The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-02
GLENDALE N HECLA.
A Flying Trip to the Concentration
and Mines-Melrose
Personals.
Cheerful Business Outlook for
Altitudinous Glendale.
A Remarkable Water Power at
the Concentrator.
Lion City Amenities.
Special Corr. of tn M1NrR

Special Corr. OF tn MINER.
GLENDALE, M. T., May %.
According to promise 1 drop you
some account of the happenings
which come under my observation
while on the wing in the interest OF
Montana's great daily journal. An
ex~hilerating ride of two and a half
miles ove the narrow gauge brought
Inc safely to the enterprising town of
Melrose, where at the Railroad Hotel
I found T. M. Robbins presiding
with his usual suavity behind the
desk, and, with pencil over right ear.
looking for all the world like a Pal
me- House clerk, barring the ample
spread of shirt front and eighteen
karat Partisan diamonds for which
those attractive young men are noted.
After a splendid breakfast with mine
host Robbins, I took a stroll about
town and found many old subscribers
to the MINER, among them J. G..
Maddox, the enterprising mer-
chant and postmaster, and
w. l.. Moore, who makes
merry music with the hammer and
anvil, and being the only blacksmith
in Melrose, is pounding out a very
snug little fortune at the same time.
I also met here Ed. Reynolds, the
rustling proprietor of the MeIrose
and Hecla stage line, and took pas
sage in one OF his comfortable We
hicles to
GLENDALE,
where. at the popular Avery House,
I found that prince of caterers Judge
Avery, as bonhomme and as wide
awake as ever. Before supper he
had extracted from your c%orrespon-
dent all he knew of Montana in gen.
eral and Butte in particular and not
unmindful of the great natural law
of universal compensation had filed
him up with a glass of a fine cid
sour mash as ever held a bead. The
business men of Glendale were gen.
orally interviewed, and all found to
be in good spirits as to future trade
and prospects. Times have been a
little dull, owing to the shutting
down of one Of the furnaces at the
smelter for repairs, but it is expected
to start up again in a few days and
with the opening of spring all classes
Of business are livening up, and a
boom is expected. Saturday NORM
ing [ took the coach for Hecla, which
on account of the deep snow, dropped
me at the concentration, seven miles
from Glendale, which I did not re-
greet as it afforded a long-desired op-
portunity to inspect the works.
THE HECLA CoNCENTRATOR
is one of the largest structures of the
kind in Montana. Under the guild
ance of the competent foreman and
courteous gentleman, Johnnie Parfet, |
I made a very interesting examina-
ton of the entire works, and was
much impressed with their extent, |
capacity and wonderful completeness
in every detail. The machinery is
now so arranged that it can be
run by either water or
steam power. BY a system
of pipes leading from the main ditch
a fall of water is obtained at the
works of 239 vertical feet, and the
overshot wheel upon which it falls is
turned at the rate of 700 revolutions
per minute, which is geared. down to
$50 revolutions at the main shaft,
which turns the entire machinery.
The capacity of the crushers is 200
tons of ore every "a hours. The ore
is transported from the mine, three
miles above, over the tramway in
small cars, which are run dOwn. the
grade in trains of thirteen car each,
the grade being sufficient to run
them down without power, under
the skillful management of six brake
men who are very expert in hand
ling their brakes according to the
variations in the grade. The empty
cars are hauled back to the mine by
horses, one horse being required for
each car. After inspecting the con-
centrator 1 took passage on II of
the cars, and was 500 landed at the
Hecla mines. Mr.. James Parfet, the
gentlemanly foreman Of the mines,
kindly invited me to take a look at
the works underground, which 1
was obliged TO decline on account of
the limited time at my disposal.
There is one store at the mine kept
by Ed. Thomas, who is doing a good
business. At
LION CITY,
whica is located a short distance
from the Hecla mines, L found q
thriving village with several stores,
the principal one under the preprie-
torship of Nose Morrison, to whom I
was under obligations for courteous
during my short visit.
He bears the reputation of making
things comfortable for all strangers
who happen to fall into the Lions
den.
Returning to the mine l mounted a
car, and was soon bowled Overt the
looking tlamway~to the
concentration, where after partaking
of the Inequalities Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Parfet, I took the coach for Glendale,
arriving here early in the evening.
I had the pleasure of meeting here
MI. Knippenberg, general superin-
tendent Of the Hecla works, to whose
superior qualifications and practical
management of the gigantic enter
prise is mainly due the successful
operations and uniform dividends of
the Hecla Company. Mr.. Knippen-
berg invited me to visit the smelter,
but | found it impossible to do SO
with my limited allotment of time.
On my next trip I hope to be able to
accept his invitation and write you
of the great furnaces. My
next will be from somewhere else.
Yours, on the wing. I'D. P.