The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-01-06
TRAPPER.
It's Rise and Fall-How Lion City
Rose From it's Ashes-Glow-
ing Account of it's Pro
gress and Prospects.
The True Fissure, Johnny Cake, Mountain Sheep
Snyder and Silver Quartz

buildings were being RUIZ up on all sides the Sa-
looms were crowded at night, and the scenes
that characterize a ourishing mining camp
were here presented. Bloated mine owners pa
raded the street scorning offers that did not
tower towards the millions. The Trapper mine
yielding that returned to its owners
large money on the product shipped. and every
thing was booming in the new district. The
growth of the camp was as unhealthy as ii was
rapid and it was not long until is streets began
to assume a deserted appearance; half built
cabins were abandoned and at last one by one
its iAhabitants removed to other parts. In the
spring of tie present year the last business
| house closed it's doors, and until work in the
mines which gave it life is resumed, it will re-
| main in it's present lethargy.
Lion City rose with the fall of its neighbor,
and its growth, although slow at first, was sure,
and during the past summer has surpassed its
most sanguine spectators
Great improvement during the coming year is
| certain, and should the Hecla Company erect
the concentrating works already planned, its
population will undoubtedly number among
the thousands. The lite chosen for the above
mentioned works is about two miles below the
ditch less than half a mile in length two hun
dred and fifty feet fall can be obtained, sufficient
the erection of which, mines that have remained
undeveloped during the present year, will fur
s wor5ess 20 as n as vear
either built upon or enclosed, and its owners
| hold it at a good price. Numerous cabins, some
| of quite extensive proportions. have been erect
| ed. Noticeable among the improvements ON
the main street are the following:
6; r. Iarbell, new public hall and addition to
| Thomas, Armstrong 4 Co., new front en- old
| stand and general reftting
Hamilton Cartier, new frame meat mar
3. NJ. Du Rell & Co., large store with fire proof
O'Donnell Bros, hotel building.
Eleming Kinney two IS story hotel building
NJ. Gibbons, two story hotel building
| Jos. Harbour, the same.
! By the same, saloon building.
| The railroad to be completed next year runs
| within a few yards of town, and depot will be
erected opposite, where freight and passengers
| will be delivered; the road has been graded for
| about three miles from the mountain, and the
track distributed along the same, and would
weather. The contract for furnishing ties and
lumber was awarded to VIM Thompson, for
which purpose he built a saw mill about half
mile from Lion city.
In the spring there was not a family in town.
left on account of the severity of the winter, and
yet we can boast of twenty families and thirty
| odd school children.
| At the foot of the mountain the company have
| made many improvements.
warehouse lSXG0 feet alongside of track is
well filled with provisions for winter.
Two large dwell In g-houses,, carpenter shop
coal house and ore house have been built and the
| office and other buildings enlarged.
A new boiler (same size as old one,) lime ex
tractor and pump have been added to the ma
| chinery in the engine house, and the latter has
been enlarged to accommodate them.
| The tunnel from this side has been driven 1i0
hsa ees a he WORK va In OF m eyo mas
shifts are employed. with three men on the day
and two on the night.
eleven hundred cords of wood for winter use,
and about that amount is in the timber, chop
Eight thousand bushels of coal have been re-
ccivedduring the;summer and are stored in coal
shed has been heightened to connect with the
new ore house, the latter being SO situated as to
be much more convenient for the ore teams in
loading
And now respecting the mines.
The top and bottom of the mountain is slate.
mense bodies OF ore are found, is dOlomite, and
this tin or belt is all owned by the Hecla com
pany with one or two exceptions. steps We're
built inside the tramway shed, and upon climb
ing nearly 500 we arrive at the Atlantis build
The main incline in the Atlantis lode is down
Gl5 feet; SI5 feet from the surface a drift was
chute, the distance from the surface is II little
over 1000 feet. From these inclines drifts have
at t1' present s VERY rch ore is obaned
What is known as Mo- is large ore chute
under the main main workings, from WI which i'm i'm
being taken. Below this, still, is the Johnny
Cake, which connects with No. .: 235 feet from
surface, and from the connection to face of No.
2 is $40 feet. A tunnel was driven from the
tramway 22o feet and opening into the Johnny
cred into the boats.
Several prospects on this claim and distant
from the main workings, are looking very ia
vorable and IA large output is certain when the
original force is again working.
this mine which force is now reduced TO 40
\ Fraser Chalmers Double Hosting Engine
run by steam, is employed in bringing the ore to
!; ! to the surface. David Reinhart is foreman OF
, the Atlantis mines, and from him the above in
formation concerning them was received. Up
another flight of stairs and the True Fissurc
claim is reached.
The mines on the True Fissure claim are foltl
. IN number, and are located on the mountain "a
follows, commencing at the lowest: The Noun,
: tain Sheep, True Fissure, Snyder and Silver
Quartz. Although bearing that name they are
not true fssurcs but chutes or chimneys of ore
running i'll first one direction and then in anoth
er, and in places almost disconnected In The
, Mountain Sheep three of these chutes have been
found and developed.
The main incline in this mine is down oyel
l 800 feet and is now being driven through a mic,
me1ts @ in the tie FissSre M and Silver Quart will +,
, ing engine run by compressed air is used ii
e bringing the ore TO the surface. On the 200 foo
9 level winZe has been raised into, and receives
| all the ore from the True Fissure. chute car
rying it INTO car aud being then hoisted to tn,
= lively winze and crosscut are being driven ant
will tap the fissure i'm a few days. The ore hous'
$ here is 25Nloo feet In n the True tissure mine tn
t chamber working is from 50 10 60 feet wide, {
e 10 feet high and 200 feet long with ore on boti
q sides and looking as favorable in the breast a.
2 at any time The ore is soft and decomposed
and can almost be shoreled from its bed, costin.
little to mine, and with the completion of tn
winze and crosscut before mentioneosyll be ca
. pable of larger output than any other mine il
u Montana. The main incline isdown $50 feet M
:: in ore. In this mine IA large cave was recentl.
q found. and visit to IL compensates one for th
. trouble of climbing the stairs 1t is over 100 fee
long, so to 60 feet wide and the height has neve
q been aScertained. The entrance to this caver
e is through narrow aperture, and can only b.
| accomplished by crawling worm fashion.
/ needs but little stretch of imagination to believ
one i'll faryland. Here are seen large