Yosemite No. 2 Mine at Bingham

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Yosemite No. 2 Mine

In addition to the more successful Yosemite No. 1 mine, there was also a Yosemite No. 2 mine. The shared name came from each mine's original ownership, Henry M. May, who was a majority owner of both properties.

The Yosemite No. 2 mine (formal name: Second Extension Yosemite East), was located north of the original Yosemite claim, and was situated immediately east of the Lead claim and immediately southwest of the Dalton and Lark claims. The Yosemite No. 2 tunnel portal was located on the Lead mine's property.

The Yosemite No. 2 mine was developed by Henry M. May, one of the original owners and locators of the original Yosemite mine in 1866, later known as the Yosemite No. 1 mine. Henry May and M. R. Williams together developed the Lead Mine of Bingham in the very early 1870s, which explains why the Yosemite No. 2 mine was designated as the Second Extension of the Yosemite. May saw the second claim merely as an extension of his original ore vein of the original Yosemite mine. Development of all three properties (Yosemite No. 1, Yosemite No. 2 and Lead mine) did not progress until the 1870-1871 period.

(Research suggests that the south boundary of the Yosemite No. 2, as the Second Extension Yosemite East, was only a few hundred feet north of the north boundary of the three claims that made up the Yosemite No. 1 mine.)

March 19, 1874
"In Upper Canyon, the Yosemite No. 2 shows a good body of ore, and is considered a excellent property, as several thousand tons are in sight." (Salt Lake Tribune, March 19, 1874)

January 29, 1881
"In Copper Gulch the Lead, Miner's Dream, Yosemite No. 2 mines." (Western Mining Gazette, January 29, 1881)

July 31, 1881
Among the producers in Bingham Canyon were the "Yosemite Belt, Second East Extension Yosemite, First East Extension Yosemite, Yosemite, First Western Extension Yosemite." (Salt Lake Herald, July 31, 1881)

(Research suggests that the Yosemite and First Western Extension Yosemite were the properties of the Yosemite Mining and Milling company, and were the more southern of the two groups of claims. The Yosemite Belt, First East and Second East extensions were operated under the name of the Yosemite No. 2 Mining Company [this page].)

November 21, 1886
"Yosemite No. 2. - McLean & Co., the eastern firm who paid $15,000 recently for this property, are now working forty men, and report that they have made a good strike in the lower workings. Mr. James A. Lyons, one of the firm, is in New York conducting certain negotiations and if he is successful the Flagstaff smelter will be started up on December 1st." (Salt Lake Herald, November 21, 1886)

(The $15,000 was for an option to purchase, not the actual purchase of the mine.)

January 13, 1887
"The McLean brothers and Mr. James Lyon are still working to sell the Yosemite No. 2 in the east, with the Flagstaff smelter as an attachment. They also have a bond on the great Lead Mine for $200,000, and recently had an expert named Harrison out to Bingham to report on the property for a syndicate of St. Louis men. The present owners are not burning to sell, and it is said the bond will not be extended a day after its maturity, which occurs some time the latter part of the month." (Salt Lake Herald, January 13, 1887)

(One of the McLean brothers was Norman McLean, who was the superintendent of the Yosemite No. 2.)

March 10, 1887
The Yosemite No. 2 Mining Company filed its articles of incorporation "yesterday" [March 10]. 100,000 shares at $100 each. The incorporators were W. Charles Stains (president, 10,000 shares); Justus W. Bates (1,000 shares); E. D. Egan (78,000 shares); James Glendinning (vice president, 10,000 shares); C. L. Haines (secretary, 1,000 shares). The purpose of the corporation was to purchase and operate the Yosemite No. 2 mine. (Salt Lake Herald, March 11, 1887)

(Throughout March 1887 through July 1891, the Yosemite No. 2 mine was a regular shipper of good lead ore to smelters in the Salt lake valley, shipping as much as 125 tons and as little as 25 tons per month, with 100 tons per month being the average in the later years.)

December 25, 1887
The Yosemite No. 2 was noted as being east of the larger Yosemite Mining and Milling Company, which had Col. M. M. Kaighn as its president and principal stock holder. (Salt Lake Herald, December 25, 1887)

April 25, 1888
The Yosemite No. 2 was involved in a law suit of James Beveridge vs. John Doud, et a., which included Ed Egan, Andrew Burt, J. T. Gilmer, Donald McLean and several others. (Salt Lake Herald, April 5, 1888)

(The law suit concerned the title to the mine, with Beveridge stating that he owned the claim, which he called the Maggie. Beveridge lost his suit and within a year had become superintendent of the Northern Spy mine in the Tintic District. By 1894, Beveridge was leasing the Sampson mine, which adjoined the Yosemite No. 1 mine.)

January 8, 1889
During an embezzlement case unrelated to the actual mine, the Yosemite No. 2 mine was described as the "First and Second Northwesterly Extension of the Yosemite claim." (Salt Lake Herald, January 8, 1889)

June 21, 1891
The Yosemite No. 2 mine had a tunnel at its 1150 level. At a point 850 feet down, a station was added to hold a small hoist, with the hoist being used on an 800-foot incline, which was being extended to 900 feet. There were numerous drifts, raises and winzes within the mine, all accessing the ore vein that averages four feet. The good ore vein is 2-1/2 feet thick. The first class smelting ore was 47 percent lead and 12 to 14 ounces silver. Twice a year the mine had shipped 600 to 800 tons of second class milling ore to the Lead Mill. A new boarding house had been built to allow an additional 20 miners, with 40 men already employed. The output is 12 to 14 tons per day. (Salt Lake tribune, June 21, 1891)

October 13, 1891
At the bottom of its 900-foot shaft, 1600 feet along the dip of the vein, the Yosemite No. 2 mine hit a body of gold and silver ore, with little or no lead. The ore held $5 to $25 in gold and 25 to 80 ounces in silver. (Salt Lake Herald, October 13, 1891)

January 1, 1893
During 1892 the Yosemite No. 2 mine shipped about 2,600 tons of ore that assayed 30 to 40 ounces silver, $5 to $8 gold and 40 to 50 percent lead, with some of the ore from the lower levels going at 100 ounces silver and $30 gold. The mine shipped 10 to 15 tons per day. The shaft was down to 1,100 feet, with little or no stoping in the lower levels. To date, the mine had paid out $45,000 in dividends. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1893)

April 26, 1893
The Yosemite No. 2 Mining company sued the Sampson Mining company for encroachment, claiming that the Sampson company had removed $16,500 in ore from the Yosemite side of the shared boundary line. (Salt Lake Herald, April 29, 1893)

(In May 1893, the Yosemite No. 2 mine was shut down, along with the Sampson and Brooklyn. Only the Dalton & Lark mine in the same vicinity was operating, but with a much reduced crew of 30 men. -- Salt Lake Tribune, August 14, 1893, "three months ago")

Dating back to July 1894, the Yosemite No. 2 property was under lease to Dan Harrington and others. In late 1895, the leasers shipped 600 tons of ore, running 50 per cent lead, ten ounces silver and $2 in gold. (Salt lake Herald, July 9, 1894; Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1896)

(When the Dalton & Lark mines were consolidated along with the adjoining Brooklyn, Lead and Keystone properties in February 1896, it is notable that the also-adjoining Yosemite No. 2 mine was not included.)

(The sale of the Lead mine to the Dalton & Lark company took place and the papers were signed on February 7, 1896. -- Salt Lake Herald, February 9, 1896)

(Note that the adjoining Yosemite No. 2 mine was not part of this transaction.)

November 17, 1896
"The Sampson mine is on the same vein as the Dalton & Lark mines in Bingham, and it is connected with this property on the 600-foot level; and it is stated that a person can walk underground through the Sampson, the Dalton & Lark and the Yosemite No. 2. On account of these connections and the fine showing in the former property, there is no reason why the Sampson should not once again come to the front as a heavy producer, especially as it is stated on the q. t. that a deal is on looking to the consolidation of the Sampson and the Yosemite No. 2 mines, which consolidation would make a proposition that would be hard to beat." (Salt Lake Herald, November 17, 1896)

December 8, 1896
The Sampson and Yosemite No. 2 have been consolidated. (Lehi Banner, December 8, 1896)

January 12, 1897
Following a meeting of officers of both companies "yesterday," the Yosemite No. 2 mining company ceased to exist, having been absorbed by the adjoining Sampson mining company. The Sampson Mining Company was deeded the property of the Yosemite No. 2 Mining Company, the deed reading as the Second Northeasterly Extension of the Yosemite lode, also known as the Second Extension of the Yosemite. (Salt Lake Herald, January 13, 1897; Salt Lake Tribune, January 13, 1897)

The Sampson Mining Company absorbed the Yosemite No. 2 Mining Company following a meeting at the McCornick block. The Yosemite No. 2 company ceased to exist, and all holdings were transferred to Sampson.
Stockholders of Yosemite No. 2 received $250,000 in Sampson company stock (50 percent of Sampson's total capitalization). Sampson's leadership planned to reorganize the company.
Both properties were adjacent mines on Dalton & Lark Hill in the Bingham district. With exposed ore remaining underground, operations were to resume under the "Sampson Consolidated" name.

January 31, 1897
"After long idleness, enforced by litigation, work is resuming on the Sampson and Yosemite No. 2 mines, lately consolidated. The operations will doubtless be continuous and important, as there are large quantities of first grade ore in sight, and an extensive area can speedily be got in readiness for stoping. The ore is on the Yosemite side and will be raised through the Sampson. About 75 feet of drifting will be done at once to connect the two mines, and they are destined to become a great property." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 31, 1897)

The reorganized company was known as the Sampson Consolidated Mining Company, but this was only temporary.

The hoist and associated machinery of the Yosemite No. 2 was removed and installed in the Julia dean mine in Markham Gulch. (Salt Lake Tribune, May 16, 1897)

April 3, 1899
As the result of a recent Sheriff's sale, half interest in the Yosemite No. 2 Mining company passed to E. W. Genter, E. H. Airis and J. E. Bamberger. They already owned the other half interest, having purchased it from the George M. Scott Company in 1899. (Salt Lake Tribune, April 3, 1899)

(The price Airis and associates paid was $8,000, which suggests that the Yosemite No. 2 mine no longer had any value, other than its location in relation to other successful mines.)

June 16, 1900
The Yosemite No. 2 tunnel was being cleaned out ans was to be extended to reach the vein of the Yosemite No. 1 mine, at a depth of 700 feet. Since 1899, the two properties had been under the common ownership of E. H. Airis and his associates. (Deseret News, June 16, 1900)

November 18, 1901
From the Salt Lake Herald, November 18, 1901.

Repairs and retimbering on the Sampson main incline had been completed down to the 600-foot level, with plans to clear the caved section below and sink the shaft down to 1,000 feet, which depth will be same as the 800 level of Yosemite No. 2, the level where work had stopped due to water probems.
The Yosemite No. 2 shaft had been cleaned out and repaired for a distance of 700 feet from its mouth, and ahead there is still between 300 and 400 feet more of cleaning and retimbering to do.
The shaft of the Yosemite No. 1 had nearly 150 feet of water in it, which a connection with its 600 level would drain. When this is done and with the workings of the No. 1 in order, the three properties were to be fully connected and in shape for a general development of ore bodies.
Connecting these workings will consolidate the properties for broader ore development and yield a valuable source of water, while the Sampson and Yosemite No. 2 mines remained dry at current depths.
Despite high cost of work to extend, drain and connect the three properties, known as "dead work," the project was considered a worthwhile investment to improve past inefficient operating conditions.

December 29, 1901
The Yosemite No. 2 mine was among the properties that passed to the newly organized Bingham Consolidated Mining company, formerly known as the Bingham Copper and Gold Mining company before absorbing the Dalton & Lark group, the Yosemite No. 2 and the Lead mine property, along with the Antelope, Miner's Dream, and other less-known properties. (Salt Lake Herald, December 29, 1901)

(No further mention of the Yosemite No. 2 in online newspapers after December 1901.)

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