The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-01
TIE lsEMrwEEKLY MINER, BUTTE, MONTANA, MARCH l. 1884.
myself and Walker Brothers. I am

myself and Walker Brothers, 1 ar
creditably informed that all the WOO
consumed. up to the time the Alic
wood en- ract was made with Ca
plice, Mcclure 4 Co., by the Lexing
ton Company, cost on an averag
' more than $7.OO per cord, and I d
not think the Inter ountain will &C
crse their managers of making none,
Individually out of wood contracts
On this point and also on the sup
plies consumed by the Alice Compa
ny, l am willing to produce invoice
and show that the Alice Co.'s pur
chases have been a. favorable and
believe on the whole have cost les
money than similar purchases mad
by. these companies. 1 will say il
this connection that nearly every
thing consumed by our company il
bought direct, and just as cheap. a!
can be done by any merchant. Tit
reason that most of our purchase ar.
made abroad Is that the Alice Com
pany cannot afford to pay more fol
goods than a merchant and being ont
myself l bought in the cheap
est market. Again, I think it is sui
ffrient that the Alice Company pay
out In Walkerville and Butte large
sums of money monthly for supplies
labor, ETC., as shown bv the superin.
tendent's report, viz 81, zoo. 368. 20. In
three years and seven months, all o.
which was scattered in the hands OF
miners and tradesmen in that coun.
try. On the Moulton purchases OF
wood, this company has not run with
the regularity t,.at the Alice Co. has
from month to month and has not
always made contracts for the reason,
l presume, being a less consumer OF
fuel, they couli afford to. take their
chances ia the market and ouy from
many who could not sell to either the
Lexington Dr. Alice wood contractors.
1t - usually the case when large con-
sumers are under contract, that y
smaller consumer can frequently buy
q limited amount at a less figure than
the contract price. Neither the Alice
nor the Lexington can afford to take
their chances in open market for a
seasons supply of wood. It has teen
evident to us that to do so entails loss
on the company. I do not know the
average cost of the Moult0n Gonna
ny's wood, but I max the same prop
osition that I will show invoices and
books and prove that the Alice
Co.'s purchases of all supplies have
heen "a cheap a theirs. The articles
that appear In the Inter Mountain in
favor of the Lexington and Muulton
companies anu disparaging to the
Alice leads to the question of what
the intent is, hence in order tn make
nv position plain 1 must go further
the wood question, If question
1t Is.
The Moultou Company started
out under suspicious circu mstauce<;
had y cl aim upon which but little ore
had been extracted, \ fine 4O->tamp
mill and hosting works, power drills,
air compressors, etc, etc, erected by
the Bowers syndicate, as complete
rs anything of the Kind in the coun-
try. and ia a recent article the inter
starts out with ''the direct
of competent and economical
management" and winds up with a
that ''wood Is bought at
$3.50 per cord" These quotations
are q direct fling at the Alice
Company and yet the Alice records
show that the company has made
money, paid dividends and done a
vast amount OF development work
IN the Magma Charta aud Valdenere !
besides placing machinery |
thereon. If it Is going to be a queS-
ion of comparison l am also prepared
o show tina t. the result of the Alice
3ompany's workings of its ore and
he proceeds thereof have been as ia
'orable as compared with any silver
mining company in Butte. So far
- the charges made by the
inter Mountain regarding the Alice
wood purchases are concerned, before
1essrs. Caplice, McCune & Go. took
he contract, it Is fair to presume if
here Vas SO much money made a.
nsinuated by the Int:' Mountain
hat Jos. BrOugbton & Co. would not
sold out, but continued in a
lucrative bust ness and contracted
With the Alice ComDany at 81 o. per
ord. Tue facts are, however, that
My q very limited profit can be
made on wood ut 81 90 per cord, hav-
ng to haul 1t so far. and there i. not
responsible wood contractor in
but what will substantiate it.
'revi0us to the time that j. Brough-
N & Co. supplied the wood no one
Quill be fOund to take tho contract,
The company having advertis d and
ut no responsible bidderss) and after.
lard J. BrOught0n 4 Co. took the
Ontract and then had 20 purchase
to enable tn m to perform the
ame. The reason for the closing out
T the business of Jos. BruughtOn Il
%. was that Walker Brothers we're
esirous o. curtaiIiug their mercan-
lie business. A contract was made
18th Caplice. McCune 4 Co. at 500
er cord, and on u cash basis, as all
parties concerned are well aware.
be merchandise, teams, store, ETC..
ere also sold on q cash basis. I
ave yet to learn that at the time
lis contract was let that any one
Ould have taken 1t for less. TIE
God, that Mr.. McCune was putting
to the Lexington Company ut the 8
me the Alice Company's contract :
a. made and before Messrs. A.. w. ,
cCune. John Caplice aud joseph .
went into partnership for I
Ie purpose of carrying out this wood !
attract, was costing that company I
ore than 500 per cord, as 1 was iu +
rmed. This was frequently dis :
ssed during the tendency of nego- i
Itlons on this wood contract. The 9
ter Mountain further states that the
'nber, salt and bullion accounts q
i'll bear investigation. On lumber, !
have gone into, the market and
ught aud also made contracts for it
various times all OF which has
en- b 'ught at the lowest market .
te. On salt. I admit that the COM 9
nv has paid too much freight TO .
g Utsh Il Northern Railroad Com. =
ny. For a long time we paid $50 a
ton from Ogden to Butte, and it :
IA mainly due To the efforts of the L