Tintic, Central Standard Mine

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Central Standard Mining Company

(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the Central Standard mine, as visible in photographs, as well as a general description of the mine, with minimal coverage of the geology and financial returns. Also to establish a timeline using sources not previously readily available.)

The Central Standard mine was another case of large amounts of money being spent in putting down shafts, and driving drifts from various levels of those shafts, searching "prospecting" for veins of commercial ore. As with so many mines, promising veins were found on every working level, but the veins never developed into large enough bodies to match the other mines less than 1,000 feet away, including the North Lily and the Tintic Standard. The property remained intact well into the early 2000s, being kept separate and independent by majority shareholders that included heirs of the company's founder, Thomas Pierpont.

1916-1920 - Copper Leaf Shaft - A 1,245-foot shaft and 4,450 feet of drifting at the 300-, 500-, 1000- and 1200-foot levels had the purpose of finding a limestone replacement ore body beneath altered volcanics at the east end of Homansville Canyon. Slight mineralization was found in Tintic quartzite, but no ore was shipped. (Utah Geological Society Guidebook 12, 1957, page 135)

1924 - Central Standard Shaft - A 640-foot shaft was cut and a total of 350 feet of drifting was completed. Minor amounts of ore were discovered in fissure veins. (Utah Geological Society Guidebook 12, 1957, page 106)

The following comes from the Chief Consolidated Mining company SEC Form 10-K, dated December 31, 2005.

Central Standard Consolidated Mines. -- We currently own approximately 23 percent of the outstanding capital stock of Central Standard Consolidated Mines. Central Standard’s mining property consists of approximately 320 acres located in the north-central portion of the East Tintic Mining District. This property is surrounded by property owned by Tintic Utah. The approximately 320 acres owned by Central Standard is located about 2 miles from the Burgin Mine and the geologic characteristics of the Central Standard property are similar to those of the Trixie Mine.

On October 4, 2000, the Boards of Directors of Chief and Central Standard approved an Agreement and Plan of Merger between Central Standard and Chief Gold Mines, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chief. The Merger was subject to the approval of the shareholders of Central Standard by September 30, 2002, but was never submitted to the shareholders for their approval. Since the Merger was not completed by September 30, 2002, the proposed merger transaction was terminated.

The following comes from the USGS Professional Paper 1024, published in 1979, page 121.

The property of the Central Standard Consolidated Mining Co. is in the central and upper parts of Pinyon Creek Canyon, extending from the southeast base of Pinyon Peak southward across Highway 6-50. The present company is a consolidation of the Central Standard and Copper Leaf Mining Companies, which merged in May 1922 and were placed under the direction of T. F. Pierpont of Provo, Utah, and his mining superintendent, John W. Taylor. Originally both companies had been formed shortly after the discovery of the Tintic Standard ore body.

The Copper Leaf shaft was collared in December 1916 and completed in December 1920; from January 1918 to December 1920 and from May 1923 to January 1924, much drifting and crosscutting were undertaken in a search for a northerly continuation of the Tintic Standard ore zone.

The Central Standard shaft was sunk in 1920, and drifting was carried out in 1921 with the same objective as the Copper Leaf.

Beginning in March 1927, after the discovery of the North Lily and Eureka Lilly ore bodies, the Copper Leaf shaft was reopened with the assistance of the United States Smelting and Refining Co., and underground exploration was resumed at the 1,200-ft level in conjunction with surface drilling. This work was terminated in 1931.

In 1968 the Central Standard claims were leased to the Kennecott Copper Corp., which has carried out much drill-hole exploration in the vicinity of the Homansville fault.

The property of the Central Standard Consolidated Mining Co. consists of 20 patented claims and fractions containing approximately 300 acres. In addition to the Copper Leaf shaft, which is 1,245 ft deep, and the Central Standard shaft, which is 630 ft deep, two other shafts, both on the Loop No. 3 claim 1,300 ft north of the Central Standard, have been sunk to depths of 400 ft and 200 ft, and two short adits have been driven on the White Star claim near the mouth of Homansville Canyon. One of these adits is popularly but erroneously regarded to be on the Helen claim.

There is no recorded production of ore by the Central Standard Consolidated Mining Co.

The Central Standard shaft is in the SW-1/4 of the SW-1/4 of Section 3, T10S, R2W.

The Copper Leaf shaft is located in the W-1/2 of the NW-1/4 of Section 10, T10S, R2W.

The Homansville fault was known to extend through the Central Standard property at the time the Central Standard shaft was being developed, but no attempt was made to explore this structure beneath the lavas. The fault was the objective of the south crosscut of the Water Lillie mine in 1922, and also of a drilling program by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1957 and the Kennecott Copper Corp. in 1969-75. This drilling indicated that the fault passes approximately 600 ft (183 m) north-northwest of the shaft and that the fault zone at depth contains much highly broken and altered ground.

Canyon Siding Mining Co. (1909-1917)

April 17, 1909
The Canyon Siding Mining company filed its articles of incorporation with the county clerk. The mining claims were the Iron King; the Loop; the Loop No. 1 to No. 6. Officers were Henry Smith, president; O. H. Pulver, vice president; J. S. Bills, Jr., secretary-treasurer, with Marcellus Smith, J. S. Bills, Sr., Eli Case and George M. Sullivan as additional directors. All were residents of Payson, Utah. (Provo Daily herald, April 17, 1909)

(The Canyon Siding name was chosen because of the nearby track siding of the same name on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.)

July 25, 1909
"At the Canyon Siding company, a double-compartment shaft has already been put down to 40 feet and is well timbered and substantially built. When 200 feet is reached, drifting to the northwest and southeast will begin." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 25, 1909)

(In November 1910, work on the Canyon Siding company's shaft resumed after being idle for a year. -- Deseret News, November 5, 1910)

February 4, 1911
The shaft of the Canyon Siding Mining company was down to 75 feet. (Deseret News, February 4, 1911)

March 23, 1911
The Canyon Siding Mining company was declared delinquent in paying its 1911 state corporate license fee. (Salt Lake Herald, March 23, 1911)

March 24, 1916
"The claims of the Canyon Siding company, five in number, will be patented during the coming summer, according to Mr. Smith [Henry Smith, president], as a sufficient amount of work has already been done to entitle the owners to a government title." (Eureka Reporter, March 24, 1916)

April 7, 1916
From the Eureka Reporter, April 7, 1916.

Henry Smith, who is looking after the development of the Canyon Siding company's property in the eastern end of the district, was in Eureka this week and says that a mineral survey of the claims has just been made and that as soon as possible the ground will be patented.

A force of five men is now at work and after driving a tunnel into one of the claims for a distance of about 150 feet, sinking was taken up and the winze is now down 25 feet with an excellent showing at that depth.

The Canyon Siding ground is just east of the property on which the Chief Consolidated company recently took up a campaign of work.

(The patents for the Loop No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 6, 80.856 acres, were applied for on October 31, 1916. -- Eureka Reporter, November 3, 1916)

May 25, 1917
From the Eureka Reporter, May 25, 1917.

Canyon Siding Co. Will Go To Central Standard -- Arrangements have been made for the transfer of the property of the Canyon Siding Company in the eastern end of the Tintic District to the Central Standard Mines company. The new company is to be capitalized for 1,000,000 shares and 600,000 shares of this stock is to go to the old shareholders of the Canyon Siding company.

Embraced in the holdings of the Canyon Siding company are ten claims, four of which were patented last year. The other claims are also to be patented in the near future. The reorganization of the company will place the affairs in shape for an extensive campaign of development work.

Copper Leaf Mining and Milling Company (1916-1922)

(There was great confusion among newspaper editors concerning the name of the company. Was it: Copper Leaf Mining company; or Copper Leaf Mining and Milling company.)

November 7, 1916
The Copper Leaf Mining and Milling company filed its articles of incorporation with the county clerk. The incorporators were T. F. Pierpont, Alex Hedquist, J. C. Deal, all of Provo; J. E. Mayer of Salt Lake City; and John W. Taylor of Eureka. The company owned 12 mining claims, all previously "located" several years before by John W. Taylor of Eureka and Thomas Pierpont of Provo. (Provo Post, November 7, 1916; Eureka Reporter, November 17, 1916)

November 23, 1916
T. F. Pierpont of Provo deeded to the Copper Leaf Mining and Milling company the Copper Leaf Fraction, the Gold Quartz, the Copper Leaf No. 7, the Helen, and the Copper Glance mining claims. He also deeded to the Copper Leaf Mining company an undivided half interest in the Copper Leaf and the Copper Leaf No. 2 to No. 6 mining claims. (Salt Lake Herald, November 23, 1916)

March 2, 1917
John W. Taylor announced that the Copper Leaf Mining company would very soon install an electric hoist, to sink three-compartment shaft down to 1000 or 1200 feet. Work was to commence as soon as snow on the ground permitted work to begin. (Eureka Reporter, March 2, 1917)

April 13, 1917
New equipment had been delivered as was waiting to be installed. Foundations were being provided for new buildings, including a boarding house, bunk house, shaft house, blacksmith shop and office. A contract would soon be let for the first 500 feet of the company shaft, starting about May 15th. (Eureka Reporter, April 13, 1917; May 4, 1917)

June 30, 1917
Several prominent mining men and businessmen were given a tour of the surface workings of the Copper Leaf Mining company. The company encompasses 205 acres of mineral lands, all of which has been surveyed for patent. The electric hoist, electric compressor and pumping pant had been installed and were in operation. The buildings have been completed, including a boarding house, bunk house, private offices and residence for the superintendent, with electric lights and telephone. The double compartment shaft with man way (also known as a triple compartment shaft) was down to 30 feet, with the men working three shifts. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 2, 1917)

August 29, 1917
The Copper Leaf Mining company's shaft was down to 240 feet. No drifting was planned until the depth of 500 was reached. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 29, 1917)

January 4, 1918
The Copper Leaf Mining company's shaft was down to 430 feet, but drilling is through very hard material. There was only one shift working. (Eureka Reporter, January 4, 1918)

February 23, 1918
Work on the Copper Leaf shaft had stopped due to hitting a gas pocket at a depth of just over 500 feet. A candle lowered to just 50 feet would go out for lack of oxygen. A blower had been ordered to allow work to continue. (Deseret News, February 23, 1918)

(Work was to resume in late April 1918. -- Eureka Reporter, April 19, 1918)

April 26, 1918
Work on the Copper Leaf shaft has resumed, with two shifts working to make up for lost time. A blower had been purchased and an air chute for fresh air constructed. (Eureka Reporter, April 26, 1918)

June 18, 1918
The Copper Leaf shaft was down to 580 feet, with the shaft being 3,250 feet due north of the Tintic Standard's new shaft, where a large ore body was being developed at the 1,206-foot level. (Deseret News, June 18, 1918)

August 4, 1918
The Copper Leaf shaft was down to 785 feet. The company was expecting to hit commercial ore as soon as another 50 feet. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 4, 1918)

October 29, 1918
The Copper Leaf shaft was down to 920 feet, and medium grade ore has been hit at 915 feet, on October 19th. But a new stream of gas was hit causing operations to be suspended. the ore taken out was assayed at a very good value; higher than expected. At 915 feet there was ore on all sides. Work resumed after three days. (Salt Lake Tribune, October 29, 1918; November 7, 1918)

November 15, 1918
At the Copper Leaf company, the Spanish Flu epidemic had "put the force at the mine out of commission." (Salt Lake Mining Review, November 15, 1918)

(The Spanish influenza epidemic was active in Utah from mid October 1918 to early December, when the ban on public gatherings was lifted. But it flared up again in late 1919 and early 1920 when a breakout occurred in Eureka and all travel out of the town was banned. John M. McChrystal, one of the major promoters of mining in Eureka, died in January 1920 suffering from the flu.)

January 6, 1919
The Copper Leaf Mining and Milling company applied for patents on 10 mining claim lodes: the Copper Leaf No. 1 to No. 6, the Copper Glance, the Copper Leaf Fraction, the Helen, and the Helen Fraction. (Eureka Reporter, March 7, 1919)

(A mining claim is a legal description with boundaries on the surface, extending vertically to the earth's center. A mining lode an underground body of mineral ore that has been located by either shaft or drift. An application for a lode indicates that ore has actually been found, compared to a claim which describes an area where mineral ore might be found.)

January 15, 1919
It was reported in the Copper Leaf company's annual meeting that the company's shaft was down to 1,060 feet, and that the company had decided to continue down to the 1200 level. The officers were re-elected: Thomas F. Pierpont, president; Alex Hedquist, vice president; J. C. Deal, secretary-treasurer; John W. Taylor, director and mine superintendent; J. E. Meyer, director and financial agent. The directors authorized the company to spend $2,000 to obtain the equipment needed to start drifting from the 1000 level, with the equipment to be installed within 10 days. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 15, 1919)

May 22, 1919
"Directors of the Copper Leaf Mining and Milling company, and the Central Standard Mining company both operating in the Tintic district, met yesterday in special called sessions at the companies' offices in the Walker Bank building. Official information given out yesterday afternoon was to the effect that only routine business was transacted." (Salt Lake Tribune, May 22, 1919)

(This may or may not suggest that the two companies were under common ownership.)

June 5, 1919
"J. E. Meyer, well-known broker and mining man, and financial director of the Copper Leaf Mining company since its organization in 1917, has sold all of his interest in this East Tintic property and in the Central Standard of the same district. The transfer took place yesterday." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 6, 1919)

(The board of directors of the Copper Leaf company met on June 18th to vote on increasing the stock from 600,000 shares to 1 million shares, to be sold at $1 per share. -- Provo Post, June 10, 1919)

(On June 8, 1920, the company issued an assessment of one cent per share of stock, due on July 20th. The subsequent delinquency notice on July 20th listed hundreds of stockholders, from 50 shares to 33,000 held by John Taylor himself, who had not paid their assessment, with their shares of stock to be sold at auction. This was a typical method for companies to consolidate their stock into the hands of fewer individuals.)

(On August 12, 1920, a second assessment of one cent per share was issued. The delinquency notice of September 21st listed numerous stockholders of 100 shares, owing $1, to John Taylor with his 834,500 shares, owing $834.50, and Alex Hedquist with his 53,800 shares, owing $538.)

October 29, 1920
"Work has been suspended at the property of the Copper Leaf Mining company, located in East Tintic. The shut-down is but a temporary one and it is understood that development of the ground will be resumed about the first of the new year. The Copper Leaf people have been prospecting their ground on a very extensive scale for the past few years in an effort to open the northern extension of the Tintic Standard ore. They sunk a deep working shaft and have drifted extensively on two of the levels, encountering many small bunches of ore but being unable to open commercial ore in large quantities. The property is well equipped in every way, has all needed buildings, and a strong organization financially so there is little likelihood of the company remaining inactive for any great length of time." (Eureka Reporter, October 29, 1920)

March 31, 1922
A special stockholders meeting was held on March 31, 1922 to approve the consolidation of the Copper Leaf company with the Central Standard company.

Central Standard Mining Co. (1917-1922)

June 3, 1917
From Salt Lake Tribune, June 3, 1917.

The Central Standard Mines, incorporated for 1,000,000 shares and holding 400,000 shares of its stock in the treasury, has taken over the property of the Canyon Siding Mining company for the sum of $30,000. The incorporators of the new company are Willard Scowcroft of Ogden, George M. Sullivan and J. A. Barlow of Salt Lake, Grant Simons of Mammoth, L. N. Ellsworth, Henry Smith and O. H. Pulver of Payson.

The new company starts with four patented claims and six claims which are surveyed for patent. There is no indebtedness, but in addition to 400,000 shares of stock there is a cash credit coming from the Canyon Siding company of $2,000.

This property was located twelve years ago and has been held by the Canyon Siding Mining company for eight years.

Two shafts, two tunnels and numerous open cuts aggregate several hundred feet of work. These workings, while scattered, expose the presence of several promising fissures and considerab1e low grade ore near the surface. The Central Standard mines will take immediate steps to get depth. With the railroad crossing the property the company will be able to ship a low grade ore at a profit.

With an additional depth in the main shaft of 200 feet there is a possibility of getting ore at the contact between the lime and the porphyry, while a drift along this contact to the north-south fissure is quite sure to yield good results.

October 5, 1917
"The shaft is now down a distance of 160 feet and a whim will be used until the arrival of machinery which will be purchased by the reorganized company." (Eureka Reporter, October 5, 1917)

August 1, 1919
"New buildings have been erected at the property of the Central Standard Mining company and the work of installing the machinery is said to be progressing in a satisfactory manner. The company has had a small force at work in the shaft but the sinking contract has been awarded to Elmer Duncan and Al Moore, both of Eureka. The contractors will take over the work just as soon as the surface improvements have been completed and their contract calls for four hundred feet of sinking. The Central Standard property is to the south of the Copper Leaf and the two are controlled by practically the same people, the heaviest shareholders in each of the enterprises being Thomas Pierpont of Provo, and Willard Scowcroft of Ogden." (Eureka Reporter, August 1, 1919)

May 7, 1920
The Central Standard shaft was down to 430 feet, without reaching commercial ore. There had been at least three assessments against the stock to pay for the buildings, machinery and contract labor for the shaft to be sunk to this depth. There had been difficulties in sinking the last 100 feet due to water and soft ground. (Eureka Reporter, May 7, 1920)

March 31, 1922
A special stockholders meeting was held on March 31, 1922 to approve the consolidation of the Central Standard company with the Copper Leaf company.

Central Standard Consolidated Mines Co. (1922-2005?)

February 24, 1922
The Central Standard Mining company was to be consolidated with the Copper Leaf mining company, to form a new company to be called the Central Standard Mines company. The exchange rate was 1-3/4 share of the new company for one share of the Copper Leaf company. The Copper Leaf and Central Standard companies were "owned by practically the same interests." The claims of the two companies were adjoining and adjacent. The Copper Leaf shaft was down to 1,200 feet and the Central Standard shaft was down to 600 feet. Thomas F. Pierpont of Provo was president of both companies, along with John W. Taylor, John C. Deal, J. William Knight and Willard Scowcroft. The properties of the two companies were due north of the Tintic Standard holdings, with some claims adjoining the Water Lily claims of the Chief Consolidated company. (Eureka Reporter, February 24, 1922)

March 31, 1922
A special meeting of stockholders was to be held to consider and act on "a proposition of consolidating the Copper Leaf Mining and Milling company with the Central Standard Mines under the name of Central Standard Consolidated Mines. The exchange of shares was to put 38.4 percent of company stock in the hands of stockholders of the Central Standard Mines company, and 44.3 percent of new company stock in the hands of stockholders of the Copper Leaf company, leaving 17.3 percent available as treasury stock for public sale. (Provo Daily Herald, February 20, 1922)

April 28, 1922
"A recent meeting in Provo a consolidation of the Copper Leaf and Central Standard mining companies was brought about." The Copper Leaf shaft was down to 1200 feet, but work was still suspended. When work resumes, it was to be in the ground north of the Copper Leaf shaft, which was embraced within the Central Standard ground. (Eureka Standard, April 28, 1922)

July 13, 1923
Work was to resume in the Copper Leaf property. The shaft had been placed in first class condition, machinery had been overhauled and new station had been cut at the 285 level. The Copper Leaf shaft was down to 1,245 feet. Prospecting at the lower levels, when work was suspended "several months ago," was most promising. Work at the upper levels, 285 and 500, was to confirm the lower levels. (Eureka Reporter, July 13, 1923)

January 28, 1927
The company officials of the Central Standard Consolidated Mines company included: Thomas F. Pierpont, president and manager; J. Will Knight, vice president; John C. Deal, secretary-treasurer; with Willard Scowcroft, L. F. Rains, Duncan MacVichie, and Adrian C. Ellis, Jr. as directors. The company had two shafts, one was down to 1,250 feet, and the other was down to 650 feet. The mine was equipped with electrically-driven compressor and hoists and blowers and other machinery, "so operations can be started whenever the directors deem" it if warranted in relation to other discoveries in the East Tintic district. The Central Standard's inactive property was 800 feet north of the North Lilly, which had recently struck a very good body of ore. Thomas Pierpont had spent $325,000 in developing and acquiring the two predecessor properties. (Eureka Reporter, January 28, 1927)

October 17, 1929
The Central Standard Consolidated Mines company was driving two drifts on its 1200 level, one to the west, and the other to the southwest, based on the advice of a well known mining engineer. Drifts on the levels were "promising." (Eureka Reporter, October 17, 1929)

1931
The Central Standard Consolidated mine was inactive. (USGS Professional Paper 1024, published in 1979, page 121)

September 12, 1935
The trading of the stock of the Central Standard Consolidated Mines company was suspended on the Salt Lake Stock Exchange, at the request of the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. (Eureka Reporter, September 12, 1935)

June 27, 1969
The property of the Central Standard Consolidated Mines company was under lease to Kennecott Copper, with Kennecott preforming exploratory drilling. (Eureka Reporter, June 27, 1969)

October 6, 1972
"Mines and Mining -- The Central Standard Mines and Copper Leaf Mining and Milling Co. incorporated in 1922 and changed their names to the Central Standard Consolidated Mining Co. very little work has been done on this property since 1931." (Eureka Reporter, October 6, 1972)

June 26, 1981
The Chief Consolidated company held 25 percent of the stock of the Central Standard Consolidated Mines company. There was a proxy fight at a recent meeting by shareholders demanding that new directors be elected who would support aggressive development by Kennecott of the Central Standard ground, since the royalty under the Kennecott lease for the Central Standard property was 15 percent, compared to the 7.5 percent for Kennecott's similar lease of the surrounding Chief Consolidated property. (Eureka Reporter, June 26, 1981)

November 21, 1985
Chief Consolidated acquired control of the stock (22.5 percent) of the Central Standard Mining company and installed its own officers, directors and management. Controlling the 320 acres of Central Standard properties, which was surrounded by Chief Consolidated properties, would allow Chief Consolidated better access to the Homansville Fault discovered by Kennecott during its years working from the Water Lily shaft. Kennecott found that it had better access from the Central Standard shaft. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 15, 1985; Eureka Reporter, November 21, 1985)

(No further newspaper references as to the disposition of the Central Standard company, either the Central Standard Mines company, or the later Central Standard Consolidated Mines company. The company was under lease to the Chief Consolidated company, and was from then on included in maps showing it as part of all of the Chief Consolidated company holdings.)

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