Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-04-23
THROUGH THE FLUME.
KNOWLEDGE OF ANCIENT HISTORY
HELPED OUT MINERS.

A Few Tons of Silver Ore Instead of
City Was at Stake, However.
There were gathered in the lobby of
the Windsor hotel number of engi-
neers and mining superintendents. As
is frequently the case, there was a good
deal of talk of shop. Among the num-
Der present were men who had been
working, at one time or another, in near
ly every prominent silver camp in the
United States. The climax, however,
was reached when one of the mining
men showed how a knowledge of an
cient history once came into play and
paid man exceedingly well.
''Of course" he said, ''you have all
heard of the Pelican and the Dives mines
at Georgetown, and know that there
has been very rich ore taken from these
claims. There was a dispute between
the owners of the claims. The Dives used
to keep its ore and have it all sampled
Sunday The idea was that no civil pro-
cess could be served Sunday, and by get
ting the ore down and sampled that day
there was no chance for their opponents
to do anything. Of course, after the ore
was sampled, no one could swear to its
identity when removed from the sam
pier. and so it was safe the rest of the
week.
"The Dives people aimed to ship down
about 100 tons each Sunday, this amount
of ore being valued at about $4,000.
Mr.. Schneider, the banker, who was
afterward shot, was the owner of the
Pelican and was anxious to get even
with the Dives people in any way posi-
BILE.
''One day he told one of the miners
around Georgetown that he could have
all the ore that he could get from the
Dives people, and that he would pur-
chase the same at full value at the Peli-
can mill.
THE bargain certainly gave no one a
legal title to the ore thus to be obtained,
and as to the moral aspects of the ques-
ton | suppose that didn't bother any
one of them. The law certainly would
have looked upon ore taken from the
Dives people under this arrangement as
stolen ore.
OBTAINED THE KEGS.
THE miner with whom the arrange
ment had been made had for some time
had some low grade ore in sacks in one
of the bins of the Foster sampler, mill
about half a mile above the sampler
where the ore of the Dives people was
sampled. One evening, after he had
made arrangements with a couple of
friends. he went to Mr.. Foster, after the
latter had locked up his sampler, and
asked him for the key of the mill, as he
wanted to get the sacks holding the low
grade ore stacked in the mill Mr. Fos-
ter, Of course, had no objection and
handed over the key.
During the night there came along
wagon loaded with ore picked out at the
Dives mine by one who knew the grade
of the ore. 1t was dropped on the hill
and the two men packed the ore in the
Foster sampler. The ore was put in the
sacks which formerly held the low grade
galena ore. 1t was impossible to take
away the ore that night, so it was left,
with the hope that Mr.. Foster would
not notice anything out of the way. But
when the next night it was noticed by
the two conspirators that brand new
lock was placed on the door of the mill,
and that all the windows had been firm
ly fastened down, they needed no one to
tell them that Mr.. Foster wanted an ex-
PLANTATION of how worthless galena ore
had suddenly become ore running 500
ounces in silver.
1.-The two conspirators sneaked around
the mill, hunting for an unguarded
place. but every point was locked, no
door opened, no window was unshut
To break in meant burglary, and bur-
glary means Canyon City for term, if
discovered. So what to do became the
question.
KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY.
Here came in the advantage of read
ing. Says the one to the other. Have
you ever read any ancient historyY No.
was the reply, and what good would it
be hereT We'll, if you had, you would
know how to solve the problem of enter
ing this mill without breaking it. Cyrus
entered Babylon by turning the river
that flowed beneath the walls of the city
and entered by the way thus opened.
We must do the same with the water
running through the fume entering the
mill, and thus enter without breaking
through the wall or through the roof
"It wasn't much of a job to turn the
water of the fume at the headgate, and
in few minutes the fiume was dry.
Here was good pathway leading into
the mill, and nothing needed to be
broken or in any way injured.
at wasn't very long before our two
conspirators were in the mill and were
moving the sacks with the rich ore, about
which Mr.. Foster was SO particular and
anxious to learn something.
''The time at command did not allow
of carrying the ore entirely away Not
only that, but it was not safe to handle
just that class of ore Immediately, for,
at the least, it meant a cutting of a good
deal of the profit of the job Here again
the fune and its supply of water came
in handy. The sacks with the ore were
dropped over the tail fiume, and as soon
as the water was turned on there was a
veil of water hiding all that wealth hid
den behind it.
when the conspirators had moved all
the ore they returned by the way they
had come, again turned on the water,
and then nothing on the outside showed |
that the mill no longer held the ore it
once did When the doors were opened
in the morning everything was found as
usual, except that the ore, to guard |
which all the paddocks and nails and |
screws had been brought into requisi-
ton, was gone.
."In due time tho ore was removed
from beneath its curtain of water,
brought to the Pelican sampler and sold.
1t ran 476 ounces in silver to every ton,
and as there was little more than five
tons, it can be readily calculated that
good pay was received for the sleep lost
at night. Denver News