Silver King Consolidated Mining Company
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Overview
(The focus of this page is to document the growth and improvements in mining companies that resulted in the construction of aerial tramways, and transportation and drain tunnels in Utah.)
Silver King Consolidated Mining Company was developed by Solon Spiro and Samuel Newhouse, after they bought the old Bogan mine. It is best known for its so-called "Spiro Tunnel."
The Spiro Tunnel was started in spring 1916 when the mine owners "launched construction of an ambitious tunnel designed to drain the major portion of the company's property and, it was hoped, provide access to new ore bodies." "Spiro's drain tunnel was a disappointment. By January 1922 it had reached a depth of more than 15,000 feet without passing through substantial ore deposits. It did drain the company's largely undeveloped properties, but it also drained the pockets of Spiro and the company's shareholders." (From The Ground Up, Park City, pages 329-332)
From Boutwell, "Geology and Ore Deposits of the Park City District, Utah," USGS Professional Paper 77, 1912, page 215.
The Silver King Consolidated property is situated at the head of an unnamed gulch which descends to Thaynes Canyon from the east. The ground adjoins the Silver King Coalition ground on the northwest.
The nucleus of the property is the old Cumberland claim, which, with two others, formed the Bogan property. Considerable work was done on the Cumberland, and in 1893, 1894, and 1895 ore strikes were reported. In July, 1903, the old company passed into the hands of the new organization under the name Silver King Consolidated.
The Bogan shaft, which had then reached a depth of 610 feet, was sunk to 790 feet, in spite of the difficulty of handling a heavy flow of water. New machinery of greater capacity, both for hoisting and pumping, was then installed. It is reported by the company that the shaft was sunk to a depth of 800 feet. The development work comprises this main shaft, 800 feet in depth, with some drifting on the 600-foot level; the Cumberland incline, extending 175 feet on its dip, with short laterals; a lower tunnel about 100 feet in length; and a number of shallow prospects.
(There were other Silver King Consolidated Mining companies. One was in the Black Hawk District in Colorado in the 1880s, and another was in the 1890s in the Carbonate District in Unitah County, Utah, near Vernal.)
The Silver King Consolidated Mining company was a separate and different company than the adjacent Silver King Mining company, which became the famous Silver King Coalition Mines company in 1907.
Timeline
December 31, 1894
Solon Spiro was named as assistant secretary of the newly organized Bogan Silver Mining Company. He was referred to as "the efficient and capable manager of the M. S. Ascheim Mercantile company of Park City". (p\Park Record, January 5, 1895, "last Monday")
March 1901
Solon Spiro purchased control of the Bogan group of mining claims, adding to his control of the Lucky Bill and Little Bell groups of claims. (Park Record, March 9, 1901; March 23, 1901)
December 11, 1902
The Silver King Consolidated Mining company filed its articles of incorporation in Utah "today." The company owned the Electric Light, Cumberland, and Ural mining claims, and an interest in the Custer, Delaware, Vesuvius and Andes lode claims, all in Summit County. (Deseret News, December 11, 1902)
December 15, 1902
Silver King Consolidated Mining Company was organized to purchase the Bogan, Lucky Bill and Little Bell claims, along with the Electric Light claim. At the time, only the Bogan mine had sunk a shaft, to a depth of 600 feet. Comprising 58 acres in Woodside Canyon. (Salt Lake Mining Review, December 15, 1902; December 30, 1902)
December 22, 1902
"Arrangements for the prosecution of work in the old Bogan shaft, now the Silver King Consolidated, are going right along. The present shaft, which is 600 feet deep, is to he enlarged to a three-compartment one, and will be driven about 600 feet from the present shaft bottom, giving it a depth of 1,200 feet. For this work Supt. Keetley will install the latest modern machinery, with equipment sufficient to handle any quantity of water which may make its appearance, and it is but fair to presume that under his management the property will soon emerge from a prospect into a mine." (Deseret News, December 22, 1902)
July 15, 1903
"The Silver King Consolidated has placed an order for equipment consisting of boilers and pumps. Two boilers are included in the order, each of them to be eighty horse-power." (Salt Lake Telegram, July 15, 1903)
August 22, 1903
The Silver King Consolidated's new boilers have been installed in the new boiler house, and the pump have been installed. The water stands nearly 100 feet deep in the shaft, now reaching almost to the 500-foot level. The pump, with its 1000 gallons per minute capacity, has been placed at the 500-foot level, in a station 20 by 40 feet prepared for that purpose. The boarding house has been completed.
(Salt Lake Tribune, August 22, 1903)
September 15, 1903
"The new pump recently installed at the Silver King Consolidated mine at Park City was placed in commission Yesterday. The shaft will now be cleared of water and work resumed in sinking to the 1,300 level." (Deseret News, September 15, 1903)
September 21, 1903
"The ties have been taken from the old tramway bed, the rocks cleared off and a first-class road made of it. The grade is much more gradual than that of the old road and facilitates the shipping of ore to a great extent. W. J. Pace, who has the contract for hauling timber to the mine, did the work." (Salt Lake Herald, September 21, 1903)
(The Crescent Tramway, a narrow gauge railroad built in 1884, was abandoned in 1896. Its roadbed remained in place and was used as a wagon road.)
(During late 1903 and throughout 1904, the Silver King Consolidated company had a hard series of setbacks with pumps breaking, then the water rising, then boilers breaking, then the hoist breaking. In every case, the reluctant machinery was either eventually repaired or replaced entirely. By the end of 1904, no progress had been made in reaching the goal of the 1200-foot level where a large vein was highly suspected as a continuation of the very rich vein already being worked by the Silver King Mining company, adjoining to the southeast.)
(By early August 1905, the sinking of the shaft had resumed after a new hoist had been installed. It had previously been in service at the Ontario No. 2 mine. The several pumps at the various levels were working well and water was no longer a problem. The mine had an air compressor for the first time and it was being installed, with air drills soon to be greatly improving the speed of sinking the shaft.)
October 30, 1905
Silver King Consolidated was moving its winter supplies from Park City into their mine in Woodside Gulch. One was by way of the Silver King Coalition's tunnels, and the other was by way of the old Crescent tram, which although was winding and crooked, was an easy grade for the wagons and teams. (Salt Lake Mining Review, October 30, 1905)
February 24, 1908
The Silver King Consolidated Mining Company, a Wyoming corporation, was reorganized as the Silver King Consolidated Mining Company, a Utah corporation.
(By late March 1908, the main shaft had been sunk to the 1300-foot level, and was in mineralized ground, but not yet into a paying ore vein. The manager, Solon Spiro was highly confident and promised success any day. In late May 1908, the mining company went through a receivership and was reorganized as a new corporation with its headquarters in Utah instead of Wyoming, as was the previous company.)
(In late June 1908, the Silver King Consolidated company sued the adjacent Silver King Coalition company, claiming encroachment and unlawful extraction. Many in the camp knew the clash was coming due to so many other cases in the Park City camp, stemming from inadequate surveying of the original mining claims. It was simply a question of which one would be the first to sue the other, and then in-turn be counter-sued. The main shaft of the Consolidated company was just 1100 feet northwest of the main shaft of the Coalition company, and both had been driving tunnels in many directions chasing the already discovered ore veins, or following mineralized ground hoping for an ore vein. The courts took the cases, and the suits were settled in April 1911, with the Consolidated company winning the question. In April 1913, the appeals court in St. Louis affirmed the lower court's decision, which awarded the Consolidated company over $516,000 plus 6 percent interest from January 1906, the date of the initial encroachment. The Coalition company appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court, but th appeal was denied in late June 1913. The amount owed was over $900,000, which was fully paid by July 15, 1913. -- Salt Lake Mining Review, June 30, 1908; April 15, 1911; April 15, 1913; May 30, 1913; June 30, 1913)
(The above court case, decided in 1913, was a landmark case in mining law, concerning the responsibilities of joint ownership of a mining claim. A summary of case can be found in the Federal Reporter, 1913, Volume 204, page 166 [204 Federal 166].)
June 5, 1909
"Silver King Consolidated -- Manager Solon Spiro visited the mine recently and reports that a winze being sunk from the south drift on the 1100-ft. level is now in good ore. The wagon road to the mine has been cleared of snow and the mine will be able to ship at once." (Engineering and Mining Journal, June 5, 1909)
July 30, 1909
The Silver King Consolidated company finally hit it big with a strike of the very rich silver-lead ore at the 1630-foot level. Three more rich "fissures" were struck by mid August, raising the fortunes of the company to the highest levels. (Salt Lake Mining Review, July 30, 1909; August 15, 1909)
(All through 1910 and 1911, the Silver King Consolidated company continued to hit very rich ore veins. The company made numerous vertical "raises" from various horizontal "drifts," continuing the follow ore veins and hitting even more paying ore. The company was doing very well. In early January 1912, a new strike was made into a very rich ore vein that had a face of 16 feet. In May 1913, at the 1500-foot level, a block of ore was hit that extended downward for at least 30 feet, with high lead-silver content averaging $60 per ton.)
July 12, 1916
"The Silver King Consolidated has up eight of its tramway towers and most of its loading station at the mine. Construction is in progress from both ends of the line. The cables are ready to be installed as soon as the towers are all finished. The new mill, which is at the lower terminus of the tram, is ready to run as soon as the additional machinery arrives from the east and is placed in position. The portal of the Thayne’s canyon tunnel has a businesslike appearance. The blacksmith and machine shop is finished, the ground is being leveled for the powder house and the pipe for the air line is being hauled to the scene. The tunnel crew will work with hand drills until the air connection is established and that will not be more than a few days." (Copper Curb and Mining Outlook, Volume 14, Number 4, July 12, 1916, page 9)
July 15, 1913
The Silver King Consolidated company shipped 31 tons of galena (silver-lead) ore in January 1913, and 79 tons in May 1913. (Salt Lake Mining Review, July 15, 1913)
September 30, 1913
Solon Spiro wrote to stockholders in September 1913, that ore was discovered at the 1470-foot level. Work continued extending the main shaft downward to reach the bottom of the ore body, which existed in "swells, "beds," and fissures. The company had a contract with a Denver company for the "sinking" (downward extension) of the shaft which was to be completed in October. Ore extraction could not take place until the shaft had been fully extended. A station was cut and a new level started at the 1550-foot level, from which stoping (upward extraction, with wood timber bracing) would be started. When the 1700-foot level was reached, another station and level would be cut and stoping at that level started. It was reported at the same time that the new station at the 1700-foot level was completed, and that the three-compartment main shaft had been timbered and was being sunk to the 1800-foot level. With completion set for October 10th, the contract called for the main shaft to stop at the 1800-foot level, where a sump and a station were to be cut. (Salt Lake Mining Review, September 30, 1913)
January 15, 1914
During 1913, the adjacent Silver King Coalition Mines company had made enough from its active mining operations that, in addition to paying the $905,000 award settlement to the Silver King Consolidated company, the Coalition company also paid two dividends to its stockholders. The Consolidated company also paid two dividends to its stockholders. (Salt Lake Mining Review, January 15, 1914)
March 15, 1914
From the March 15, 1914 issue of the Salt Lake Mining Review.
Development work is being rushed on the 1,500 and 1,700 levels of the Silver King Consolidated at Park City, and about 6,800 tons of $40-ore were shipped in February solely from development work.
During the year 1913 two dividends of 25 cents per share each, aggregating $308,791.17, have been distributed among the stockholders.
The total cost of sinking the shaft 500 feet to the 1,800 level, cutting the large stations, timbering, etc., was $46,699.77, exclusive of shaft timbers, fuel, supplies and other work.
From November 10, 1913, to February 25, 1914, inclusive, a period of three and one-half months, the various drifts, crosscut, raises, winzes and stopes opened on the 1,500, 1,525, 1,550, and 1,700 levels aggregated 2,280 lineal feet.
From the 1,537 feet of development in the mineralized zone adjacent to the shaft there have been extracted 1,326 tons of first-class ore and approximately 2,100 tons of second-class ore.
October 30, 1914
The Silver King Consolidated Mining company deeded its rights and interest in four mining claims jointly owned with the Silver King Coalition Mines company. In return, the Coalition company deeded its rights and interests to two jointly owned mining claims to the Consolidated company. These six mining claims were all adjacent to, and crossed the boundary lines between the two companies. This settlement ended and dismissed all partition suits between the two companies. The clear definition of boundary lines was the result of the extensive court-ordered surveys completed during the various law suits settled in April 1913. (Salt Lake Mining Review, October 30, 1914)
November 15, 1914
"In the operation of the Silver King Coalition and the Silver King Consolidated, at Park City, connection was recently made between the two mines, the drift from the Coalition on the 1,100 level connecting with the Consolidated on the 1,500 level. The connection will mean good ventilation for both companies, as well as an avenue for safety." (Salt Lake Mining Review, November 15, 1914)
December 15, 1914
The following report comes from the December 15, 1914 issue of the Salt Lake Mining Review.
The Silver King Consolidated Mining Company, of Park City, Utah, Solon Spiro, president, has issued a statement to its stockholders under date of November 20, which, in part, is as follows:
That you may be fully informed on everything of importance affecting your company, I beg to advise you that all matters in litigation have been settled and permanent peace established between the Silver King Consolidated and its neighbor, the Silver King Coalition.
The final act of settlement was the adjustment of our suit for the partition of the undivided interests in the Andes, Custer, Delaware, Vesuvius, Ladies Drum No. 1 and Mayflower No. 1 mining claims.
We owned a half interest in the Andes and Vesuvius, a one-third interest in the Custer and a three-fourths interest in the Delaware. The Ladies Drum and Mayflower were mentioned only because their locations overlapped certain portions of the Delaware.
Under the stipulations in the deeds, there can be no controversy or litigation over the ores which may be discovered in the Andes or Custer. Our original claims - the Electric Light Cumberland, Ural and Croesus - are also fortified against litigation by a decree issued on June 8, 1914, by the district court of the United States, adjudging in our favor the title to all the ores contained in the mining claims named.
One year ago we received 59-3/4 cents an ounce for our silver and $4.75 per cwt. for lead. If we can obtain a similar settlement on the ore now ready for mining, by holding it back for a few weeks, we shall make an additional profit of $1,125 on each hundred tons, or $33,750 a month on a daily production of 100 tons. At this rate our added profits in one year would amount to $405,000, or more than six dividends of 10 cents a share each.
We could without difficulty extract one hundred tons of smelting ore daily, or 3,000 tons monthly, for an indefinite time if we were to begin stoping the ore blocked out in the main fissure between the 1,500 and 1,700 foot levels. Instead we are marketing only the ore we are compelled to remove in running drifts and crosscuts to ascertain the position and dimensions of our ore deposits.
December 1915
"For the month of December there were shipped out of Park City cars of ore aggregating 10,976 tons. Of this amount the Union Pacific carried 141 cars and the Denver & Rio Grande 89 cars (47 tons per car). The shippers were Silver King Coalition 3,731 tons; Daly Judge 2,433 tons; Ontario Silver Mining Company 1,232 tons; Silver King Consolidated 1,278 tons; Daly West Mining Company 1,019 tons." (Park Record, December 31, 1915)
February 15, 1916
"The unusually heavy snow and bad weather have upset all plans for the commencement of work on the new tunnel and aerial tram at the Silver King Consolidated at Park City. Manager Solon Spiro states that the work will be undertaken as soon as possible, and that the tramway will be in operation before the end of summer." (Salt Lake Mining Review, February 15, 1916)
(All during 1914 and 1915 there were comments about the production of the Silver King Consolidated mine being limited by bad roads, especially in the spring season. But production was being limited with the purpose of delivering only enough revenue to cover expenses and dividends. Because of the size of the ore body, and its uniformity throughout the property, additional tonnage could easily be obtained, if desired, but would be limited by the bad roads and the availability of teams and wagons. The road most often being used was the abandoned former Crescent Tramway narrow gauge railroad, which had been abandoned in 1896.)
Silver King Consolidated Tramway and Spiro Tunnel
(This aerial tramway, completed in 1916, should not be confused with the earlier Silver King Mining company's aerial tramway, completed in 1901.)
February 29, 1916
"The Silver King Consolidated Mining Company of Park City, Utah, will construct a mill of from 150 to 200 tons capacity at the mouth of the new tunnel to be run this summer. Solon Spiro of Salt Lake is president and general manager of the company. An aerial tramway from the mine to the mill is to be .built also." (Salt Lake Mining Review, February 29, 1916)
March 15, 1916
"The aerial tramway from the mine to the mill is to he nearly three miles in length. Mining machinery will also be installed at the mouth of the proposed deep tunnel." (Salt Lake Mining Review, March 15, 1916)
April 15, 1916
"Work on the new drain tunnel will start as soon as the snow goes off." (Salt Lake Mining Review, April 15, 1916)
April 30, 1916
"The Silver King Consolidated Mining Company, of Park City, Utah, has just let a contract to R. D. Seymour, of Salt Lake, for the erection of a 10,000-foot aerial tramway of twenty tons per hour capacity." (Salt Lake Mining Review, April 30, 1916)
May 30, 1916
Contracts the Silver King Consolidated's aerial tramway called for "most of the material to be used in the building of the line" "shall be of Utah manufacture as far as possible." To that end, the Salt Lake Iron & Steel Company, and the Provo Foundry & Machine Company were to supply said materials. The wire rope was to come from the A. Leschen & Sons Wire Rope Company. (Salt Lake Mining Review, May 30, 1916)
October 21, 1916
Silver King Consolidated Mining Company completed their aerial tramway between the mine and their mill, as distance of 10,200 feet, 52 buckets, five cubic feet each, traveling at 400 feet per minute. The new aerial tramway "went into commission" on October 21st, and will save about 75 percent of transportation costs. (Salt Lake Mining Review, October 30, 1916)
November 1916
The mill of the Silver King Consolidated went into operation. The mill was connected to the mine by an aerial tram. The Spiro tunnel was making progress. (Goodwin's Weekly, July 14, 1917)
(Read more about the Spiro Tunnel)
January 15, 1917
"The tram carries fifty-two buckets, each of five cubic feet capacity, and moves at the rate of 400 feet per minute, giving it a carrying total of twenty tons an hour or 480 tons a day. The company saves 75 per cent of the original cost of shipping by wagon, and more than 85 per cent on the cost of up-freight, besides the inestimable value of being able to keep its transportation system open both winter and summer." (Salt Lake Mining Review, January 15, 1917)
(No reference in available online newspapers to the Silver King Consolidated aerial tramway after late February 1917.)
January 31, 1918
Silver King Consolidated Mining Company took over the California-Comstock group of claims. (Salt Lake Mining Review, January 30, 1918)
July 12, 1919
"Silver King Consolidated (Park City) - Work resumed on Spiro tunnel, now in 10,000 ft. and being driven to develop Thaynes Canyon section and connect with California-Comstock ground. Expected also to start work in old workings on opposite side of hill, where producing ground is open to 1,800 level." (Engineering and Mining Journal, July 12, 1919, page 79)
May 13, 1922
"The Spiro tunnel was driven 904 feet during the year, making its total length 15,014 feet on January 1, 1922." (Engineering and Mining Journal, Volume 113, Number 19, May 13, 1922, page 843)
(No references after this 1922 report show any additional length for the Spiro Tunnel.)
(Read more about the Spiro Tunnel)
Sale To Silver King Coalition Mines
On May 19, 1924, Silver King Coalition Mines Company announced that it had purchased control of the adjacent Silver King Consolidated Mining Company. The Silver King Consolidated was the owner of a 17,000-foot tunnel (later known as the Spiro Tunnel) started in 1916 and meant to drain the company's workings. The surface acreage of the combined companies totaled 3,800 acres, with 2,400 coming from Coalition, and 1,400 acres coming from Consolidated, which also operated a flotation mill at the mouth of its tunnel. The purchase option expired on June 16, 1924. The sale was finalized on June 6, 1924 when the last stock of Consolidated was purchased. A connection between the Spiro Tunnel and the 1300 level of the Silver King Coalition mine was to be completed within a month, and would greatly improve the combined mines ventilation, transportation and safety. (Salt Lake Mining Review, May 15, 1924, "tomorrow"; May 30, 1924; Park Record, May 23, 1924, "Monday"; June 6, 1924)
(Also mentioned in the Park Record June 6th article was that the portal of the Spiro Tunnel was situated directly on the Denver & Rio Grande branch to Park City. This was not actually the case. The portal of the Spiro Tunnel, located along today's Three Kings Drive at the Park City municipal water plant, immediately west of the golf course, was in fact over 2,000 feet from the rail line. There is no record or document showing a railroad spur to the Spiro Tunnel, so transportation of ore and concentrates from the Spiro Tunnel would have required the use of wagons, which would then dump into rail cars by using a raised platform.)
(The stock of the Silver King Consolidated company was purchased by the Silver King Coalition company at $1 per share. But a small number of minority stockholders held their stock. Throughout late 1924 and during 1925, these stockholders were assessed 10 cents per share as many as 19 times by the end of 1924. Those who did not comply by the date stated in each assessment would forfeit their shares. This was a common process for a company with outstanding shares held by a wide variety of minor stockholders after a merger or buyout to gain control of their outstanding shares so that the new company could obtain ownership of all outstanding shares. By early 1928, the assessments had been reduced to 5 cents per shares, and had reached 28 in number.)
(No reference has been found that ore was shipped from the Spiro Tunnel after its purchase by Silver King Coalition in 1924. This indicates that the 15,000-foot Spiro Tunnel was used almost solely for ventilation, and for transportation of miners and materials. The Silver King Coalition company already had its newly rebuilt concentrator mill at the top, and its aerial tramway connecting the mine and mill with the ore loading station in downtown Park City.)
(Solon Spiro passed away on July 31, 1929, at age 65. He was living with his brother-in-law in Cincinnati at the time.)
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