The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-29
The MINES OF MONTANA.
The Famous Hecla Of Beaverhead
County and the Story of
its Fortunes.
Deep Sinking on the Cleopatra, on
Lion Mountain, Near
Glendale.
Tho London at Niehart Not a Low Grade
Producer-The Judge at
Castle.

The London at Niehart Not a Low rade
Producer-The Judge at
Castle.
The first discovery which brought to
light the famous Hecla, in Beaverhead
county, was made in 1872 by William Spur,
which, owing to its great richness soon
drew hundreds of prospectors and adven-
turers to the scene. The camp, originally
known as Trapper, passed through the va
rious stages of prosperity common to all
mining camps. succumbing at last to the
sister city of Lion, located but few rods
away in the next gulch. All that is left Of
that once busy camp is twenty or thirty
empty and ruined cabins-silent mementoes
Of buried hopes. In the meantime the lit
tie village of Lion has developed into a
thriving little town of 300 or 400 inhabi-
tants, depending, however, solely upon the
Hecla Consolidated Mining company, says
the Dillon Tribune.
The mines at Trapper and Lion City
changed hands number of times until the
spring of 1877, when the Hecla company,
with one or two exceptions, secured the en-
tire group of some twenty-five claims at a
cost of nearly 100000
The early history of the company was
one of successes and reverses which neces-
sarily attends SO large an enterprise in a
new country, managed by men whose abil-
lty and integrity was undoubted, but who
had failed to achieve the success which the
property merited. At the close Of 1880,
after the stockholders had been paid nearly
100000 in dividends, they met to examine
the condition of their affairs and began to
30 alarmed on finding themselves over ST.
600 in debt. This was critical period in
the history of the company and its future
success may be said to have fairly trembled
in tho balance. 1t was at this time that the
management was rendered to Hon. h.
knippenberg, the present general manager,
who at first declined the honor but after
due elaboration and personal inyesti-
CATION, decided to accept It. The rest
is we'll known-how out of the ruins
of debt. encouragement, and reported
worked out mines as a foundation, he has
built up one of the finest mining properties
in the state and paid to the stockholders
over one and one-half million dollars in
dividends, besides having built Il one hun
dred ton concentration, enlarged and i'm
proved the smGter and erected buildings at
the mines. Too much praise and credit
cannot be given to MIR. knppenbero whose
tireless energy, undoubted ability and
strict integrity has achieved this success.
Some of the deepest mining in the state
ia being done in Lion mountain. The Cleo
patra mine which has furnished the bulk Of
the ore treated at the smelter at Glendale
for tho last five years, is now down over
5000 feet on the incline shaft and over 500
feet on a vertical line. Some immense
bodies of ore have been encountered in this
mine of which may be mentioned the Gala
Gner and Oregon drift which produced be-
w on ten and twelve thousand tons of first
class ore valued at 81, 100000; the Carpen-
ter Shop drift. which produced $4,000 tons
of first-cass, valued ut nearly $4,000, coo,
and Jake's drift with a product OF 10000 to
1900 tons and prorortionate valuation.
About one year ago the Lion tunnel,
which is driven i'll at the base of the noun
tain. tapped the bottom OF the Cleopatra
nfter having successfully crosscut the At
lantis, tho Fissure. the Sheep and several
throughout the mines. The tunnel is run
$500 feet.
The Cleve is another mine which has
produced considerable quantities of high
grade ore during the past year and extends
fair p omises for the future. Up TO date
these mines have produced l45, GOO tons of
frst-class ore and 100000 tons Of second
class ore, the latter amount of ore having
been converted into 1900 tons of concen-
trates, the average value of concentrates
and frst-class ore being about fifty one
ou1,ces silver and 30. 10 lead. together with
considerable quantities of gold and copper.
Meagher County Mines.
Water was struck in the 1sO foot level in
the Hidden Treasure mine last week and
drifts have been started, the sinking having
been suspended for the present.
John Dounton and associates contemplate
the stocking of II cluster CT mines in the
Birch creek district. They are situated in
the immediate vicinity of the Bourbon, and
are regarded as being very valuable by min
ing experts who have examined them.
There is a scheme on foot look ing to the
purchase of one of the Oldest and best
known and most promising mines at Nei-
mart.
new find is reported in Birch creek dis.
trict. 1t Is in the neighborhood of the
Bourbon, and with the small development
done is looking better than the other leads
in the vicinity. At depth of eleven feet e
six-foot vein is exposed which is chuck full
OF ore that looks like the richest ores of the
Bourbon.
A sevenfoot vein of ore has been cut al
the shaft on the 320-foot level of the
Yellowstone mine and the wall not YET
reached.
Ten thousand shares of Florence mining
UtOCA WOLF puiCudScu ldsl week Oh JaIuet
Chamberlain at 25 cents per share. This is
the largest sale that has been made to one
party since the stock advanced from ter
cents per share.
A big body of ore has just been struck in
the Judge mine at the go foot level. Its
extent is not vet known, but the quality i.
superior to anything found in the Castl.
mountains.
II is generally understood that the Lon
don mine at Neihart is low grade mine
but such is not the case. 1t is true that i,
the $50 foot tunnel the ore, which is from
nine to 10 feet wide does not average
over % ounces in silver. But there is /
shaft down from the surface 30 feet, %
feet ahead of the tunnel, from which quit
lot OF ore was taken that returned owe
500 ounces per ton when worked in the Tos
ton sme,ter. This ore body when wor
stopped was four or five feet in width
6usb6ndman.
A magnificent line of fine cut glass at caster
prices It The Bee Hive.