The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1889-04-11
AMONG THE LEDGES.
THE SPECkLED TROUT TO RE-
SUME OPERATIONS.
The San Francisco Examined By
Bi iMetallic-West Granite-Etc.

We have occasion to chronicle among
the gratifying Incidents of the week thu
arrival liz our city of the we'll known
merchant, miner and capitalist, John
CaDlice, Esq, of Butte City. The visit
of this gentleman is contemporaneous
with the advent Of sundry apparentl,
well founded rumors of the re-establish
ment OF the Trout company. 1t rests en-
tirely with Mr.. Caplice as to whether il
is to the interests Of the owners of the
Northwest plant to resume operations al
the present tine.
| The history Of the Speckled Trout
mine reads like romance: Being among
the first discovered lodges of the district
The marvellous richness of its ores near
the surface attracted the attention OF
mining men in the early sixties. In 1870
Cole Sanders, at that time merchant oi
Helena, secured possession of the prop
erty from the owners and discoveries,
Charles Frost, Dan and Sandy Brown.
This purchase comprised the Speckled
Trout lode claim, embracing eleven loca-
tions of two hundred feet each. The
sum paid for this property approximated
$4,000, Charley Frost receiving his
money and the Browns some money and
a note for $4,000, which, by the way, was
never paid. In 1870, the Imperial gold
and silver mining company. q corporation
composed of New York capitalists, was
created, with Cole Sanders as trustee,
and commenced operations for the re-
duction of the ores of the Trout by the
smelling process. A stack was erected,
lead ores for Auxlng purchased, and-the
Imperial gold and silver mining COM
pany suspended operations. The pro-
cess would not do. Over the ruins of the
Imperial arose small fve-stamp mill,
fitted with pans, settlers and reyerbatory
furnaces. Phil. n. Saunders was in
charge, and under his management the
only prosperity that ever awaited the
Trout was enjoyed. During the exist
tence OF this plant the Trout was relo-
Gated by Saunders and named the
Providenta; that is, the east half of the
Trout vent into the Providenta, and the
west have retaining it's old name). It be-
ing satisfactorily determined that the
process adaptable to the base ores of
Trout hill was treatment by fire chlorini-
zation, and the workings by the reverba-
tory process remunerative, it was deemed
highly important to work the mine and
treat the ores On more extended scale.
To this end in 1874 the Northwest COM
pany was organized, the fve-stamp mill
was torn down. contracts for the ma
chinery of complete ten-stamp mill let
TO A. J. Davis, of Helena, contracts for
made to Thomas Fisher, the
architect, and under the management of
Col. j. A. Vial the mill was completed
and started to work. The result was
The process of chloriniza-
ton was by the Bruckner system, the |
milling was perfected through one ten
foot California combination pan,two one
ton Varney pans, and one fve-ton Pur-
vine pan, and two California settlers com
pleted the amalgamating department.
The management of the Northwest COM
pany in 1875 passed out of the hands of
Vial, and gentleman named Mills took
charge and conducted the affairs of the
to the close, an occurrence
lating somewhere in the spring of 1876.
The failure left large labor indebted
less and hens to considerable amount
gainst the property OF the company.
Among the holders of the latter was the
lrm of Cap,ice & Smith, at that time
aerchants of fhilipsburg. In the fall of
877, largely through the industry and ]
ntiring effort of John Caplice, a reor-
anization was perfected, entitled the {
northwestern mining company. This I
orporatlon replaced the Northwest, as
lmed its liabilities and once again the '
res of the Speckled Trout came to tho 4
lrface and the roar of the ponderous @
amps of the old mill made the canyon v
sound with a ceaseless turmoil of
'hoes. The direct management OF the n
ew organization was vested in !. board t.
of five trustees. two of which Ii
ere in Montana, John Caplice and Phil. a
:. Saunders. Frank Frisbee was placed S
charge as the general manager. The St
inc WIS under the care OF Chris. Hart, is
I'd with an abundance of ore everything
emed to augur season of prosperity &
the new concern. It was not to be Il
'wever; Frisbee knew considerably N
ore about the dry goods business than q
did OF mining. He let extravagant X
'od contracts, built unnecessary roads, L
the affairs of his charge with "
ither good business sense, judgment or 81
onomy. AS result of his pernicious pt
urse the end came in 1879, and under
3 process of law all of the property Of
ta of the company passed by sheriff's
Q into the possession of Caplice & 81
nth. This firm secured the first judg- cl
mt, the wdfkingmen having the Sec We
d. with Col. Jenkins acting for them