Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-10-28


Of money, and old miners who had lived
In the vicinity for years laughed at him,
put fancy prices on their holdings and
Spratt continued to buy. He sent stones
TO London TO DO tested, and the returns
justified him In his belief that they were
valuable and proved that Sapphire Coz
lins," In 1865, was not half 80 crazy as he
was given credit for being. Something
over year ago @. II. Streeter, q London
expert, came to Montana and examined
the fields. His report was most favorable,
and was to the effect that the sapphire
finds In the vicinity of Helena was the
most important discovery OF modern
times. BY this time the people OF Helena
were beginning TO appreciate the value Of
the gems and large number were being
sent east to be cut. The price had also
largely increased, and 1t Is no uncommon
thing for stones uncut to bring 90 to $l5,
where formerly there was no sale for
them. Cut ones from $50 to $50, and
as high as 500.
1t was finally decided by the Spratt CON-
pany to dispose OF their sapphire interests,
or to form a company In London, work
the fields Systematically and get the
Montana product on the European mar
ket. A prospectus was Issued, and when
the promoters said they controlled 1000
acres of sapphire and ruby bearing ground
In Montana, near Helena; that the stones
were pronounced genuine by experts, the
British capitalists began to doubt. 80
incredible did the story seem that Gov.
Toole was appealed to by the English to
verify the statements. The foreigners
said they regarded 1t as very strange that
immense fields Of sapphire and rubies
should exist 80 near Helena, and yet the
general government did not In some
official way refer to them. Now, the
newspapers Of the east and the financial
journals have taken 1t up, and at last the
Montana sapphire and ruby fields will be-
come thoroughly familiar to the world at
large.
But while the outside world is learning
something about the fields and the stones
Helena may as well gain little more In
formation than Is now possessed by the
majority. The fields, as said before, are
on both sides of the Missouri. The Spratt
company owns and controls something
over four thousand acres, the Eldorado
has ground being patented, and the rest
entered under the mineral laws.
Mr.. Spratt who is now living In Helena,
had his attention called the other day to
the interest the operations OF his company
was creating In the east and In London,
and his reply to a request to allow an In
dependent representative to look over
his ground was one Of hearty accord. A
letter to Alex Macauley, his representa-
tive, was written, and the wish expressed
that "the Englishmon would come over
and look at the property"
1t is about two hours drive from
Helena, and Alex Macauley, the manager,
was found at work on Spokane bar with
seven men. First we went to where the
men were taking out the gravel which
contained the gems. This particular bar
was up q steep hill, 100 feet or more
above the river. Bed rock is about six
feet below the surface. All of the dirt
to within six inches OF bed rock Is thrown
to one side as worthless. The gravel or
dirt Is passed through two sleeves, O very
coarse and very fine one. The stones
in the first one are thrown away, the sand
passes through the second one, while the
smaller stones run down into box at
the bottom OF the first screen. The
smaller stones are then sacked and the
sack carried down to the river. There
they are caught In box, and from It
shoveled into another box with wire
bottom. This box sets In the water and
is worked with long pole, like see-saw.
The process looks very crude,
Macauley has been with the company
for three years, and has prospected all
the bars. He says that not every foot,
or even on every acre Of the 1000 the
company controls are there rubies and
sapphires but the gems are found to a
greater or less extent on every twenty
acre claim. The Spratt ground known
to contain gems, extends for distance
Of four and one-half miles along the
river. On the west hank the company
owns Ruby, a portion OF Spokane, Spratt's,
Porter, Dana and unnamed bar; on the
east bank Metropolitan, McCune, Uncle
Billy's and Eldorado. On Eldorado the
gem bearing ground extends back from a
mile to quarter to mile and half
from the river, tho same on Dana, mile
on Metropolitan, and quarter Of mile
on Spokane. The formation above and
around the gem bearing ground In shale
and quartzite and 1t Is easily displaced
with pick and shovel. Gems coming
farthc1 Zway from the rim rock are larg-
est and best.
The Spratt Syndicate controls 1859
acres Of patented ground on Eldorado bar,
about 1850 acres on the west side Of the
river above Eldorado, and about 1,401
on the east side, making total Of
over 1900 acres.