The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-09-06
avs t~p-@%- 49, --
OUR MAN IN THE OOuNrRv
me Hecla Mine-Handur.
ore-Mention OF Friena.
Old ana ~New-Murphy.s
Wagon Camp.

Editor Daily A5ner:
IT'S Saturday night! The hour ia
.en' ana l am seated at the desk Of
friend Parfet. the hecla companv,s
efficient superintendent, at this
point. With most. of US SATURDAY.
night means much. With it comes
the allotted time Of rest from all labor
Inc cessation of toll and hardships
rom the busy week, and the tired
soul sinks to sleep in peace, for the
rays OF to-morrow's u will shed the
oeam OF freedom Ger the community.
But not so here. Isolated as this
spot may appear to the outside
world; dormant as all things NAV
seem to the absent or uninitiated.
tnere is a constant hum and per-
petual whirl of the great wheel of
fortune OF this gigantic enterprise
which admits Of no interruption.
either by day or the hours when the
curtains of night are pinned back bv
the stars, and pale Luna peeps over
the westerly crown of the Lion
mountain. IT'S here where nature
has cast one of her sweetest charms
from its infancy, presenting q fit
shrine Of devotion to Him "who
doeth all things we'll"
At the hour of my writing every
thing is in full blast. About sixty
sturdy men are at work, drilling,
some blasting, some moving large
bodies of ore by either car or tram
way. The engines snorts are at all
times heard, as they labor and groan
under the pressure of their burdens,
and were it not for the feet that it is
night, no possible difference in the
movements or outputs of the camp
would be observed. The average
output of this property is about l2O
tons per day of twenty-four hours,
the most of which is brought down
by means of u tramway, q part of the
way in buckets, and then in small
cars the remaining distance. At the
foot of this mine q full complement
of cars await the transfer of ore, and,
when loaded, are guided by men at
the brakes. About fifteen cars,
of 5000 pounds burden each, make
ups train, and, when loaded. run
down the grade at the rate of about
four OF five miles per hour. The
time consumed can be considerably
shortened, but the company strictly
fo1blds any greater speed.
In my previous letter I omitted to
mention the friendly gret ting to
1.-THE Man in the Country" of J. M.
Peck, T. M. Robinson, Amos Pur-
dunn and others, at Melrose. It was
here, too, that the stalwart and
healthy cattle king, G. Parks, of the
Big Hole country, was met and con-
quered.
Leaving Melrose for Glendale, Geo.
Howard readily became a member OF
our family. George is a strong and
full-grown Republican, and likes .
good journal, though not of his own
political proclivities.
In addition to the old friends of
the MINER at Glendale, I find, upon
roll, such new men as o. Beall,
Ed. Van Wart, J. B. Reynolds.
Philip Grotevant. and others. Among
the old-timers, w. H. Maddox, H.
s. Pond, Chas. Ledoux, and others
might be appropriately mentioned.
The latter gentleman came to Fort
Lemhi as early as the spring of 1852;
resided for . time at Pend d Orsille
Mission and Bannack; was one OF
the early pioneers of Alder Gulch +;
put in considerable time at Elk Horn
creek, Allen Gulch, Butte City,
Trapper, Atlantic City, Wyo., and
returning to the Big Hole country in
1880, now presides over the destinies
of the "Old Timers Saloon" at Glen
dale.
Leaving Glendale for Hecla, upon
a very dusty road. I encountered
Robt. Boulton, not of THE Village
Blacksmith" fame, but the man who
wields the hammer and tongs at the
ore camp Of Murphy & Co. Aside
from being q fine workman and a
genius in his line of business. Bob.
sported upon the same Fairgrounds
familiar to the scribe. At these shops
the entire work of this immense
transportation is done, including all
blacksmith and wood work. New
wagons are manufactured the like OF
which are not found in the United
States. The reader can we'll imagine
what these structures must be, when
the hind wheels stand six feet six
inches in diameter, are of four-inch
tread, and the combined tires upon
each wheel measure no less than II
inches in thickness.
At this station, w. Y. Fisher holds
the responsible position OF wagon
boss. The sleek condition OF the
company's stock and the nicely AND
nrecision with which all details per-
tanning to the transportation are at
tended to, tell the tale that Nj.
Fisher is just in the place he should
be.
Amonp those on the MINERS new
staff at Hecla, with others, are Dan
McMasters, shliC,nosS, M w
~ -;eten. David 7 Williams, II. W.