The daily miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1879-1885, 1882-01-01
TIE aAoNoN.
The First Lode Discovered in This
District.

01DVE1OVs
The Gagn0n mine Is situated on an
extensive lode running east and west
just north of the limits of the Butte
town site. On this lode are the loca
which is the farthest west, the GaRnon.
and just west of the Gagnon, the Orig
inal. The Caledonia, not yet devel-
oped, lying just west of the Original
butte shaft, on the some lode, On what
il supposed to be the extension of this
same rich lode Is the PARROT. The Gag
non lode claim was located under that
name, in the Summit Valley Mining
District, February q, 1877, by Patrick
filed for record February y, 1877, ut 8
O'Clock p. m. The general description
of the claim is as follows: 1t begins
ut a stake on the "Original :lode" and
runs north 100 feet; thence west 500 feet;
thence south 200 feet; and thence east
500 feet to the place of beginning. This
claim was formerly known as the Orig
inal and included the west half of Dis
covery Claim, SO called because it was
the first lead discovered in this camp.
1t also includes claims number and 2
west from the discovery on the % Orig
inaw lode. 1t embraces also one hum
dred feet on each side of the lode centre
and is one of the richest and most valu-
able mines in Summit Valley district.
The ground covered by the Gagnon
was originally located about the year
1865 or 1857, and this was one of the
very first locations made in this district.
Consequently it was called the "Orig-
inal," the name now borne by the claim
next east of the Gagnon.
The groupings along the lode fur
nished without any exception the most
promising surface indications in
for it's early location.
Geo. o. Humphreys was the first loca-
tor and from him Col. J. e. G. Thorn
ton, in 1868 or $50, purchased originally
some 400 feet, subsequently buying more.
Afterwards Col. Thornton resold pOr-
ton of his interest to Mr.. Humphreys,
and from hat time on till about the
year 1875 but little If any work was
done in the mine outside Of the neccs-
sary work Of representation.
In the latter part of that year repre-
II mistake of dates ON the part of the
then owners. On the 10Th day of De-
cember, 1875, John C. Belk located the
Anna Maria and claimed subsequently,
that this location included the Gagnon.
Belk's location was made just two
weeks before Colonel ThOrntOn's repre-
sentation expired, and on this fact turn
ed the most important point of the de-
cisi0n of the Supreme Court Of the
United States recently made in Col.
ThOrntOn's favor.
In the meantime the year expired and
Col. Thornton's representation failed.
In the following February Henry
Meagher and Antoine Gagnon relocated
the claim and gave 1t for the first time
the name which It now bears. Their
location was y legally valid one, and APP
preciating this fact Col. Thornton pro-
ceeded to buy out large portion of
their interest In the mine, buying first
from Meagher and then from Gagnon.
Altogether Col. Thornton bought one
half then one-eighteenth and finally
one twenty-fourth interest in the Gagn-
on claim, and the remaining interests
were purchased from MeaRher and
Gagnon by Messrs. Joseph Rosenthal,
Timothy Kelley, and Joel w. Ransom.
During the year 1877 the mine was de-
velOped with q windlass; afterwards q
whim was put in and then the present
steam power h0isting works were erect
ed about the year 1870.
At present the Gagn0n b pretty fairly
developed, levels having been run to it's
eastern and western limits on the one,
two and three hundred foot levels, with
slopes, WINES etc., to correspond.
Its average daily output In pay ore IL
about 80 tons, averaging to the ton Is
per cent. copper and from 90 to 20 ounces
in silver.