The following is first-person oral history from Jim Hewitson as told to David Nicholas. It is the fifth article in an occasional series on Jim Hewitson’s life.

Last week we explored the challenges confronting me in the summer of 1968 — academic, economic, and personal. An appropriate employment opportunity could remedy all three. At the beginning of September my older brother Bill mentioned a rumor that United Park City Mines (UPCM) needed a watchman for the weekend shifts at their Keetley complex.

I contacted Professor Cone to inquire if he was aware of this opportunity. He stated that yes, the rumor was true. UPCM needed a weekend watchman and the sooner the better. Scott Casper, the current weekend watchman, had recently given two weeks’ notice. Professor Cone offered to contact his UPCM associates with a recommendation on my behalf. I thanked him profusely! Securing the job would solve my cash flow crunch and continue our family legacy — at least through this generation. I was prepared to balance the academic, social, and work demands; I had no choice. I completed an application and mailed it in. Thus, the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 1, 1968, found me driving to Keetley for an interview with UPCM and chasing a dream.

As the interview date approached, for the first time in my life I contemplated the burden associated with upholding the Hewitson family tradition. Please understand that those who preceded me excelled in their respective assignments. A nagging question manifested itsel: did I possess the “right stuff” to make them proud? I buried such doubts as best I could. I doubled down on obtaining the position. My focus was to deliver a command performance. After all, I was a Hewitson — I was destined to work in Park City’s mines!

I pulled into the parking lot. Walking towards the administration building I was momentarily distracted by the Union Pacific Park City local switching gondolas in the mine railyard. As I opened the door a few minutes before 2 p.m., it was obvious my arrival was expected. Pleasantries were exchanged, smiles all around including some good-natured jokes about “another Hewitson” working for UPCM. I was directed to a meeting room.

My Dad and two of my brothers (Bill and Reed, all three UPCM alumni) anticipated that I would be interviewed by Bob Hyde (Master Mechanic) and Scott Jasper (the soon-to-be-leaving weekend watchmen). Indeed, they were waiting for me. Their respective reputations: smart, no-nonsense, safety first, and fair. UPCM mining veterans for sure, like my family. As I sat down, whatever trepidations that had lingered dissipated. These were my people. I looked forward to any line of inquiry. I was born to this!  

During the course of conversation we discussed my education, career aspirations, family connections, the importance of safety, job requirements, and the future of mining in Park City. This last topic surprised me. As the meeting tapered to a close, Bob glanced at Scott and with a smile asked if I could begin work on Friday, Oct. 4.

“Yes sir, of course!”

The two gentlemen each shook my hand offering congratulations — and the job. I would report to Bob Hyde, as his responsibilities included outside maintenance. Scott would train me. That Tuesday evening Hewitson friends and family gathered at my parents’ house for a celebratory dinner. At least for the next nine months my circumstances were settled academically, economically, and professionally. A dream realized.

Stay tuned to learn about my responsibilities, adventures and misadventures working as a weekend watchman for UPCM.

The Park City Museum will be closed for Sundance from Tuesday, Jan. 17 through Friday, Jan. 27. We will reopen on Saturday, Jan. 28.

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The following is first-person oral history from Jim Hewitson as told to David Nicholas. It is the third article in an occasional series on Jim Hewitson’s life and is a continuation from last week.

Last week, we covered the foundational aspects of the University of Utah’s 1969 Underground Surveying course with Prof. John Cone — a course that met over the course of six Saturdays starting the first of February at the Mayflower Mine, on the backside of Deer Valley.

Understanding a student’s weekend mindset, Prof. Cone remarked that like us, he too would prefer to sleep in on a Saturday. He explained that the Mayflower operated three shifts five days per week. Saturday was a half-day dedicated to maintenance, repairs, safety checks, and preparation for the next week’s extraction. Lingering after class, a small group of us admitted that we were psyched to work with Prof. Cone and take our survey class in an operating mine. For me in particular, besides learning to survey in a real setting, I looked forward to learning about the Mayflower’s hot underground temperature.

Saturday, Feb. 1 dawned clear and cold. I made the drive to the Mayflower in the comfort of my 1964 Corvair, appreciating the heater’s performance. Our class assembled at 7:30 a.m. and we were directed to the change room (also called a “dry”). The Mayflower staff was super helpful. This kindness was appreciated by all considering (confessed or not) that we were slightly nervous contemplating our first day of lab work and its unique setting. We helped each other get dressed and test our equipment. Before walking to the mine train that would deliver us (in 20 minutes) to the main shaft, Professor Cone shared that he too was looking forward to this experience and reminded us that we were entering a producing mine.

The Mayflower hoist featured two cages each capable of holding nine people. Although cozy, all of us fit into the first cage. When we were settled and the doors secured, the cager signaled the hoistman to begin our five-minute descent to the 1,630-foot level. The sound of machinery and cables commenced and our conveyance began its downward journey. As an FYI, there was no conversation between our cager and the hoistman — to ensure full attention to the hoisting process, state law forbade conversations between a hoistman and his charges.

At the time of our class, the primary working level was at 2,000 feet. The main shaft extended to a depth of 3,000 feet — the single deepest shaft in Park City. At the 1,200-foot level the air became noticeably warmer before we docked smoothly at the 1,630-foot level, a former main production level. An escort awaited and walked us to our classroom.

The topside temperature when we entered the portal had been 16˚F. At the 1,630-foot level the ambient temperature was 80˚F with a relative humidity of 80 percent — purely tropical. Four hundred feet below us the temperature exceeded 120˚F, and at 3,000 feet reached 140˚F. Our “classroom” had no AC. Clothed in our diggers, in no time we were sweating. One concession: our working environment was damp but not afflicted with underground rain.

The first day of lab work passed quickly. Professor Cone’s teaching skills indeed proved inspiring. At 11 a.m. he advised us to begin wrapping up for the day. As if on cue, our friendly escort arrived. We assembled at the loading station and began our ascent from the tropics to the icy grip of a Park City winter.

Over the next two months we returned to the Mayflower five more times. For all of us the course, its setting, and our instructor represented a memorable educational experience (yes, we all passed). I anticipated to one day experience again the “warmth” of the Mayflower mine, but this was not to be. The mine closed in 1972, a victim of depressed commodity markets. Over the ensuing years I would learn such was the instability of my chosen profession.

This series will continue with Jim’s experiences working as a night watchman for United Park City Mines at their Keetley complex.

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The following is first-person oral history from Jim Hewitson as told to David Nicholas. It is the second article in an occasional series on Jim Hewitson’s life.

Welcome back to my next article detailing unique classroom setting. A quick recap before continuing. I was the third generation in my family to work in Park City’s mines. I followed the example set by my grandfather, my father, and three of my five older siblings. The first time I was introduced to working below ground, my professional destiny was set. 

After graduating from Park City High School in 1965, I enrolled at the University of Utah (the U) studying math and science. Based upon my high school grades, I qualified for a partial academic scholarship. That being said, I needed to work to cover the total cost of attending the U. That topic will be the subject of a future article.

Entering junior year I had to declare my major. I chose Mining Engineering and transferred to the U’s mining school. Second term junior year, Underground Surveying loomed as a mandatory course. Including myself, six students registered for the class. However, there was a problem — the university’s laboratory was unavailable. No worries — the U made arrangements to conduct the course at the Mayflower Mine (exit 8 eastbound on today’s US Route 40). Our classroom would be located at the 1,630-foot level of the mine. 

The Mayflower Mine was the last Park City area mine to open (1929) and the second-to-last to close (1972). The mine’s heyday proved brief — eleven years. These “glory years” resulted from the formation of a joint venture between New Park and Hecla Mining in 1961 and the discovery of significant gold deposits. Hecla was an engineering and financial powerhouse and remains so today. The Mayflower was non-union and solidly profitable until it closed. It was wet like other Park City mines but was, unusually, hot. Operations below 1,800 feet required air conditioning. 

Besides the benefit of studying in a real-world scenario there was another bonus: Prof. John Cone would be our instructor. In the U’s mining program, he was a legend — both as an exceptional instructor and a leader. Prof. Cone had earned the equivalent of a master’s degree from the Colorado School of Mines — one of our industry’s most revered institutions. 

In our first meeting (January 21, 1969) he did not disappoint. Four handouts were distributed. The first explained his expectations for us and the challenge and opportunity of conducting lab work in a producing mine. Passing this mandatory course required proficiency in the following disciplines:

1. How to conduct an underground survey.
2. Flawless execution of survey calculations (under adverse ambient conditions).
3. Mastery of techniques to plot the results on a map.
4. The ability to take detailed and durable notes (with the understanding that such data might prove invaluable in a lawsuit and/or other civil proceeding).
5. Adherence to the mine’s safety protocols — no exception tolerated. 

The second list detailed the equipment and/or gear required to conduct a class in a working mine:

1. Diggers (waterproof outer garments and thermal underwear)
2. Hard Hat
3. Safety Glasses
4. Steel Toe Rubber Boots
5. Cap Lamp (miner’s light)
6. Cap Lamp battery pack (minimum eight-hour charge)

The third list defined classroom essentials:

1. Text Book — “The Principles of Mine Surveying”
2. Transit (scope on a tripod) 
3. 100-foot steel tape
4. Eight-foot steel tape
5. Plumb Bobs 
6. Hard Lead Pencils
7. Field Notebooks 

The fourth and final list defined where the above gear and classroom essentials could be procured. For list No. 2, work clothes were available from either Sears and Roebuck or JC Penny; for the remaining items, the Mine Safety Appliance Store (MSA) in Salt Lake City. List No. 3, items 1, 6, and 7 could be obtained from the U’s bookstore. The remaining equipment came courtesy of the U’s Mining Department — also referred to as “Cone’s cache”. 

Professor Cone concluded our introductory session stating that if we had difficulty obtaining the required materials to let him know, as he was happy to help. Over the next three months, we’d meet six Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. at the Mayflower Mine for four hours each. Our first lab session was scheduled for February 1. 

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