Tintic, Lower Mammoth Mine

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Lower Mammoth Mining Co.

(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the Lower Mammoth 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 Lower Mammoth, Colconda and Hungarian claims that made up the Lower Mammoth Mining company group were located immediately southwest of the more famous Copperopolis claim, which was part of the larger Ajax property. The Black Jack claim mentioned later, was immediately south of the Lower Mammoth ground.)

August 25, 1896
The Lower Mammoth Mining company "was incorporated a few weeks ago." The officers were: J. F. Woodman, president; John Beck, vice president; S. M. McCornick, treasurer; with Mr. Barnett, Mr. Kimball, Judge J. Burton, and Isador Morris as additional directors. Frank Azzalia was superintendent. The shaft was down to a depth of 377 feet and was nearing commercial ore. (Deseret News, August 25, 1896)

December 1, 1897
"At the Lower Mammoth, another compressed air drill is being put in and that the shaft is being sunk as rapidly as possible to the 500-foot level. The shaft is now in a fine body of ore and the indications are most encouraging." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 1, 1897)

December 26, 1897
"Across the gulch the shaft in the Lower Mammoth is in good shipping ore, and several shipments have been made. In the latter part of November a strike of copper was reported in this mine similar to the ore found in the Ajax. The mine was recently equipped with a steam hoist, and has a brilliant future in store for it." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 26, 1897)

November 6, 1898
"Senator David Evans, who is directing affairs at the property of the Lower Mammoth during the absence of Manager Joseph in the East, leaves for Mammoth to inquire into the progress of work this morning. The Senator said last night that very flattering reports had reached him concerning the increase in the volume of ore as well as an improvement in quality but would not discuss it until he has made personal examination." (Salt Lake Tribune, November 6, 1898)

February 28, 1899
David Evans resigned from the board of the Lower Mammoth Mining company. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 28, 1899)

(Three weeks before, David Evans had been elected to the board of directors of the Mammoth Mining company.)

(Between 1898 and 1903, the stock of the Lower Mammoth company was active on the Salt Lake Stock Exchange, with regular almost daily reports of highs and lows of the price of Lower Mammoth stock. There were very few reports of physical progress at the mine itself, except for occasional reports of a new strike, with samples dutifully presented at the various newspaper offices and at the company offices in Salt Lake City. There were no reports of carloads of ore being shipped. Such activity suggests stock manipulation, rather than active mining and ore production.)

January 13, 1903
The Lower Mammoth Mining company stockholders met and elected a new board of directors. The new directors were: John Dern; James Chipman; C. W. Chipman; H. G. McMillan, Solon Spiro; and A. C. Ellis, Jr. (Deseret News, January 13, 1903)

January 16, 1903
The Lower Mammoth Mining company board elected the following officers: James Chipman, president and general manager; Adrian C. Ellis, Jr., vice president; R. C. Cordell, secretary; W. S. Chipman, treasurer. The offices were moved to the Utah National Bank. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 16, 1903)

May 4, 1903
"James Chípman, manager of the Uncle Sam and Lower Mammoth Mining companies, says that the properties of these companies are looking better. The Uncle Sam has two cars of ore now on the market that runs $5 in gold, 114 ounces silver and 8.3 per cent lead; the Lower Mammoth has one carload that goes $2 gold and 99 ounces silver." (Salt Lake Telegram, May 4, 1903)

May 6, 1903
William Ball was superintendent of the Lower Mammoth mine. He had been retained in that position during the recent reorganization. The Lower Mammoth shaft was down to the depth of 1400 feet. The company had recently broke into a cave with ore as rich as 100 ounces of silver. (Salt Lake Tribune, May 6, 1903)

June 25, 1903
The miners of the Lower Mammoth had encountered a rich vein of ore on the 1100 level, which continued into the adjacent Black Jack ground. All work was suspended and no ore would be extracted until a clear boundary could be surveyed to determine the exact boundary. The survey was to be a joint action with the Black Jack company. (Salt Lake Tribune, June 25, 1903)

(Davis Evans was manager of the Black Jack company, and Jesse Knight was the owner. -- Salt Lake Tribune, July 10, 1903; October 20, 1903)

October 20, 1903
The court fight between the Lower Mammoth company and the Black Jack company opened in federal court in Salt Lake City. The Lower Mammoth company was claiming extra-lateral rights to the disputed mineral vein, meaning that the the apex of the ore vein was within their ground, and they were free to pursue the vein as far as desired. The Black Jack company was plaintiff, and the Lower Mammoth company was defendant. The Black Jack company was incorporated in Wyoming. (Salt Lake Tribune, October 20, 1903)

(Although the Lower Mammoth company stated in June that they had withdrawn from the disputed ground, in fact, they did not and continued to extract ore. The law suit was by the Black Jack company claiming trespass and theft of the ore from their ground, claiming $225,000 in damages. -- Deseret News, October 27, 1903)

January 12, 1904
Simon Bamberger was one of the largest stockholders of the Lower Mammoth Mining company, and on January 11th, the stockholders met and elected Bamberger as president of the company. Also, a new board of directors was elected: Simon Bamberger; W. S. McCornick; A. C. McMillan; A. C. Ellis Jr.; Elias A. Smith; John Dern and H. Park. James Chipman; W. S. Chipman;, and Solon Spiro were retired from the board. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 12, 1904)

January 12, 1904
As reported at the company's annual stockholder meeting, the Lower Mammoth Mining company shipped 5,917 tons of ore from the mine, and from the dump. This tonnage resulted in a combination of silver, gold, lead and copper, with the largest amount being 22 tons of lead. The mine was working on the 1100 and 1200 levels, with a lot of low-grade ore in sight in the mine, as well as "not a little of first class" ore. (Salt Lake Herald, January 12, 1904)

February 2, 1904
"The case of the Black Jack Mining company vs. James Chipman and the Lower Mammoth Mining company, which involved a large piece of the disputed property, was compromised in the United States court by the vertical lines plan. Vertical lines were drawn at the end of one company's claims and at the side lines of the other, this deciding and fixing the boundaries." (Ogden Standard Examiner, February 2, 1904)

February 13, 1904
The Lower Mammoth Mining company had repaired its main shaft, and was again shipping 60 tons of ore per day. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 13, 1904)

(Throughout 1903, 1904, 1905 and 1906, there were 17 assessments against company stock, with each assessment's attendant delinquency that resulted of the stock of numerous minority stockholders being auctioned off, usually to one of the larger stockholders.)

January 9, 1906
From the annual report of the Lower Mammoth Mining company: "One year ago the company was in debt to the tune of $20,000. Since then the mine has been practically opened new from the 1,200 to the 1,500-foot level and great bodies of ore have been opened up. This can now be marketed under the favorable contract entered into with the Ohio & Colorado Smelting & Refining company at a profit that insures the mine's operating expenses and a rapid reduction of the company's recent indebtedness, which is only a trifle more than $15,000. Some heavy obligations of the company were discharged during the year, including $4,639.68 to the Telluride Power company and a balance of $500 to the Black Jack." (Salt Lake Herald, January 9, 1906)

September 10, 1906
The board of directors of the Lower Mammoth Mining company voted to amend the company articles of incorporation to increase the stock from 150,000 shares to 300,000, with the increased shares being sold to the public to raise funds to push the main shaft down deeper, to tap the ore veins thought to be there. This was seen as a better method to raise funds and reduce debt compared to the ongoing assessments. (Deseret News, September 10, 1906)

December 5, 1906
"The $40,000 bonds issued by the Lower Mammoth Mining company, were all subscribed for by stockholders of the company. The bonds are convertible into stock of the company, on or before the first of next June, at one dollar per share, bear eight per cent interest and fall due on December 1, 1907. It is expected that the bonds will be exchanged for mining stock long before the time limited for the exchange to be made. The purpose of issuing the bonds was to raise sufficient capital with which to equip the mine with hoists, to facilitate the output of ore. Heretofore, the ore had lo be taken out of a winze, and it was simply an impossibility to take it out in this way in commercial quantities. There is no further development work necessary to be done in the mine. The work of development has already been done. The mine has been exploited to the extent that large bodies of ore have been blocked out, sufficient to keep a 100-ton hoist, going for an indefinite period. The machinery for these hoists had already been ordered and it is expected by the management to have the hoists in working order within the next two or three months. At any rate hoisting will begin just as soon as the necessary machinery can be procured and put in commission. The bond issue is regarded as a wise move, and it is expected that the mine will shortly be put on a dividend-paying basis." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 5, 1906)

January 11, 1907
The Lower Mammoth company had sunk its main shaft down to 1700 feet, then drove a drift to connect with a winze that was sunk down from the 1600 level. The drift, winze and crosscuts were all in the ore, as the company developed the extent of the ore body. A new electric hoist was to be installed at the surface, and another at the 1200 level. The new hoists would allow production of 100 tons per day. (Deseret News, January 11, 1907)

(Beginning in July 1907, the Lower Mammoth Mining company began paying a monthly dividend of 5 cents per share. Like so many of the Tintic mines, ore in commercial quantities was not reached until the 1700 level. The new hoists were installed by mid September 1907, during which time over the past four weeks, the mine was out of production. But the quantity and value of the ore extracted during development at the deeper depths, without the electric hoists, still permitted monthly dividends of 7.5 cents per share, per month.)

March 8, 1908
The Lower Mammoth mine was closed down due to the overall financial conditions which prevented the planned sale of bonds that were to finance the development to deeper depths. With the Knight smelter opening soon, the company had asked the district court to nullify its contracts with the United States Smelting company. The mine will remain closed, with no development work being done until financial conditions improve. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 8, 1908)

(The mine resumed operations in mid May 1908 after a new contract was signed with the Knight's Tintic Smelting company, and after the largest stockholders bought all of the outstanding shares, thereby providing the funds needed to continue operations. -- Salt Lake Herald, April 17, 1908; May 14, 1908)

August 15, 1908
"The Lower Mammoth Mining company starts on today the shipment of ores from the 1600-foot level of the mine. This action is taken at the instance of the directors at their recent meeting, and the shipment today will be the first made by the Lower Mammoth since the courts closed down the smelters of the Salt Lake valley. It is intended to keep up a shipment rate of fifty tons of ore daily, the rock being a carbonate in character. In the meantime, development work on the west fissure on the upper levels, and in virgin ground, will be continued, and something good is looked for at practically any time by the company." (Salt Lake Tribune, August 15, 1908)

(Read more about the closing of the Salt Lake Valley smelters)

August 22, 1908
"It is said that the company is shipping an average of fifty tons of ore a day to the Knight smelter, and while the rock is not very high grade, it is reported as running better than the management had anticipated. The property is now being opened farther on three lower levels, and this work is being paid for and a good surplus will be left over each month, by virtue of the present consignments to market. With a wider market, the company easily can double the present output, and that will mean that much more at little additional expense." (Salt Lake Tribune, August 22, 1908)

September 10, 1908
"On Wednesday the local management of the Lower Mammoth Mining company received a check from the Knight Smelting company for something over $1300, representing the smelter net value of the first two cars of ore recently shipped to this company. The Lower Mammoth has twelve or fifteen more cars now awaiting similar settlements, and the money should be rolling in steadily from now on. So far the company has not marketed any of the rich gold ore encountered in one of the 1600 foot level stopes, but it is thought the first consignment of this rich rock will be forwarded to the market before the end of this week. The Lower Mammoth company has a fine array of resources awaiting extraction from the 1400-foot level to the 1600-foot level, while on and below the 1700-foot level there is a very good tonnage of good ore for future disposition." (Salt Lake Tribune, September 10, 1908)

September 28, 1908
"The management of the Lower Mammoth Mining company will put in some hard licks on development during the shut-down of the Tintic smelter. When the plant goes into commission again, the mine will be in good shape for production." (Deseret News, September 28, 1908)

December 10, 1908
The Lower Mammoth mine shaft was currently a single shaft, sunk down to 1200 feet. Mine management had decided to covert the single to a three-compartment shaft, which would include a double working compartments and a third compartment to act as a manway. A three compartment shaft would allow sinking down to 2000 feet. Conversion from the current single shaft would require removal of existing air and steam pipes, and all electrical cables. Waste rock from the expansion of the shaft would be allowed to fall down to platforms at the drift levels, then the waste rock from shaft expansion would be removed to fill in some of the old workings. Mine shipments would be suspended while the shaft was being expanded. (Salt Lake Telegram, December 10, 1908)

January 12, 1909
"It is generally conceded that the Lower Mammoth Mining company is now at work doing something that ought to have been done long ago. The ore shipped during the year shows that the mine is not without resources and while it was and has been hoped all alone that the mine could be made to produce ore enough and make money to do the work now under way without levying assessments, the methods that had to be employed were so expensive and slow and the market conditions were so unfavorable that the hope could not be realized. The management has taken the only course left open and before the year is out, results are certain to be attained." (Salt Lake Herald, January 12, 1909)

February 14, 1909
From the Salt Lake Herald, February 14, 1909.

Mr. Dern explains that the company had for several years had under consideration the advisability of enlarging and re-timbering its main shaft and sinking it to the 2,000-foot level, in the interest of economy in handling ore and to facilitate further exploration in the lower levels, and that a cave on Nov. 30. in the big stope between the 1,600 and 1,700 levels brought the decision to start the work at once.

As no ore can be mined while this work is going on, the company is compelled to levy assessments to defray the expense. It is hoped that four assessments of five cents a share each, will be sufficient and that the shaft will be completed within ten months. The mine is equipped with new hoisting equipment capable of sinking to the 2,500 level, at least.

Superintendent Coffin said yesterday that the work of enlarging the shaft to three-compartment had been completed to the 500 level and that from this time on progress would be more rapid down to the 1,200, on account of tho opportunity to dump waste material into tho old workings.

September 14, 1909
"It was announced that the re-timbering and sinking of the shaft to the 2,000-foot level will be completed by Dec. 1. This is good news to the stockholders who have been standing up under the heavy assessments that have been necessary for the work. With the completing of the shaft, it is believed that it will be but a short time after that the Lower Mammoth will again be a Tintic producer. Shortly before the mine was closed down close to a year ago, the company took out $57,000 worth of ore in two months. When the work is finished the company will have one of the finest shafts in the country. In the lower levels it is known that there is considerable ore, and with development work the bodies are expected to broaden out. The cost of mining with the new shaft will also be much less than formerly." (Salt Lake Herald, September 14, 1909)

(The Tintic smelter closed on October 1, 1909, forcing several mines in the Tintic district to pay higher transportation costs of shipping their ore to Salt Lake smelters.)

November 1, 1909
"The Lower Mammoth Mining company will finish the new shaft to the 2,000 foot level today. Several days will yet be required to cut a station, and then drifting will commence." (Deseret News, November 1, 1909)

December 18, 1909
"One of the great accomplishments of the year in the Tintic district is the re-timbering and sinking of the double compartment shaft of the Lower Mammoth Mining company to the 2,000-foot level. This was completed early in November and drifts were started on various levels. Before starting on the new shaft a year ago, several good ore bodies wore known to exist in the mine, but from an economical stand point it was deemed best to re-timber and enlarge the shaft. Work is now being directed toward catching these ore bodies." (Deseret News, December 18, 1909)

January 3, 1910
"When the Lower Mammoth company had worked out the ore body in its west vein down to the 1,600 level and had proven that the ore goes deeper, if became apparent that it would be a foolish waste of money to attempt [using drifts and winzes] to open the ore bodies for development to yet lower levels without placing the mine in form for more economical handling of the product. The mine had been developed in the way called for by the exigencies [urgent need or demand] of occasionally opening new ore bodies in rather widely separated portions of the territory, with the result that it had a single compartment shaft 1,200 feet deep, while the lower levels were reached by a winze some distance from the shaft." (Ogden Standard Examiner, January 3, 1910)

(Opening up new, readily accessible ore bodies by the use of wondering, random drifts and winzes, purely for the purpose of quick dividends, was a wasteful use of funds by a mining company. Current best practices called for development at depth, using multiple drifts and winzes that spread outward from the main shaft, to block out the ore body. Then when the ore body is known, using stoping and timber sets to extract the ore body, ensuring long-term income and dividends. This included the installation of a main shaft with two compartments and an economical electric hoist that could handle full production of a modern mine. What was known as a two compartment shaft, was actually a three compartment shaft; two compartments for raising ore and lowering supplies, and a third compartment used as a manway. The use of a third manway compartment ensured that production did not end to allow men to be lowered and raised. As one bucket was being raised full of ore in one compartment, another empty bucket was being lowered in the other compartment.)

January 10, 1910
The Lower Mammoth Mining company held its annual meeting. The company officers and directors were: John Dern, president and general manager; J. J. Stewart, vice president; A. Reeves, secretary; with W. S. McCornick, M. P. Braffert, A. T. Moon, D. L. Wertheimer as additional directors. E. C. Coffin was a director and mine superintendent. The main shaft had been re-timbered and enlarged to two compartments. It had also been sunk from the 1200 level, down to the 2000 level, with drifts progressing outward to catch the ore bodies. Prior to the main shaft being sunk from 1,200 feet down to 2,000 feet, ore was brought up through a drift and a 600-foot winze that was located 700 feet from the main shaft, transported along the drift then taken up through the shaft. The deeper main shaft would allow the ore to be brought to the surface directly using the main hoist. With the drifts and winzes no longer needed for ore transportation, they would allow excellent ventilation. "The mine is also connected up with the Black Jack and Ajax workings," resulting from the 1904 court case. (Deseret News, January 10, 1910)

February 25, 1910
"It was announced that the Lower Mammoth Mining company had encountered on the 1,800-foot level of its mine the ore body from which in higher levels gratifying production has been made. It marks the beginning of the making of a new mine in the lower levels of the Lower Mammoth, an end toward which the company has been working vigorously for more than a year, having sunk the shaft from the 1,200-foot level to the 2,000-foot level and sent out drifts to open both the east and west veins at the new depth." (Salt Lake Herald, February 25, 1910)

December 30, 1910
"The Lower Mammoth Mining company, operating near Mammoth, Tintic district, Utah, is showing up most encouragingly during the past few weeks, and President John Dern states that this condition is the one bright spot disclosed during a year of almost continual disappointment. Of late the management has been following a stringer on the 200 level, which has widened until now a good-sized vein is showing, the ore going about 20 per cent lead and 50 ounces silver to the ton. Regular shipments are now being made, and it begins to look as if the Lower Mammoth was going to make good during the year 1911." (Salt Lake Mining Review, December 30, 1910)

January 12, 1912
During 1911, the Lower Mammoth company shipped 33 carloads of ore, most of which came from leasers on the 1000 and 1700 levels. Leaser activity stopped in September due to rising costs of extraction, and in September development work began on the 1000 level. In November development work began on the 1700 level. (Eureka Reporter, January 12, 1912)

(Semi-annual assessments in 1909 to 1914, assessments 21 through 33, were needed to continue the development work at the lower levels. Each assessment of one cent per share brought in between $9,000 and $10,000, including income from public auction of the delinquent shares. The earlier assessments were five cents per share, until the number of shares was increased from 250,000 to 1,000,000, at which time the assessments were reduced to one cent. The assessment income was used solely for development work. The regular non-assessment income each year, as shown in the published annual reports, was usually in the range of $7000 to $9,000, and showed that the royalty income from ore shipped by leasers, and reimbursed expenses from the Gold Chain company were usually enough to cover expenses, but not to pay dividends. There were years when there was a heavy debt, but limited ore shipments soon reduced the debt. The Gold Chain company was accessing its property from two of the Lower Mammoth levels, and paid the Lower Mammoth company rent on the use of their hoist and labor for handling the ore on the mine levels and on the surface.)

December 29, 1912
A recent carload shipment of zinc ore was assayed at 35 percent zinc, and brought the company $1,373. For November 1912, the income from zinc was over $4,000, with an expense of $2,500. (Salt Lake Herald, December 29, 1912)

(When the large body of zinc ore was struck in 1912, the company was at a loss of how to market the estimated reserves of 150,000 to 200,000 tons. The United States smelter in Midvale had just begun processing zinc, and there were several mills and smelters in Missouri that were potential buyers. The zinc ore in the Lower Mammoth deposit was 15 to 17 percent zinc, and would return $17 per ton. To compare, the zinc ore being mined in Joplin, Missouri, was 3 percent, and was being processed at a profit. -- Deseret News, January 16, 1913)

January 22, 1914
General manager's report, in part: "Our past year's development and prospect work has been rather discouraging. In that several bodies of ore that we have encountered in virgin ground have been of such low grade that we can do nothing with the ore. Especially is this true in the work we did on 1500, 1800 and 2000-foot levels. It was suggested that the stockholders were getting tired of paying assessments. I believe this is so, and yet I would advise further prospecting of the Lower Mammoth mine, for your territory is not yet fully prospected. The Gold Chain Mining company is extending work in its own territory from our 1800-foot level, and is also developing their ground from our 1500-foot level." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 22, 1914)

(In January through September 1914, the Lower Mammoth company issued its 32nd and 33rd assessment and delinquency notices. These were to be the company's last assessments.)

(During 1914, the company shipped 1,595 tons of ore, in the form of 728 tons of silver-lead ore, 336 tons of zinc ore, and 531 tons of copper ore. -- Salt Lake Herald, January 13, 1915)

January 15, 1915
During 1914, the "Lower Mammoth Mining Company confined its prospecting during 1914 to the territory overlying and adjacent to the immense low-grade zinc deposit between the 1,500 and 1,800-foot levels, that has been partially developed in the past two years." "A large part of the company's work has been in upraising from the 1500 level and crosscutting and drifting from these raises. In this work some small deposits of ore of a shipping grade have been encountered, but in no instance was the yield sufficient to repay the outlay, although the work emphasized the extent of the ore on the property." "The management estimates this tonnage of partially developed ore at 200,000 tons, assaying about 13 per cent zinc. This in the form of zinc carbonate and zinc silicate, and though some progress has been made in a metallurgical process whereby the reduction of same may be made commercially successful, the company considers it more of a future asset than a source of revenue for the present. The company shipped, during 1914, 336 tons of zinc ore to eastern smelters. The company also shipped 1,259 tons of lead and copper ores to local smelters. Most of these shipments were made by leasers. The company at present is operating the 700 and 1,000-foot levels, and has twenty-five men leasing different blocks of ground in the neighborhood of old stopes mined years ago." (Salt Lake Mining Review, January 15, 1915; Eureka Reporter, January 15, 1915)

March 14, 1915
"The Lower Mammoth Mining company shipped six cars of ore, principally zinc, from the Tintic district recently. General Manager J. C. Dick is considering the advisability of putting on a night shift at the mine." (Salt Lake Tribune, March 14, 1915)

April 15, 1915
"The Lower Mammoth Mining Company, of Mammoth, Utah, shipped fifteen carloads of ore in March, netting the company $1,200." (Salt Lake Mining Review, April 15, 1915)

May 15, 1915
"The Lower Mammoth Mining Company, of Mammoth, J. C. Dick, general manager, made an April production of fourteen carloads." (Salt Lake Mining Review, May 15, 1915)

November 2, 1915
The Lower Mammoth paid its first dividend since 1907. The company was shipping an average of five cars per month of ore, from the lower levels of the mine, starting at the 1000 level. Zinc ore was being shipped from the 1500 level. The company was earning about $3,500 per month. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 12, 1915)

(Throughout 1916, there were regular reports of good ore being shipped from the 1000- 1200- and 1500-levels.)

September 15, 1916
"J. C. Dick, general manager for the Lower Mammoth Mining Company, operating at Mammoth, announces that preliminary work has started on the construction of an electrolytic zinc plant of twenty-five tons daily capacity at the property. The Peugeot process will be used, and it is figured that zinc can he turned out at a cost of from 5 to 5-1/2 cents a pound. The Lower Mammoth has one of the largest bodies of zinc ore in the state. It has been found from the 1,300 to the 2,000 level, and averages around 12 per cent." (Salt Lake Mining Review, September 15, 1916)

(A full description of the Peugeot process was given in The Salt Lake Mining Review, July 30, 1916)

December 22, 1916
From the Eureka Reporter, December 22, 1916.

Knight Controls Lower Mammoth - While the parties to the transaction have as yet made no announcement it is generally underwood here in Tintic that the controlling interest in the Lower Mammoth Mining company has passed from the hands of John Dern and associates to the Knight interests of Provo. It is thought that when the next meeting of the Lower Mammoth company is held an entirely new set of officers will be chosen.

Just what plans Mr. Knight has for the development of the Lower Mammoth property is not known although it is known th it he has been a rather heavy shareholder in this company for a number of years. The Lower Mammoth is a desirable property for the reason that it has a deep working shaft and splendid equipment. This property has been rather extensively developed for many years and although it has never been a very heavy producer it has paid close to $75,000 in dividends. For some years the mine has been operated under the management of J. C. Dick and at this time William Fouyer, a very capable mining man. is the superintendent.

December 30, 1916
"Knights In Lower Mammoth. -- James C. Dick of Salt Lake, general manager for the Lower Mammoth Mining Company, operating at Mammoth, Utah, stated last week that the deal whereby the Knight interests had secured control of the stock had been completed. Mr. Dick sold to the Knight Investment Company 500,000 shares of Lower Mammoth stock. He said that the figure was a private affair, but that at the annual meeting, which will be held January 8th, there would be a change in the board, as he would sever his connection with the company and the Knight people would probably name four out of the board of seven directors and officers." (Salt Lake Mining Review, December 30, 1916)

January 23, 1917
During the previous year, the Lower Mammoth company has shipped 2,622 tons of silver-lead, zinc, and copper ore. The Gold Chain company was developing its property through the Lower Mammoth company's property. The officers and directors of the Lower Mammoth Mining company were: Jesse Knight, president; John Dern, vice president; J. W. Knight, manager; W. L. Mangum, treasurer; a. Reeves, secretary; with R. E. Allen, F. D. Kimball and K. S. Jordan as additional directors. (Salt Lake Herald, January 23, 1917)

(Previous to the January 23, 1917 annual meeting of stockholders, the officers of the Lower Mammoth company had been: John Dern, president; J. C. Dick, vice president and general manager; W. S. McCornick, treasurer; A. Reeves, secretary; with M. P. Braffert, F. D. Kimball, and George H. Dern as additional directors. William Fouyer was superintendent. -- Salt Lake Mining Review, January 15, 1917)

March 30, 1917
"At their meeting, held at Salt Lake on Monday of this week [March 26th], the shareholders of the Lower Mammoth Mining company voted in favor of the merger with the new Empire Mines company. The details of the consolidation, which have now been worked out, give the Lower Mammoth shareholders 150 shares of the new stock for each 1000 shares of Lower Mammoth. Quite recently the Knight people secured control of the Lower Mammoth, purchasing a big block of the company's stock from John Dern and associates of Salt Lake, who had been operating the mine for several years. (Eureka Reporter, March 30, 1917)

Empire Mines Company

The Lower Mammoth Mining company was one of eight Knight properties that were consolidated in 1917 as the newly incorporated Empire Mines company.

March 27, 1917
The Empire Mines company filed its articles of incorporation, owning 600 acres, having merged eight Tintic properties. It is probable that development operations will be taken up first in the Lower Mammoth workings." The directors and officers were: Jesse Knight, president; J. William Knight, vice president; W. Lester Mangum, secretary and treasurer; with additional directors Mrs. Amanda M. Knight, R. E. Allen, K. S. Jordan, J. S. Smith. Eight properties: Opex; Lower Mammoth; Tennessee Rebel; Central Mammoth; Boston and Tintic; Garnet; Old Colony and Eureka; Black Jack; and seventeen mining claims, which have all been merged by vote of the stockholders and sale of the individual claims. (Salt Lake Herald, March 29, 1917; Salt Lake Tribune, March 30, 1917)

April 23, 1917
Jesse Knight gave this list of the mines that were part of his larger Empire Mines Company, recently formed as a consolidation of his interests. (Provo Daily Herald, April 23, 1917)

(Read more about the Empire Mines company after 1917)

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