Mercur, Sacramento and Herschel Mines

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This page was last updated on February 14, 2026.

Four Companies

There were four mining companies in the Mercur district, west of the very successful Golden Gate (later Consolidated Mercur company). By the post World War II period, the properties had all been consolidated into the later Geyser Marion Gold Mining and Milling company. These four companies were:

Geyser Gold Mining and Milling company; located west of the Brickyard and Golden Gate, and immediately north of the town of Mercur.

Marion Gold Mining company; located northwest of the Brickyard and Golden Gate, and immediately north of the town of Mercur.

Sacramento Gold Mining company; located southwest the Mercur mining company, which was southwest and adjoining the Golden Gate, and immediately southeast of the town of Mercur.

Herschel Gold Mining company; located southwest the Sacramento, which was southwest and adjoining the Mercur mining company, and immediately south of the town of Mercur.

With the Golden Gate and Mercur companies, these four companies formed a crescent shape around the northeast, east, and southeast sides of the town of Mercur.

Sacramento Gold Mining Company

(Some references show the company as the Sacramento Gold Mining and Milling company)

"The Sacramento Gold Mining company’s property, which joined the Consolidated Mercur on the south, had an interesting career. In 1895, one year after the erection of the Geyser mill, it built a 50-ton leaching plant. It had its ups and down, but ran almost continuously until 1907. Considerable profit was made from the treatment of cinnabar ores and for some years the Sacramento gave Utah high rank in the production of quicksilver. There seemed to be a concentration of cinnabar in this area, although it is found in varying amounts throughout the district. Despite high costs, it is reported that the company treated some 300,000 tons of ore and paid about $308,000 in dividends while operating. A considerable part of this profit was made from the treatment of cinnabar." (Salt Lake Tribune, November 15, 1936)

"In 1895, one year after the erection of the Geyser mill, the Sacramento Gold Mining company put up a 50-ton leaching plant which encountered trouble on the first charge. The ore would not leach and no extraction was possible, the main trouble being due to base ore. After this only oxide ore was treated. A year or two later eight more tanks of the same size were added, bringing the capacity up to 150 tons." (Salt Lake Mining Review, March 15, 1913)

May 23, 1895
The Sacramento company was considering building a mill on its property in the Camp Floyd district. The mill would likely have a daily capacity of 200 tons, but initial tanks will only allow 50 to 75 tons. The mill site had been selected and a pipe line for water laid out, with the water being purchased from Colonel Wall's company. (Salt Lake Herald, May 23, 1895)

October 26, 1895
The contract for the construction of the Sacramento mill had been awarded to George Strickland of Salt Lake City. the contract for the mill machinery had been awarded to L. C. Trent & Co., also of Salt Lake City. (Salt Lake Herald, October 26, 1895; November 2, 1895)

"A fourth cyanide plant was built on the Sacramento property in 1895. Success was poor at first, owing to the baseness of the ores, and thereafter only oxidized material was handled. Roasting furnaces were added to an enlarged mill in 1901 and slime tanks the following year." (Ore Deposits of Utah, USGS, Professional Paper 111, 1920)

February 3, 1896
"Now that the Sacramento mill at Mercur has been completed at a cost of over 15,000, the water question remains yet to be solved. When this matter is settled, 50 men who are now anxiously waiting, will commence work on the property." (Deseret News, February 3, 1896)

February 20, 1896
"The machinery at the Sacramento mill will be put in motion by the owners today, and Camp Floyd will have acquired its fourth cyanide plant, with that projected by the Golden Gate and the new one by the Mercur to follow and to be blown in by June 1st. Mr. Bothwell will leave for the mine this morning and witness the starting up of the engine this afternoon. The Sacramento is owned by Messrs. Bothwell, Milner and Lakin, with the latter superintending the work at the mine. The work for the next thirty days will be, of course, largely of a trial nature, the effort being to determine, as has been done in all similar plants, just what strength to give the solution that the best results may be obtained from the ores." (Salt Lake Tribune, February 20, 1896)

March 3, 1896
The Sacramento Gold Mining company filed its articles of incorporation. Officers and directors were: J. S. Lakin, president; Glenn R. Bothwell, vice president; R. E. McConaughy, secretary and treasurer, with Nora E. McConaughy and Mary A. Lakin as additional directors. The property was four mining claims in the Camp Floyd district. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 3, 1896)

April 14, 1896
"The Sacramento mill is now running in good shape, with seven tanks filled. This makes six mills in operation at Mercur." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 14, 1896)

July 4, 1896
"As development work progresses in the recent strike in the Sacramento mine, at Mercur, the ore body continues to grow larger and richer. The Sacramento mill is now saving about 90 per cent of the ore values, and the owners of this fine property feel much encouraged over the outlook. A clean-up was made at the mill yesterday, and after this the Sacramento will make semi-weekly shipments of cyanides." (Salt Lake Herald, July 4, 1896)

January 5, 1898
Glenn R. Bothwell, in his annual report as manager of the Sacramento company, reported that the company had shipped 29,966 tons of gold cyanide ore, with 300,000 tons of ore as reserves. The company was mining from three veins. The company had a mill. (Deseret News, January 5, 1898)

March 19, 1898
"Sacramento Mill Enlargement. -- Just as soon as weather settles, the work of enlarging the Sacramento mill will be commence. Already an additiona1 crusher, a No. 3 Gates, has been ordered, as well as some of the lumber. It is the intention to put in eight tanks of a capacity of thirty tons each, which will give, allowing four days for leaching, an additional daily capacity of 60 tons, bringing the total capacity up to at least 150 tons daily." (Deseret News, March 19, 1898)

1901-1907
"In 1901 the company put in a Jackling roaster for the base ores, but the destruction of the plant soon after by fire prevented any extended use of it, or determination of its adaptability. The mill was rebuilt in 1902 and slime tanks were added. The company was obligated to keep the sulphide and talcy ores out of its mill and treat only the sandy oxidized ores on which it ran pretty continuously from the building of the first mill to the final shutdown in 1907, because of failure of ore supply." (Salt Lake Mining Review, March 15, 1913)

January 8, 1901
"Sacramento's New Furnace. -- The new furnace by which the refractory ores of the Sacramento at Mercur are to be overcome is now rapidly approaching completion, and will be in operation by February 1st. Thirty days later, the property will have been restored to its position among the dividend payers, with a large block of ore blocked out. the mine has not only paid for the new equipment and the opening up of a large amount of new territory, but its has a nice balance in the treasury with which to start on the sulphide ores." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 8, 1901)

March 8, 1901
"The Sacramento Roaster. -- The big Jackling roaster with which the Sacramento company's mill at Mercur has been equipped will receive its first charge on Monday next [March 11]. The fires were lighted several days ago, since which time the management has been warming up the monster furnace, into which 150 tons of arsenical ore is to be placed daily." (Salt Lake Tribune, March 8, 1901)

November 21, 1901
The Sacramento mill was destroyed by fire. The fire started near the base of the smokestack and spread to the wooden roof covering the roaster and the leaching tanks. The tanks were only half-burned, but the wooden tanks supports burned and the filled tanks collapsed to the ground. (Salt Lake Herald, November 22, 1901, "yesterday afternoon")

July 19, 1902
The Sacramento mill was rebuilt and re-started. Gold cyanide product was expected to be shipped in about two weeks. The first shipment was made on August 21. (Deseret News, July 19, 1902; Salt Lake Telegram, August 21, 1902)

1903
"Considerable profit was made from the treatment of cinnabar ores. For some years the Sacramento put Utah well up in the production of quicksilver." (Salt Lake Mining Review, March 15, 1913)

[The reader is directed to the Salt Lake Mining Review for December 15, 1903 for a full description of the Sacramento company's mercury production.]

1905-1907
" Until 1905, mercury production was about 175 pounds per day using three furnaces. In 1905, the production was increased to about 350 pounds per day by the addition of three more furnaces. From 1903 to 1907, mercury production was as follows: in 1903, 24 flasks of 75 pounds; in 1904, 745 flasks; in 1905, 1,333 flasks; in 1906, 1,009 flasks; in 1907, 437 flasks, a total of 3,538 flasks." (Salt Lake Mining Review, March 15, 1913)

May 10, 1906
The Herschel Gold Mining company sued the Sacramento Gold Mining company for ore that had been removed from the Herschel property. (Deseret News, May 10, 1906, "today")

(The newly organized Herschel Gold Mining company filed its articles of incorporation on the same day, May 10, 1906)

July 1, 1906
"The mill is running smoothly and the amount of ore treated affords a fine margin of profit to the company. The cinnabar ores are holding out well and there is every reason to believe that the company will continue to derive a splendid revenue from the retorting of this character of ore for a long time to come." (Salt Lake Herald, June 24, 1906)

November 1, 1906
The Sacramento Gold Mining company continued to pay regular monthly dividends as late as November 1, 1906. All income was from the flasks of mercury being shipped, furnishing as much as $18,000 per month. (Salt Lake Herald, October 26, 1906)

Sacramento Mine and Mill Shut Down, 1907

December 14, 1907
From the Deseret News, December 14, 1907.

The Sacramento mine and mill, after more than ten years of uninterrupted operation, with a splendid dividend record, were shut down during the summer, and the company is now simply doing a little prospecting. In addition to its gold output, the Sacramento has for several years had an important quicksilver production. It is generally understood that the company's dividends have for some time been derived from its quicksilver, and that its gold ore has not much more than paid expenses.

The quicksilver stopes became exhausted several months ago, and with the increased wage scale which went into effect in the camp during the summer, the gold ore would not pay, hence it was decided to shut down. The prospecting which is now in progress is principally for the purpose of finding other bodies of mercury ore, which ore is very cheaply treated, and hence very profitable.

So far as the Sacramento's gold ore is concerned, nobody believes that it is worked out. In fact, it is well known that the mine contains large reserves of good ore, but it is of such talcy nature that it cannot be successfully leached.

August 13, 1908
"The Sacramento Gold Mining company has leased its old mill dump to L. H. Hunt, former assayer at the Sacramento mine, and associates, but no steps have been taken yet by the lessees to equip the mill, or erect a new one to treat the product." (Deseret News, August 13, 1908)

(By November 1908, L. H. Hunt was making plans to rebuild the mill with different tanks to improve the extraction of gold. No mention of mercury production. -- Salt Lake Herald, November 8, 1908)

1912
Operations of the Sacramento Gold Mining company ceased in 1912, as reported by the company's board of directors in 1919. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 16, 1919)

(In November 1913, the Sacramento Gold Mining company was noted as owing property taxes to Tooele County, consisting of "dilapidated old buildings, old machinery." -- Tooele Transcript, November 28, 1913)

January 17, 1916
At a special meeting of the stockholders, the par value of the stock was reduced from $5 to 10 cents. G. R. Bothwell was president of the company. (Salt Lake Telegram, January 17, 1916, with daily legal notices through to mid February)

March 27, 1916
The law suit between Glen R. Bothwell, as president of the Sacramento Mining company, and the adjoining Herschel mining company was dismissed. (Deseret News, March 27, 1916)

July 14, 1919
The board of directors of the Sacramento Gold Mining company passed the following resolution on July 14, 1919: "Whereas, there is in the treasury of the company about $10,000.00, the major portion of which was on hand at the ceasing of operations in 1912; Resolved, that the sum of $9,000.00, being 9/10 of a cent per share, be distributed to the stockholders of record July 25, 1919, payable on August 1, 1919 at the office of the company." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 16, 1919)

May 19, 1924
At a special meeting of the stockholders, the par value of the stock was reduced from 10 cents to 1 cent. G. R. Bothwell was president of the company. (Goodwin's Weekly, April 26, 1924, with weekly legal notices)

July 5, 1935
Glenn R. Bothwell died of a heart attack on July 5, 1935. Surviving him were two sons, Roy C. and F. B. Bothwell both of Salt Lake City, and four daughters. His wife died six years ago. Bothwell was born on October 9, 1861 in Illinois, and came to Utah in the early 1890s. During the Mercur boom days he was president of the Sacramento Gold Mining & Milling company. During the past two years, Mr. Bothwell again became interested in the Mercur district, and at the time of his death was engaged in constructing the Geyser Marion mill for the handling of gold bearing ores. He had been ill for two days prior, after "overexerting himself while making a survey of a pipe line from Ophir to a recently constructed mill in the Mercur district." (Deseret News, July 5, 1935)

Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining Company, 1931

(Glenn R. Bothwell apparently held no interest in the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company; instead holding control of the Sacramento Gold Mining company from which the other company had its option.)

1931-1934
"This condition [Mercur being abandoned after dismantling of the Golden Gate mill in 1917] existed until June, 1931, when the International Smelting and Refining company entered into an agreement with the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company to spend a certain amount of money on the property for a controlling interest. The Sacramento company at that time held this ground under option from Glenn R. Bothwell and associates. On August 23, 1932, the smelting company, after spending a considerable portion of the money called for its agreement, decided to abandon the project. At this time gold was still $20.67 an ounce. The Sacramento company continued to work the property. It put in a mercury reduction plant to treat mercury ore opened up in a caved area. Operations were continued on a small scale until 1934, when insufficient financing put this company into a receivership." (Salt Lake Tribune, November 15, 1936, "Camp Floyd District Entering on Third Period of Productivity" by George W. Snyder)

April 8, 1931
The Utah Securities Commission gave a permit for the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company to begin to sell 200,000 shares of its stock at 20 cents per share. (Salt Lake Tribune, April 8, 1931)

May 21, 1931
"The Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company has been organized to operate the old Sacramento mine at Mercur, D. E. Loughran, president of the company, says. There is a big tonnage of cinnabar ore which can be operated at a good profit with present improved extraction methods. There also remains in the mine and on the dump a big tonnage of low grade gold ore which may now be handled profitably. The old Sacramento was the only mine in the state that ever had any notable record in the production of quicksilver and the new operators believe that the difficulties, high costs and imperfect extraction facilities, have been removed and that the mine can be put bark on a profitable basis." The property comprises 32 patented claims. Development consists of 20,000 feet of tunnels, 500 feet of winzes, 200 feet of raises and 5,000 feet of crosscuts. The company estimates that it has 600,000 tons of gold and mercury bearing ores. (Eureka Reporter, May 21, 1931; Deseret News, June 12, 1931)

August 12, 1931
"The International Smelting company recently took a 51 percent option of the newly organized Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company, which holds an option on purchase of the property for $200,000. The smelting company has opened up the old Main, or mill tunnel for a distance of 400 feet. At a point 260 feet from the portal, a lime bed was encountered which runs from $10 to $20 in gold to the ton. The bed has been opened up for approximately 150 feet. In addition to the new ore opened in the mine, approximately 500,000 tons of ore remains on the old dumps that can be treated at a profit. This ore runs between $1.65 and $2 per ton." (Deseret News, August 12, 1931)

September 1, 1931
The International Smelting company acquired control of the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company, in a deal in which the smelting company agrees to spend $25,000 in development of the property. During the past few months, The smelting company had been doing considerable work at the property under an optional arrangement. The Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company has an option on the property of the old Sacramento Gold Mining company to purchase the property for $200,000. (Deseret News, September 1, 1931)

September 19, 1931
From the Deseret News, September 19, 1931.

The revival of the district was signaled early this year with the organization of the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company by a group of local mining men, headed by D. E. Loughran, geologist, and Brigham Krause. The new company obtained a bond and lease on the old Sacramento property.

The International Smelting company, the Utah unit of the Anaconda Copper company, was induced to take preliminary examinations and reopen some of the old workings so that a better geological picture of the property can be obtained.

Since starting development a short time ago, the smelting company has reopened 900 feet of old tunnel in the property. Most of this work is centered on the main operating level.

In addition to any new supply in the mine, approximately 500,000 tons of ore are remaining on the dumps that can be treated at a profit.

A new bunk house has been completed on the property and the road from Fairfield has been put into shape so that operations can be carried on throughout the winter.

Officers of the newly organized Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company are: David E. Loughran, president; A. E. Young, vice president; A. D. Hunter, secretary treasurer; Tom Lyon, director; and W. H. Clark, director.

November 31, 1931
W. F. Snyder & Sons acquired an option on 250,000 shares of the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company, giving it a minority interest in the company. The mining company had sold controlling part of their lease on the old Sacramento property to the International Smelting company "a few months ago." (Salt Lake Telegram, November 21, 1931; Bingham Bulletin, December 3, 1931)

December 9, 1931
"Sacramento Starts Lower Tunnel. -- A new lower tunnel to prospect the lower horizons of the south side of the Mercur district has been started by the Sacramento Gold & Quicksilver Mining company, according to the International Smelting company, owners of the property. The new tunnel is already in approximately 30 feet and is being extended in a southwesterly direction. The tunnel site is beneath the old dumps of the upper workings, giving an additional depth of 150 feet. Since acquiring the property recently the smelting company has reopened approximately 1500 feet of old workings, and developed sizable tonnage of ore running from $6 to $10 in gold per ton." (Deseret News, December 9, 1931)

September 14, 1932
"Sacramento Mill Now Under Way. -- D. E. Loughran, president and general manager of the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company, states that the company has begun the erection of a mill at its Mercur property to mill the low grade gold ore found at the mine. The construction and operation of the mill has been placed under the direction of O. E. Keough, consulting metallurgist, and it is planned to put the mill in operation within 30 days. At the present time the company is trucking about 25 tons of high grade ore to Fairfield. Thence it is shipped to Garfield by rail for smelting. As soon as the Tooele county commission gets the road from Mercur to St. John in good condition it is planned to truck all the high grade ore direct to the smelter via Tooele." (Salt Lake Telegram, September 14, 1932)

September 23, 1932
From the Tooele Transcript, September 23, 1932.

The Sacramento Gold & Quicksilver Mining Company, which holds a bond on the old Sacramento property in the Mercur district plans to begin shipments immediately, according to announcement made last week by W. H. Clark, secretary of the company.

The company plans to continue where the International Smelting Company left off, Mr. Clark said. A crew of six miners have begun mining the higher grade ore developed in the upper level, he added.

The International Smelting Company recently abandoned development of the Sacramento property, after spending approximately $25,000. Considerable ore was developed, but the smelting company did not consider it sufficient to warrant a continuation of their operations under the present bond.

As a result of the withdrawal of the International company, 51 percent of the outstanding stock of 2,000,000 shares or over one million shares held by the smelting company has been handed back and will revert back to the treasury, Mr. Clark said.

The company will begin production on a streak of ore that ranges between $14 and $17 gold to the ton, according to Mr. Clark. By this procedure, the company hopes to be able to finance the construction of a mill for the treatment of the low grade ore, a large tonnage of which, it is claimed, has been developed.

March 17, 1933
"The mill installed at the Sacramento property last fall is now in steady operation, treating approximately 30 tons of ore daily. The ore is running between $6 and $7 gold to the ton." (Deseret News, March 17, 1933)

June 22, 1933
From the Lehi Sun, June 22, 1933.

A sizable showing of quicksilver has just been struck in the old Sacramento property located in the Mercur mining region, according to Manager D. E. Loughran, president of the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company, which is operating the property under lease and bond.

The mercury ore, which has been the object of a two year search at the old Sacramento, was revealed by a cave which occurred on the main tunnel level at a point 1700 feet from the portal. The cave extended about 20 feet above the roof of the tunnel.

Picked samples ran 58.5 percent quicksilver, while the entire filling of the cave should average around 1 per cent mercury and $8 in gold. The formation around the cave is characteristic of a quicksilver deposit, occasional bunches carrying exceptionally high values. If a sufficient tonnage of this ore is developed, a mercury furnace will be installed.

Three percent mercury ore is considered commercial on the current market which is between $57. and $58. per Flask of 75 pounds.

In the meantime, the company is making ready to ship gold ore to the new cyanide plant which is being built at Manning, four miles from Mercur, by the Snyder interests of Salt Lake. A sizable tonnage of gold ore has been developed at the Sacramento property, which will be sent to the Manning plant. The new unit should be ready for operation by July 15.

(With the renewed interest in the low grade gold ore at Mercur caused by the construction of the Snyder mill at Manning, the Sacramento Extension Gold Mining company was incorporated, with 15 patented and 7 unpatented claims adjoining the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company property. -- Salt Lake Tribune, July 23, 1933)

September 26, 1933
Utah Power & Light had installed a new power line for the new Snyder gold mill being at Manning. The line had come from Tooele, and passed within two miles of the Sacramento mill. The Sacramento company then made an agreement with Utah Power & Light to also furnish electric power to the Sacramento mill, which would provide substantial savings for the Sacramento company. (Deseret News, September 26, 1933)

January 10, 1934
The Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company was reorganized as the Mercur Gold Mining company. The reorganization was needed due to the indebtedness of the Sacramento company of $54,500. The Sacramento company had been operating under a bond and lease for the past three years. "A sizable deposit of low grade gold ore has been developed in the property, and it is planned to ship the ore to the cyanide plant recently completed at Manning, 5 miles south of Mercur." (Deseret News, January 11, 1934, "yesterday") (Note the lack of any mention of quicksilver/mercury.)

(In May 1934, there were at least two law suits against the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company. One was claiming $2,692.27. The other resulted in a sheriff's sale on May 26th of 39 mining claims to settle the debt. -- Tooele Transcript Bulletin, May 4, 1934)

(On June 13, 1934, the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company was declared bankrupt by the Third District Court)

(A meeting of creditors of the company was held on September 24th, to decide how they were to be paid. -- Salt Lake Tribune, September 13, 1934)

(On June 5, 1935, 28 mining patented and 12 claims owned by the Sacramento Gold and Quicksilver Mining company were sold at a trustee's sale. No specific mention of the site where the mill was located, but it may have been located on one of more of the mining claims.)

(A review of available online newspapers failed to find any reference to the reorganized Mercur Gold Mining company in subsequent years.)

(The Sacramento group pf mining claims remained intact as late as January 1952 when a mutual exchange of quit claim deeds took place between the Geyser Marion company, the Herschel Gold Mining company, and the Sacramento Gold Mining company, as parties of the first part, exchanged quit claim deeds with Snyder Mines company and First Security Bank acting as receiver for the bankrupt Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines company, as parties of the second part. -- Western Mineral Survey, January 1952 issues)

(It was at this time in 1952 that Snyder Mines, Inc. acquired control of former Geyser, Marion, Sacramento, and Herschel properties, with plans to continue exploratory drilling and prospecting, in addition to their lease agreements for the former Consolidated Mercur company's Mercur and Golden Gate mines, under their company name of Lewiston Peak Mining company. In later years the agreemets were held by the Snyder's Combined Metals Reduction company. Then in 1977, Snyder and Getty Oil combined their interests and began development of the Mercur properties.)

The story of Mercur continues after 1945

Herschel Gold Mining Company (1896-1916)

(The Herschel Gold Mining and Milling company dated back to February 25, 1896 when it filed its articles of incorporation. Its president was Theodore Bruback, who was also president of the nearby Marion Gold Mining company. After driving a tunnel into the hillside, and not finding good ore, the Herschel company lay dormant. There was renewed activity on the Herschel property in 1935, but the low-grade ore caused its usual problems. The Herschel company was reorganized as the Herschel Gold Mining company, a Nevada corporation, by the F. B. Bothwell and his associates in October 1945, after losing its legal battle in March 1943 with the adjacent Utah Mercur Gold Mining company.)

February 25, 1896
The Herschel Gold Mining company filed its articles of incorporation. Officers and directors were: Theodore Brubeck, president; James D. Keifer, vice president; W. W. McCornick, treasurer; S. T. Pearson, secretary; with Josiah Barnett; Gill S. Peyton, Joseph Smith, and William G. Nebeker as additional directors. The property was the Herschel claim, the Herschel No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 claims, the Yellow Jacket No. 2 claim, the Abba claim, the Romnant claim, and the Wakeup claim, and an undivided 2/3 interest in the Hazel claim. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 26, 1896)

(Theodore Brubeck, or Bruback, of the Herschel company was also the manager of the Gold Belt Water company, which was supplying water to the Geyser mine, which had not signed a contract. The water company, which wanted a contract to allow it to make future plans for expansion, shut off the water for lack of contract, and because the Geyser company was supplying water to 15 or 20 families without paying any extra fees. Manager Milner of the Geyser: "I can see no just reason for such hasty action on the part of Mr. Bruback unless because of the troubles existing between the Marion and Geyser Mining companies. Mr. Bruback is identified with the Marion people, and it seems to be his intention to make the Geyser and Sacramento suffer because of his position with the water company, but we are not worrying any."-- Salt Lake Herald, January 28, 1896)

"The Herschel group of claims, owned and operated by the Herschel Gold Mining company, comprise fourteen claims and covers an area of nearly two hundred acres. The original locations were made by James D. Heifer on the 14th day of May, 1892, being the same day on which the Sacramento was located, the two groups adjoining each other. Mr. Keifer, associated with William G. Nebeker, began development of this ground, and were the first who discovered ore on the Sacramento, in driving a tunnel from a point on Sacramento ground in order to reach a desirable depth on their own ground. This tunnel site was necessarily abandoned and work suspended until in 1896 a co-operation was effected with Theodore Bruback and Joseph Smith, at which time the Herschel company was incorporated and in the month of May of that year a tunnel was projected which has now reached a point 2000 feet from its mouth, and the surroundings indicate that it is now nearly within the great Sacramento ore zone. Work is progressing favorably and the management hope to make the property one of the producers of the district during the year 1898." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1898)

March 1, 1906
The original Herschel Gold Mining company of Utah was reorganized as the Hershel Gold Mining company of Nevada. The cause for this was the death of Theodore Brubeck in 1904, and the probate settlement of his estate. (Salt Lake Herald, June 27, 1904; March 1, 1906)

May 10, 1906
The Herschel Gold Mining company filed its articles of incorporation. The officers and directors were W. S. McCornick, William G. Nebeker, Josiah Barnett, Joseph Smith and U. U. Hiskey. (Salt Lake Telegram, May 10, 1906)

May 10, 1906
The Herschel company sued the Sacramento company for ore that had been removed from the Herschel property. (Deseret News, May 10, 1906, "today")

March 27, 1916
The law suit between Glen R. Bothwell, as president of the Sacramento Mining company, and the adjoining Herschel mining company was dismissed, after it had started "close to 15 years ago." (Deseret News, March 27, 1916)

(There is no further reference to the Herschel Gold Mining company until 1952 and the exchange of quit claim deeds.

(The Herschel group pf mining claims remained intact as late as January 1952 when a mutual exchange of quit claim deeds took place between the Geyser Marion company, the Herschel Gold Mining company, and the Sacramento Gold Mining company, as parties of the first part, exchanged quit claim deeds with Snyder Mines company and First Security Bank acting as receiver for the bankrupt Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines company, as parties of the second part. -- Western Mineral Survey, January 1952 issues)

(The story of Mercur continues after 1945)

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