The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-14
The Four Mile District.

tors in the city and is stopping at the Grand
Central. Mr.. Dunn's launching into mines
In the Castle district is another illustration
Of how a slight circumstance sometimes
changes the entire course of a PERSONS
life. In 1888 he was out on q Northern
Pacific survey party, another member be-
ing Wm. Hoback, of this city. The object
Of the expedition was to stake OIL tie rall-
road land from that of the government.
Along in the fall the party was working In
Meagher county. One day Dunn ran across
a pie-e of meadow land which just struck
his fancy, and after his work for the season
with the survey party had been completed,
he filed on it. After living on the land for a
month or two, he concluded to take a look
around the country, and going over a hill a
little distance from his ranch, he found on
the other side some float which convinced
him that there must be some pay ore in the
country. Previous to joining the survey
party he had prospected in Jefferson county,
and like all miners, when he discovered
indication of ore, he dropped the work and
since has devoted his entire time to min
ing, and that, too, with a great deal of sue
cess. Mr.. Dunn's interests are principally
in the Four Mile district. which he believes
contains some of the richest mines in the
camp. Among these are the Myrtle, which
has a big lead of rich ore; the ~Grasshopper,
ore from which milled at Ioston ran 100
ounces to the ton; the B. r. Sherman, with
the shaft down 200 feet, the ore averaging
100 ounces to the ton; the Mollie o., with a
shaft down sixty feet in the vein, which is
over six feet wide. contains a foot of pay
ore. The Benton has a big lead of manga
nese, and is owned by Max Shower and
others of White Sulphur Springs. Among
ile most promising claims In the %nelghbor-
hood is the Granite Mountain, a new dis
'iovery, which has as good a showing as any
prospect in the camp. The Mountain Glen.
owned by G.. w. Dunn, has a b~1gshowing of
manganese and galena. Another good pros
pect is the Little Grasshopper, an extension
Of the Grasshoprer. The Basson. between
the Myrtle and the ~Grasshopper, has a we'll
defined vein of galena, and with the shaft
down sixty feet there is a showing of foul
feet of ore.
The display of ore in the Grand Central
office, comes from q group of mines, in
GLIDING the Myrtle and Grasshopper. in this
vicinity, on which e.. P. Suydam has Just
secured a bond. The Granite Mountain
people are understood to be figuring on this
proposition, while some Leadvllle
and Helena people are also looking
into the matter. Mr.. Dunn SAYS for the
amount of development he never saw a
better showing than is made by the mines
in the Four Mile district.
But very few people know that as far
back as 1853 there was a smelter in opera
ton In what is now the Castle district. But
such is the fact, Mr.. Dunn says, and it
tuIlieQ cut quite d lou OF DulllOn. For
some reason or other the owner removed it
to some other locality. Capt. Garter was
the owner, and in it he worked ore out of
what is now the Mollie o. mine.
Senator Brown and the New Departure.
Ex-senator Lawrence A. Brown has a
'arge force of men at work on the New De-
parture mine, says the Mining Journ IL.
This may be said to be a new departure for
Brother Brown, as he does not usually en-
ploy but Il few men in this famous mine.
Ihe New Departure, although only 200 feet
deep, is one of the richest in the state and
Senator Brown has several times been offer
ed big money for the property. But the
senator will not part with his mine and he
works 1T on the same principle as he does
his ranch. When the senator ia in need of
money he puts a couple of mel to work for
a short time and when enough ore is ex-
tracted to suit the exigencies of the case
the mine is again closed down and
remains SO until another demand is
made on the old mans exchequer.
1t is said that when the senator's son
an unusually bright and promising young
man--wlshed, a few years ago to 90 to
school. his father told him to 90 and get
enough ore to pay his expenses, The bow
went to the mine and remained a longer
time than the old man deemed necessary,
90 one day the senator repaired to the mine
and seeing the large quantity of ore lying
on the dump, exclaimed:
"D-n it, my son, you said you wanted
to go to school. Why. you have got enough
ore broken to give you a good collegiate
education. Stop right away
Inc boy of course quit work, went To
college, and Is now one of the brightest
young men in the state.
Ruling by Commissioner Carter.
Land Commissioner Garter has instructed
officials in the mineral division department.
to dispense with the demand heretofore
made for proof that mining corporations
regularly organized in other states or terri
tories have also filed certificate of incorpo-
ration in the state wherein the mines are
located. 1t has been the rule of the land
office to require such mining companies to
show by record proof that they have COM
piled with the laws of the state wherein
they seek a patent for mines by filing il,
such states certified copies of their articles
of Incorporation. Con missioner Carter
holds that compliance with state law in this
particular IS Il master concerning the com
pany and the state, and that failure TO obey
such statutory requirement is attended by
certain penalties fixed by law. The dis
Oensation with this useless formality, he