The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-14
THE MINES OF MONTANA
j. K. Pardee Interviewed on His
Mining Enterprise on Granite
Mountain.
It is Separate and Distinct, ana
Not Properly an Elk
tension.
Encourarinx Outlook for a Bonanza-News
From Copperopolis, Castle ana
Elsewhere.

On being approached by reporter yes
terday, Mr.. J. X. Pardee, who Is vls"inR
Helena, verified what was reproauceo
terday from the Phillipsburg Mail IN coll
nection with the new discovery maoe Oh
Granite mountain. He admits tnas ne'
Allen Mcdonnell and John WEIGH nave
bond on the New Departure, Boston, Mons-
real and Black Rock lodes on the famous
mountain. the first named lode being about
4OOO feet from the Granite company's MOIST.
"We have force of men at work on the
New Departure said he, 'and the strike
snoken of was made by crosscut from the
bottom of 50 foot shaft, and consists OF
two and one-half feet of good looking
quartz. such as has hitherto only been
found in the Granite Mountain vein.
"Althoueh Mr.. Charles Clark, of st.
Louis and others have spent many thous-
and dollars in search of other mines on
Granite mountain, they never succeeded IN
finding ore which resembles the Granite as
this does. It ia not claimed that the ore
we have found at this date is rich, but Its
character warrants the belief that 1t VIII
lead to something very good, 1t being tnat
character of ore which always accompanies
or precedes the rich ore Of the Granite.
1T is proposed to sink SHAFT a. once once
from the fact that the Granite two years
AGO drained this ground. and consequently
we have no water to contend with 1or sew
eral hundred feet Three years ago work
was suspended in the New Departure on &C
count of the water. the owners not nav .
the means to contend WIFI ~ al" 'no'
were driven out.
.It is not claimed that this is an extern
sion of the Granite Mountain mine proper,
as II lies too far south and east. but as the
Granite has thoroughly drained our ground
there is certainly water connection.
known as the East Granite company, which
will own and operate these claims. The IN
corporators ana principal owners will IN
clude some of the best known Capitalists
of Helena, and operations will be vlgor,
ously pushed and new working smart Will
be put down at once" .,
Mr.. Pardee leaves for his home in Phil.
ipsburg this morning. Some OF the ore
from his new property is to be seen at z.
K. Wells Office. While it is not rich
looking ore, it is first-class quartz and
should improve with depth. The claims
neiehborhood that the Granite company
has not acquired. Several claims surround
ing the New Departure are owned by that
company and a good price was PAID Tor
each. The Granite people mad stanulng
offer for the New Departure lode OF $!,bOO
It is a patented claim and undoubtedly
only needs development to make it mine
of value-and who can tell that it may not
be as rich as the Granite. This new COM
panv may be the means of demonstrating
that Granite mountain contains more than
one bonanza.
the shrewdest of mining men, the new
company can depend that there is some
thing worth seeking, or he would not DO
associated with it. To him is due the
credit of opening up the Iron Mountain,
Fourth of July and Elizabeth mines, the
latter having recently passed into the con-
troll of the Granite Mountain company's
heaviest stockholders.
Among the mines near Helena that are
looking we'll is the Copper Bell. It is a
steady ore shipper. Yesterday the company
sold a carload of ore to the United sampling
works for $2,275 net.
The Major Budd company's assessment
of six cents per share is being rapidly paid
in. This will give the company $4,000
leaving an ample working fund after the
Indebtedness is cleared.
Prospectors are coming in from the hills
now having completed their annual assess
ment work. There will still be many who
will relocate their claims
The trustees Of the Lion held meeting
last Saturday and waived the levy of
another assessment for the time being, at
least. Orders we're given to begin stopping
from the 500 to the 200 foot level to take
out ore. This work is now going on.
So far as can be learned there is no
change in the situation at the mines on
Gospel mountain. At the Champion work
is progressing on each level and each day
drawing nearer to the ore which will start
the mill once more.
Owing to the lack of ore half the stamps
of the Lexington mill have been hung up
during the last two days, and just when
they will be again Unattached is unknown.
says the Butte Miner. Several of the en-
ployes at the mill were laid off Friday
and informed that their services would not
again be required until the company could
get supply of ore either from its own mine
or some of the leases about the city. The
Lexington nine proper is not producing
great amount of ore at present, and the
mill is, in consequence, compelled to de- |
pend to a considerable extent on custom
ore. and when this source of supply fails to !
respond a temporary suspension is the re-
suit. On the 1,5OO foot level of the mine |
ore hes been struck in the north vein. bnt
its grade is SO low that it cannot be worked |
at profit. Cross-cutting for the south |
ledge continues, but its pitch has taken it |
SO far from the shaft at this depth that it |
will take about year to reach it. Mean |
while the company must depend on ore |
from the upper workings of the Lexington |
and Allie Brown, with a liberal sprinklinp |
b..