St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-01
Dennis Ryan, Thomas Merrell And Other
St. Paul Capitalists Who Handle
Nuggets And Gold Dust.
Gov. Hauser and the Montana Bonanza
Kings Who Have Caught the
Wheel Of Fortune.
The Vast Mineral Wealth of the Helena
District and What the Result
VIII Be.
Montana the Richest Territory For Its
Population That Ever Knocked
For Admission.
The way millions are Made.

In casual conversation with Maj. r. G.
Walker of Helena GLOBE reporter CLEANED
some information Of general interest as to
the development Of the mines of rare rich
ness in that district. Perhaps the most in
teresting Of these is the Drum Summon, so
named because their discoverer, Thomas
Cruise. came from the parish of that name
in Ireland. Mr.. Cruise is a notable charac-
ter in Montana Modest and unassuming
with all the wealth he holds. Though a
millionaire he deserves every dollar he has
or may acquire. He came to Montana in
early territorial times. His first strike was
the placers ON Cherry creek, fifteen miles
northwest from Helena These he began
to work "a early as 1866 and worked them
with variable results until they were prae-
tically exhausted. Then he turned his at
tention TO prospecting for quartz. Finally
he located the mine known to fame as the
Drum Summon. But he still continued 10
operate his Cherry creek placers and apply
ing the proceeds to tunneling the Drum
Summon until at a distance OF about 100
feet he struck il rich Then it was that he
negotiated for fine stamp mill, which when
set up and in operation developed the fact
that he had found a veritable bonanza. As
he brought his products of silver brick into
Helena il became noised about that Cruise
had caught on TO
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE
with firm grasp, and that the problem of
life had been solved. Mr.. Cruise never at
tempted to boom this fine property. He
was too modest withal for that, aud so that
matter was given In charge Of Sam Ward,
now attorney of the Utah Northern of
Butte; Hugh McWade, then connected
with the Independent newspaper; Thomas
j. Lowry, an attorney of Helena. and
Henry Bateman. a mining expert of Helena.
These gentlemen interested q Soudan bank
ing house in the mine, with the gratifying
result that mining expert who was sent
out from England pronounced the property
much richer than 1t had been represented.
The mine was then sold to the English
capitalists for S1,675, 900. who stocked it
for 5000. 600 or more under the title of the
Montana Mining company, limited. Mr..
Cruise retained large blocks of stock, some
of which he has since sold to w. C. Childs.
taking therefor as part consideration val
liable sheep ranch stocked with herds on
an hundred hills. The stock is now e6 per
cent above par and is advancing in the
ascending scale very rapidly. The new
company has increased the old Cruise mills
from five to ten-stamp and added
fifty-stamp mill, all of which now turn out
from S100, 900 TO S120, 900 per month in sill
yer bullion. which go into dividends and
surplus. The mine is believed to be mex
haustable. Certainly it grows richer and
more productive with each days develop
ment- 1t is only eighteen miles from
Helena Tne products of the Drum Sum-
mon Is brought to Helena in bars of pure
silver and is delivered to the Merchants
National bank. in which Mr.. Cruise is a
large stOckholder and director. The mine
gives employment to l20 men. whose trade
is tributary TO Helena.
OTHER MINES.
Another rich district Immediately tribu-
tary to Helena is at Wilkes, twenty four
miles distant. and reached by branch of
the Northern Pacific. The company is or
ganiZed under the name and title of the
Montana Reduction company. The presi-
dent is Samuel Hauser, the new governor,
and financially, politically and socially
leader among leading men of the territory.
Others interested largely here are Austin
Corbin. the New York capitalist and rail-
way owner, and Daniel w. Corbin, also of
New York. In this district and controlled
by these men are the Alta, Comet and a
group of valuable mines of unknown rich
ness and fabulous wealth. Here is the
finest plant of coneentrators in the whole
territory. This company employs 200 men,
Dividends are declared every month. In
the Red mountain district is the celebrated
group of Russell mines, which has lately
been I'D to syndicate of Boston and st.