling, then on Captain De La Mar's staff, made an examination of the property. After securing an option for a third quarter in the property for $1,250,000, De La Mar spent $25,000 in experimental work. After this Da La Mar spent $46,000 for a quarter interest and dropped the work.
It was just before Christmas in 1902 that D. C. Jackling succeeded in getting the present officials of the Utah Copper company interested in the project. In January, 1903, Colonel Wall sold a half interest in the property to Charles M. MacNeill, Spencer Penrose and his brother, R. A. R. Penrose, for which he is said to have received $120,000 and a 20 per cent interest in the stock and bonds of the new company. The De La Mar interest was bought for $125,000.
Colonel Wall started injunction proceedings against the Utah Copper company in New Jersey in 1906 when it was proposed to increase the capital stock to $6,000.000 and to issue $3,000,000 worth of convertible bonds, with the disposal of 51 per cent of the stock to the American Smelting & Rofining company. Although a restraining order was issued in the case, this opposition was later withdrawn and control of the mine then went to the Guggenheim interests.
Took Interest in Civic Affairs
Colonel Wall was a member of the board of public works of Salt Lake for several years and resigned in January, 1906. Shortly afterward he engaged in a spirited conflict with the city engineering department regarding the Brigham street (now South Temple) grade lines and paving. His home at D street and South Temple was completely remodeled at heavy expense that year. It was at that period that the Civic Improvement league, of which Colonel Wall was vice president, was organized.
On March 7, 1879, he was married to a Salt Lake girl, Miss Mary Francis Mayer, in this city. The union was blessed with nine children, of whom the following survive: Mrs. Lewis A. Jeffs, Mrs. Clarence D. Lang, Miss Alice, Miss Olive and Miss Enid.
Colonel Wall continued his interest in mining and Salt Lake financial affairs up to the time of his death. He was officially connected with a number of the larger companies, personally handling large business affairs until within a few days ago.
Was Man of Great Ability
Colonel Wall was a man of great ability. He was a natural student, progressive and enterprising, and kept abreast of the times in all the essentials of mining and metallurgy. He had an inventive mind and was in his element when confronted with complex problems. He delighted in solving the puzzling perplexities of mine and mill by his own mental processes, and in these he was very successful. He was a great reader up to the time his sight began to fail, and afterward he absorbed information as a sponge absorbs water. He had a fine literary ability and could and did write exhaustive articles for a number of years in a mining magazine, published by himself in this city. Though his natural bent inclined to the mining industry, he wrote also thoughtful and readable essays upon a diversity of subjects. He was exceedingly generous with his great wealth, yet modest in the manner of his benefactions, avoiding spectacular display and preferring to do good by stealth. He had legions of friends in whom he trusted and who will mourn his loss as a great, wise counsellor ami consistent mediator. He was aggressive in the assertion of his rights and fought many lawsuits for the maintenance of what he regarded as principles, as well as for the recovery of property interests. He was of the most genial personality, of characteristic western pattern, open-hearted and brave, yet strong in condemnation of every form of deceit or doubtful method in business — and to all such he was an implacable enemy.
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