, 1889-08-28
THE MICHIGAN" SOLD.
A Powerful Company Buys the Fa-
nous Mine.
A $4,000 Deal consummated in
This City Yesterday.
New Owners Will Commence Oper-
atoms at Once.
nramio Hnunfu nnnnn. n
Laramie County Copper Ore to be
SmeIted at Natrona.

OF tue haWhlde district becomes the prop
erty OF the wealthy and powerful corpora
ton by which he is employed. The con-
sideration was $50, 900, halt of which was
paid in cash here. In the deeds filed at
the Office Of the county clerk the grantors
named are Il. b. Hendry, Denver; 7. G..
O'Haver, Rawhide; John Murphy, Geo.
G. Cresswell and j. s. Graham, Law.
renee county, Dakota.
The valuable property transferred is
perhaps the best claim in the district,
though others may equal or even excel it
IN richness when developed. The lode is
in Whalen canyon, Laramie county. 100
miles north of Cheyenne.
As minated from time to time by
THE LEADER this deal has been pending
for more than a year. The big company,
reputed to be an arm of the Standard OIL,
was as skeptical as Mr.. Benedict was san
guine, but in Difference to his Judgment
hnally sent an expert to examine the
property. The adept came quietly, did
his work without attracting attention and
eventually submitted a most favorable re-
port, accompanying it, by the way, with
a bill for 5 5 1000 for his services. 1t was
then that the great concern consented to
dabble into Wyoming mining and in
structed Mr.. Benedict to purchase the
Michigan. The agent has made a splen-
did bargain, as the company will learn.
Halt a dozen mining men have at differ
ent times assured the writer that the
Michigan has at least 800, 900 worth of
ore in sight.
This sale means a great deal to Chcy-
nne and Laramie county. From Mr..
Benedict 1t is learned hat the company
will commence working its new property
at once. A mine superintendent is al
ready en- route and all preleminaries will
be attended to Immediately. There are
transportation contracts to make and
quarters must be provided for the mine
operatives. Mr.. Benedict is a business
hustler himself and there will be no de-
lays.
For the present the output of the mine
will be a carload. or fifteen tons daily.
The ore will be shipped to the company's
works at Natrona-near P~ittsburg-for
reduction.
Last winter the gentlemen who then
owned the Michigan mine shipped twelve
carloads of ore to the furnaces of the com
pany which purchased it yesterday. The
net profit of the miners was 81, POO.
During that time the mineral was hauled
to Lusk by teams and loaded on North
western cars for the east. 1t is now pro-
posed to make Wendover the railway
point and give the Union Pacific the bus.
mess. The distance from the mine is al
most exactly the same and the wagon
road is SAID to be better. If the Union
Pacific does the hauling through Chey-
ennc this city will be materially benefited.
The mining company has little preference.
With them it is a matter of dollars and
cents. 1t is believed that the Union Pa
clfic will make the desired rate, but as
MIR. Jeffrey suggests, it would not be a
bad idea for the Cheyenne Board of Trade
to speak to the company about the mat
ter. Wendover, a daughter of Cheyenne,
will thrive under the patronage of the
wagon trains and the c; pi,al will profit
thereby.
Fully fifteen years ago a rowing pros
pector who didn't care where he picked
located the Michigan, but abandoned it,
as others did afterwards.
OF the three men who located the
Michigan lode in 1881 only one-T. G.
O'Hayer-signed away his right for good
gold Yesterday. Wilson is in South At
RIGA and told of his condition in a letter
published in this paper last week. Smith
Is dead, and his sixth is held by j. X
Jeffrey as administrator. It will be trans
fcrred so soon as the probate court acts in
the premises, O'Haver has stuck to the
claim through thick and thin and deserves
his reward.
The Michigan is a blanket mine and
the deposit of copper ore running from
$50 to $40 per ton is believed to be simply
lnexhaustible. Unlike vein lodes it has
always been a mine, the surface deposits
being something 1t can be
worked very easily.
A big force of men, including skilled
miners, laborers, mechanics and teamsters
will be employed at the mine. To handle
fifteen tons of ore per day is no small
task. OF course Cheyenne will be the
natural headquarters for all of these men.
The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing
company is one of the wealthiest corpora
tons in the world. 1t is far reaching as
the telegraph, operating in all quarters of
the globe. The name is a misnomer and
was adopted to suit the statutes more than
fifty years ago. At Natrona, a Pittsburg
suburb, the company has works covering
100 acres. Half of this great area is I'M
der cover. Copper manufacturing is a
side issue, the principal business being in