Fergus County argus., 1890-08-28
Ell DORADO BAR.
Butte Capitalists Hot After This Wonderful
Gold and Diamond Placer.
Ilnter MolIntain.l

inter MOUNTAIN
Some exceedingly interesting devel-
Opments regarding the celebrated III
Dorado bar are promised in he very
near future. This property is STU
ated on the Missouri river. about IL
miles above Helena. and contains
about ,5S5 acres OF what is thought
to he wonderfully valuable placer. 1t
was worked to advantage n number OF
years ago, and such rich returns were
received from it that two large bitches
were taken out to cover it. a failure
in the water supply, however. caused
it to he abandoned. and the ground
was idle for a number OF years.
In 1887 IL Helena capitalist named
Spratt located the ground and has
since applied for a patent, which is ex-
pected to arrive within the next few
days. In the meantime II number Of
Butte capitalists discovered what they
thought to be a flaw in Spratt's title.
and in May last they also located the
same property. They now expect to
contest Spratt's right to the patent he
expects to get within Il very few days
and if possible secure it's revocation.
The ground upon which they propose
to make the contest is that such pat
ent was secured upon representation
of work which had been done by other
parties, and that the applicant had
never done u dollars worth OF work
upon the claim.
II. l.. Haupt OF this city has just re-
turned from visit to Helena, where
he has been'loOking the ground over
While absent he secured from 4. Il.
Clark and Walter Arnold aflidavits to
the effect that the S2J, 900 ditch Gov
ering the claim was still their property
and had never belonged to Spratt.
Mr.. kleinschmidt also swears that the
5000 ditch, which covers u port ion
OF the same ground, Is still his prop
erty and has never belonged to Spratt.
| As both these improvements are in
cluded in the affidavit upon which
Spratt expects to secure his patent.
these counter statements may make
it somewhat sultry for him. IN aldi
tion to them, however, Mr.. llaupt Sc
cured an additional affidavit from
Robert Byrd, One OF the witnesses by
whom the necessary amount al i'm
piOvement to secure n patent was
proven. lie swears he was told that
it made no difference who made he
bitches: they went with the claim. and
should he credited up tn the claimant.
That with that understanding lac
signed the affidavit, knowing that
claimant had never done "a dollars
worth OF work on the claim.
These papers have been forwarded
to Washington and are expected to
play sad havoc with MIR. Spratt 'stitle.
The contest that H. cert to follow
will he of much more than ordinary
interest, owing to the value of the
property in dispute. With water ON
Il ie ground it will pay al least 50 per
day to the ma:i. The dam that is
being placed in the Missouri some six
miles above to furnish water for lIeI
ena will enable the fortunate possess
ors OF this property To secure an I'M
limited supply of watcraWi will assure
the value oi the claim for years to
come. This, however, Is not he only
valuable feature, as the ground Is filled
with precious stones as well as gold.
II is estimated that n man can easily
take out 500 worth of stones from
this ground per day, and some think
the average will be much higher when
the work is properly done. 1t is for
these diamonds and rube> that an Eu
glsh syndicate is anxiously y trying To
buy the property, and II sale Is now
pending for 81 ,JOO,ooo. This sale
was to have been consumnated last
June, but was postponed because OF II
failure on the part OF Spratt to secure
his patent. 1t is now fixed for August
Is, but will probably be again post
poned until these contesting claims
have been settled one way ort he her
IL is seldom that "a case comes mp
where so much is involved, and the re-
suit of this will be awaited with inter
est by Others besides the parties most
directly concerned.