Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-20
AN OLD LANDMARK.


The Hope Mining Company of st. Louis
A Review of It's Twenty-One Years
II Experience-The Benefits 1t Has Com
1 ferred ON Philipsburg.
PHnIPsBuRa, October 15.-tCorrespond-
ence OF the Miner. IA few items concerning
the Hope Mining Company OF st. Louis
an old landmark here, indeed, the sheet
anchor Of Philipsburg- may be Of interest
to readers of TIE MINER. This company
owns some twenty-five locations, the
major portion of which are patented. the
balance being so. The mines are princi-
tpally situated about a mile and q quarter
from the burg where the mill is. The
original location, called the Commanche,
was made by Hector Norton and the Brown
brothers (Sandy and Dan.) They sold to
the original company for $4,000. That
corporation comprised Ex-Governor Sam
Hauser, Walter B. Dance, James Stewart
and couple OF others. Mr.. Hauser went
to st. Louis, got the proper parties inter-
ested, and sold the property for $75 900
at least those are the credited figures
around here. The
MILL WAS CONSTRUCTED
by the original company in 1867, by Hor-
ace Gentriman, nilIsrights still alive on
the Yellowstone, twenty-one years aao,
and is supposed to be the Oldest silver
mill in Montana. At that time there were
only few roads in this country, and they
built toll road some twenty-five miles
connecting at New Chicago with the old
stage road, in order to haul in the ma.
chinery. You can imagine some of the
difficulties this Hauser Company had.
Part OF the original machinery was made
in San Francisco, taken to Los Angeles,
CAL, aud hauled by wagon from there.
The freight rate was SO cents per pound.
Remember this was before the days OF the
| Union Pacific railroad, which was COM
pleted in 1870. Their fly wheel, while
| crossing the Colorado river; tumbled off
| the wagon into the river, and they had to
| camp there for six weeks until the water
receded before they could get it out. A
NEW COMPANY WAS ORGANIZED.
The st. Louis parties took hold-Philip
Deidesheimer who I believe is now in Ne
| vada, and has the reputation of being one
OF the best practical mining men who ever
came to the Pacific Coast and who has now
made fortune, and after whom Philips
burg was named, was the first superintend-
ent. Since then many superintendents
have come and gone. Formerly the limit
OF a Superintendent's stay was two years,
then the axe would fall and new superin-
tendent would turn up from st Louis.
From 1867 to 1855 this company has
had many ups and downs, truly a check.
cred existence. The mines on Hope Hill
are in lime-blanket formations. 1t is one
of the
HARDEST LOCATIONS TO NINE
that l know of. Faults are liable to be
encountered any day. To-day a fine
breast OF ore; tomorrow possibly barren
lime. The ore may have dropped 30 or Is
feet. The fault has to be followed up,
dead work costing probably thousands OF
dollars, and when the ore finally is found
an extra expense to mine it.
At times the mill has been closed down
for long periods for want OF ore, but the
company kept on prospecting, and the re-
suits would be discoveries in the end OF
large size bodies of ore,
AT TIMES VERY Rich,
sulphurets and horn silver. No gold is
found in the ore. During the latter part OF
Mr.. Charles Clark's tenure of Office, after
much money had been spent doing dead
work and no prospect of unearthing fresh
body OF ore, the mill idle, he advised the
company to abandon Hope Hill-that it
was dug out, and for the company to pay
more attention to some Of their other prop
critics situated esst of the burg. Mr.. f. l..
Perkins, his successor, took hold, miner
Of long experience who had made practical
mining almost a lifelong study. He found
and uncovered
A LONG BODY OF ORE,
much.of whish was high grade, and over a
million dollars in silver bars was shipped
before this immense pocket and q couple
| OF others OF similar nature we're mined
out.
During Mr.. Perkins administration q
diamond drill was purchased, which cost,
laid down here, some $4,000. This was
one OF the best Investments the company
ever made 1t has been in operation for
several years from the time the frost
leaves the ground until next snow.fiy, and
| has proven the best prospector the company
ever handled. Many large bodies OF ore
| have been found through it's aid and
MORE WILL BE FOUND
in the future. / beard no report OF the
workings of the diamond drill for 1887,
but note that in 1886 the average cost per
foot was $1.37, this included cost OF haul
ing water long distance by wagon-now
piped onto the bill and at much less COST
The actual running time was ,O94 hours
and the average feet run per hour was 4.3l.
In the summer of 1886 the diamond drill
found Il body of ore which Was 500 feet
in length and 40 feet in width-over two
years run in the mill. This large body is
quite free ore enabling the company to mill
it to good advantage. For the past
three years the mines on Hope Hill have
kept the stamps OF the mill
CONTINUALLY puay
and the prospects are they will continue to
drop. The hearts OF the stockholders
have been gladdened in the shape OF divi.
dends and the burg in the shape of dis
bursements for pay rolls, contrasts, wood
choppers.
A brief call on Superintendent Adams
was the means Of acquiring some useful
and general knowledge. He informed me
Porter lode; that the mill was crushing on
an average 27 tons of ore per day. 1t is
wet 10 stamp mill. The
OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY
are: Louis Duestrow, president; John 7,
Field, vice president; H. II. Block, treas.
urer; G. A. Cuno, secretary, all OF st. Louis
Mr.. w. w. Adams, OF Philipsburg. superiR'
tendent; F. o. Linforth in charge OF the
mill John Adams, assayer and assistant,
Mr.. Stevens accountant. The superin'
tendent informs me everything is working
satisfactorily at the mines and mill. He has
much faith in the Silver Chief mine. This
property is owned by the company and sit
uated east of the burg almost one mile. A
tunnel some 800 feet has been run and a
shaft sunk on the vein some seventy feet
The ore is different from that on the hill
is base and cannot be handled in their mill
On an average four cars good grade) are
shipped per month. A few steps from thu
office and the mill in reached, The
OLD STONE WALLS
are there that were placed in position
twenty-one years ago, and some OF th'
wood work in place, but / suppose i
would puzzle one to find any OF the origin
al machinery. During Mr.. Babcock' :,
reign new battery was placed in the mil
. and is to-day one of the best in the coun
try. I noted that Mr.. John Ainsley wa
!: still in charge OF the machinery, and A. A
= Bestor, his lieutenant, looks faithful ant
!. reliable, the same as years ago.