, 1888-11-22
STORY OF A MINE.
How a Wonderful Deposit Was
Found and Worked.
An Idaho Miners Tale of CGur
d'Alene.
wardner and Its History--Opening UP .
New Country--Governcr Hauser's
Investment.

"Did you ever hear the story of the open.
ing of the lead mines on the South fork of
the Cpur d 'Alenep" James +. Wardner,
Of Wardner, Idaho, asked o re-
porter of the REVIEW. It was a
new story in Spokane, and he told it.
The lead mines of that district are now
producing one.third of the entire lead out
put of the country, and since the discovery
three years ago there have sprung up In
the district four towns with a total popu-
lation of about 5000 men. On the North
side Of the CGur d'Alene there are gold
mines which have not produced as they
were expected to when the country was
opened, and when che lead finds were
made on the South Fork there we're many
miners ready to shift the scene of their
labors to that more profitable field. That
was the story Mr.. Wardner had to tell.
ut was three years ago." he said, ION
the 29th of October. was in Murray.
had closed out my business nd was look.
ing around for something to do. had
$1,000. John Haggerty, a miner knew,
came to me that day: He was ragged and
muddy had befriended him before,
and so he came to me and said. They've
struck big thing over on the south fork.
Get over there as quick as you can He
told me how to get over, and how after
had crossed Jackass Prairie and entered
the brush | was to follow blazes he had
made. 4 am the first man that's come
out of the camp
HAGGERTY TOLD ME
had nothing to hold me; He told
me his story about o'clock
in the afternoon. BY 4 was on my way
to Jack.ass Prairie. | got there about
midnight and camped till day. That
morning tied my horse in the bush and
made the rest of my way on foot. | came
upon the discoverers while they were sit
know how | got there. told them John
Haggerty had sent me. | said to them {:
"If you've got what he says you have. I'm
ready to 90 in with you. I've got $1,000
and that's about as much as any man in
the CGur 'Alene has got They took
me up to a cut in the mountain and show
ed me the lead. The elements had swept
away the earth, and there lay exposed the
pure lead. A baby in mining could see
its value. The question was. would
it pay to take it .,. out of there
roads. 1t would have to be taken down to
the lake by pack, then across the lake by
ooat then by pack again thirteen miles to
the Northern Pacific. | came to an un-
derstanding with the men and then took
some of the ore over to MURRAY. | found
that it would pay to take it out by pack.
and went back and made a contract with
the men to take out 5000 tons of the ore.
built boarding house, got my mules.
hired miners and set to work. In week
| cane to the end of the ore that it would
pay to handle in that way. There was
still plenty of ore there, but it was mixed
with foreign matter and | had no facii.
ties for treating it. thought there must
be some way. | had never heard OF
THE CONCENTRATING PROCESS,
yet | thought there must be some way to
seperate the lead. put some of the ore
in sacks and took it to Helena. There
fell among thieves. The man | took the
ore to held back the report on it until he
could send man out to see if he couldn' I
buy up the owners of the claim. Then he
gave me discouraging report. He said
the ore wouldn't pay to concentrate.
took some of it to another expert. He said
it would concentrate, and that it ran about
thirty.six ounces of silver. That revived
me. But | needed money to put up con
centrator. and hustled about to get it.
went first to man in Portland, then to {
friend in Spokane Falls. Every man
went to said he guessed he wouldn't pu
any money into it. was about at the enc
of my string when got "a telegram from
Gov. Hauser, of Montana, calling me back
to Helena Hauser met me ut the depo
and took me to his house. Now, tell you
story, he said. told him about the lead
and the contract had with the men.
told him what wonderful deposit it was
and he told me that | was the most colos
sal liar that ever struck Montana. Bn
by and by we got to talking about detail'
and he agreed to 20 in with me He woule
furnish the money for concentrator anc
we would make "A new contract with th'
owners of the claim to take out 10000
tons. The terms | had made were too
steep, and we would have to cut the roy
atty down. We would give them bonu
OF $4,000 and s. per ton. ! went bach
and made the contract. The $4,000 dowr
caught the men. Then we set to work II
get up the concentrator. That cos
$4,000. While we we're working on i
BROTHER OF AUSTIN CORBIN
| of New York came into the camp. He looked
over the ground and said to me: 1T your
ore concentrates | may build narrow
gauge road from the lake to the concen'
TRAITOR Hauser agreed to build the thir.
teen miles from the lake to the Northern
| Pacific. Between five and six months
after we made our first run at the concen
traitor, and when we knew it was success,
the narrow gauge was built and we are
shipping out lead. Now there are seven
concentrators In camp. The roads Hau
ser and Corbin built and line of boat.
on the lake are owned by the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company. Before we
opened the mine there was one boat on
the lake. 1t was almost done for before
we took out ore. Its last load was grind.
stone and a man named Smith. Now the
o. r. & N. is parallelinR the Northern
Paci6c's line to the camp. The Bunker
Hill was the name of the mine we opened.
1t is still the largest producer in the camp.
Nov the wonderful find in that camp
was gold Gold was found adjoining the
lead two or three years ago, but no atten'
tion was paid to it in the excitement. My