New-York tribune., 1879-10-16

from the gently TO ling foot hills at their base The
town of Phillipsburg. which has population ot
about 800, is at the mouth of the gulch which sep
arates the two mountains on which the principal
mlOes have been found. It is characteristic from
tier mining camp with Its single street lined on
both sides bv one-stOry log aud frame houses and
stores. There are two hotels several stores III
when goods of every description are sold, number
OF drinking saloons. livery stable: chinese lauii-
dries etc. 4 schOol-house erected during the pre-
ent year is q credit 20 the place.
TIE FIRST DISCOVERY or ORE.
prOspector named Hector Horton first found the
silver ore projecting fTom the mountain on the
north side of the Gnch in 1865. and the next year
he was Joined by the Brown Brothers and others.
who discovered and located nearly all the mines
that are now known TO exist IN the camp. The
Hope Nine, the first to be developed. is situated on
the more northorlv Of the two mountains, and il
ned mostly bv gentlemen Of 81. Louis. nr. Sam
uel Gaty, of that city, being the president. Ny
knowledge Of this mine had TO obtain at second
hand as the superintendent, Mr. Clark. did not in
wife me 20 visit II. | told IN town that he al
lowed no one TO 90 under ground and see what be
was doing or how much he had IN sight, and
the doeful report be gave of the present condi-
ton OF the nire IN the face of the almost unIver-
sal belief ~ Ph:llipsburg thar bodies Of rich
ore have been discovered in it. recalled a report
which heard in Helena. but which may he unjust
to Mr CLARK that he depressing the stock Of the
company ORDER To force some OF INC Montana
Owuer- 10 sell olt then Interest.
The Hope Miuc, as described 10 me by Mr. Clark
and Others. IS an irregular vein lying between
strata OF limestone. Tie formation dps into the
ore lies entirely above water. Although u Crlgi-
naly contained sulphur lu large quantities. IL has
become decOInpO-ed. and i now tree milling he
rich s. ores found are sulphurets If silver. ! sup
pose that the mine = irregular, that L. that the de-
po-ts. Ike nearly All other found ia limestone, &C
cur in pockets or chambers and that when one of
THESE has been worked out there y very little 10
guide tue MINER IN his search tor another AZ
the same q The fact rema rs that ore enough has
been taken ont Oi the mine tO keep enty-stamp
mill IN operation most oI the time for the asst ten
years AMI lt - the belief OF gentlemen IN Mon
tana familiar with It's history and who have been
interested its success that 10 would have paid
far profit tie money invested in u bat Tor the
ignorance or Incompetence of some OF ifs superln-
uccuts, tn cxtraVagance of others and th' al
TEMPT ~ various times of a board Of directors IN
II. Louis, a majority OF whom never cav the prop
er y have had no practical experience IN mining.
to decid. questions which only "a superintendent
who j. OH the ground can be competent 20 decide.
one thing u certain the Hope Mi.e and MIL have
not been remuneTative property 10 their owners.
Their future uepelc- upon me amount OF ore I'D tnr
mine. of winch know nothing. aud the wisdom, skill
and purpose OF It's managers. IL the mime Is oper-
atrl with the purpose Uf enabling few in-n 70
make money by buying and selling the stock 0i the
company, 10 VIII never pay regular dividends, no
matter low favorable III other conditions may be.
On the north side Of he rulch which separates
the two mountains OF which | have spoken the
geological formation is different from that Of the
hl on which the Hope Nine Is. The latter consists
of strattrd ImeSf one resting on granite, ana The
former strange n may seem, Is granite resting
limestone. The contact Of the two rocks, a. shown
in a small prospect hole which | examined,
runs north and south, but the deposits
OF silver ore thus far uncovered ID
vein. running east and west. some of them bend
ing around 10 the south al their western ends.
OF cOur-e, the first question that naturally sug-
gested itself is how dad the granite get above the
hne ? and rhe only Dlausi bic theory which / have
heard l. that suggested by Mr. PaTdee OF the Algon
.
ia mining in this camp, and has carefully studied
the aological prob ems 10 presents. he suggests
tnat IL the upueaval which formed the mou talls
here. the rocks were thrown over 9cyonn ine PEI
uendicular, that tie granite fOl1ed over on The
limestone tie also believes that all The veins fore
now worked Oh tie MI are cAutes or spur, from
some great contact vein which extends north and
south and which wnen found wiil be the bonanza
Of tLc district
TWO OF THE PRINCIPAL MINIS.
The principal mines on the south mountain are
the >peckled Trout. owned BY the Northwestern
Company, and the Algonquin owned bva company
of the same name. The first Of these mines was
developed about five years ago. and good ten-s,anp
mill was erected in 1875 to reduce the ore taken
from It. The main shaft of the mine started at the
surface in a chimney of very rich ore, which may
have been . feet wide and or feet thick This
chute dipped into the hill at angle Of about 700
with the horizon, that the further the perpendic
Mar tunnel was sunk the longer was the level that
had 10 be driven to reach IT, There is other ore in
the mine but il is found IN such small quantities. is
of so low grade ana so base that doubt If il has
ever paid FOR working. When the mine was ap-
pareutly IN good paying condition it
WIS sold TO some Philadelphia capitalists
at an extravagant price Il believe 1t was
betvveen $3.50. 900 and 5000 OO0l, and a consider
able part of this purchase money was left lien
ON the property. Since the purchase the mine has
been operated under various arrangements. which
il is neither possible nor necessary Tor me to ex-
plain, and with several changes OF superintendents.
one wear. believe. its earnings were considerably
greater than its expenses but on the whole II has
been costly enterprise 10 those VINO nave invested
money IN il. just now, am told. the debts of the
company are IN the nelghborhOod Of 100000,
II 8 600 of which is secured BY mortgage TO Mr..
Chariemagne Tower. Of Philadelphia, the president
Of the company. To the workmen employed IL due
SOS 900. aud the question now 10 be solved is
whether during the coming Winter the mine cal be
made 70 produce enough to pay of this sum. and TO
make a beginning upon the debt secured by the
The Northwestern Company has failed. as nearly
as can learn. first because the property was pur-
chased for much more than II was worth secondly,
because the body Of paying ore IN the mine was
limited in extent. and the cost Of reaching II in
creased very rapidly as the workings were pushed
down and lastly, because its management has for
the most part been in the hands OF men who were
neither competent miners nor men of good execu-
tive ability. A. have already said, the best ore IN
the mine has been found In a single chimney The
man shaft now down 400 feet, and in hasry
throu Qh the underground workings was impressed
with the fact that enormous amount Of dead or
uuproductve work had been done. The concern Is
now go deeply involved that see solution of Its
troubles except in bankruptcy. II a new company
could take the mine al a reasonable cost and op
crate IL ntelligrntly and economically, it might yet
b. made a successful enterprise The actual pro
duet of the mine has already been large, aud the
ore though base is reduced without unusual diff
Guilty. Its yield has been from 40 TO 100 ounces Of
sllTer TO "A ton.
Two Pbillpsburg mining enterprises having
turned ou- disastTouslv would suppose that the
TIa.r h
great Bui Mr J. *. Pardee. who was at one time
SUPERINTENDENT of the Specked Trout Mine has
during he last Two years opened up the Algonquin
Mine near by on the same mountain. and exposed
-. z ~ tnrat ar1 rLnhraaaa