Reprint of this story from the October 18, 1901 issue of The Grand Encampment Herald brought to you courtesy of Grandma’s Cabin, Encampment, Wyoming. Preserving History - Serving the Community.
The New
and Progressive
City of Pearl
Aside from the city of Grand Encampment itself, no part or section of this great copper mining district has made such rapid advancement during the past year as the town and immediate vicinity of Pearl.
Eight months ago, Pearl was a town only in the minds of a few optimistic investors who prophesied the building of a prosperous mining city in that locality and who evinced the sincerity of their faith by purchasing a tract of land in the beautiful valley at the head of Big Creek and calling it a town site. The streets of this hoped-to-be city were marked only by snow covered survey stakes, while the large majority of the population consisted of coyotes, whose incessant yelping was an effectual sleep destroyer for the occasional traveler who happened to stop for the night at the one lone log cabin, which served as post office, hotel and private residence. Postage stamps were the only articles for sale in the city of the wilds.
Today, Pearl is the Mecca of the hopes of a thousand people. Its business houses include a well-stocked general merchandise store, blacksmith shop, livery, saloon, and one of the finest equipped little hotels in the mountain country. The hotel is lighted by gas, is elegantly furnished, and sets a table to tempt an epicure.
The town has been incorporated. Its growth is the natural and logical result of mining development, which in that locality, has shown remarkable advancement during the past year. The most important mining deals of the year have been made in Pearly properties.
The pioneer and leading mining property of Pearl is the Wolverine group which was purchased last March by the Coldwater Copper Mining Company of Michigan. The Wolverine was located some ten or twelve years ago, when it was supposed to be a gold proposition. The early owners did not consider the copper in the mine of sufficient value to pay for mining, and, in fact, under conditions then existing it was worthless. Later it was developed to some extent for its copper deposits, but the operators could not command sufficient capital to handle it properly, and it was again allowed to become idle. The present conditions are very favorable to success. Copper commands a high price. The Grand Encampment smelter supplies a market only twenty miles distant. Since purchasing the property the Coldwater company has installed a plant of machinery, erected a large shaft house, is now steadily developing the mine, and will soon open the large copper ore bodies which have long been known to exist in the Wolverine. Considering development, the Wolverine has the most remarkable copper showing of any prospect in the Grand Encampment country.
Minor Notes:
There is a great scarcity of houses in Rambler. Many are rustling for houses to rent but there are none, and others who want to build cannot hire teams to haul the lumber. Every teamster has work ahead for weeks and everybody has good prospects for the winter. Carpenters have all they can do and it is evident that much proposed building will have to be delayed until spring.
John Penniston, wood contractor, has his sawmill setting at the foot of Martin hill in Rambler. He expects to cut about fifteen cords of wood daily till his contract of 750 cords is cut, then he will cut for smaller contracts.
In all probability a party of hunters will go to the mountains in southwestern Carbon County this week and hunt down the band of wild mustangs that roam in that section, say a Rawlins special. The wild horses are doing considerable damage, for aside from eating off the range, the mustangs run off horses which become, in a short time, as wild as the wildest in the mountain herd. It is said that there are some valuable animals in the mustang herd and an effort will be made to capture these but the other will be shot and the band exterminated.
Reader Comments(0)