The Helena independent., 1893-08-31
GRASSHOPPER PLACERS.
A Big Enterprise in Beaverhead
County in Which Helena Peo-
pie Are Interested.
Nearly Ten Miles of Virgin Gold
Bearing Ground to Be
Opened Up
An English Expert Said There Was $5O o..
OOO.O 900 In It but tho Alien Law
Kept His Friends Out

Helena enterprise is again to the front
this time In an extensive placer mining
project in Beaverhead county. The oom-
pnny is the Montana G. asshopper Gulch
Placer Mining company. owning nine aud
three. quarter miles of patented placer
ground, ON Grasshcrper creek, in Beaver
head county. near Bannoek. A majority OF
the stock il owned In Helena. Geo +. Cope.
assistant cashier of the American National
bank, owning more than one-third OF tbs
capital stock. Considerable OF the stock 10
also held in Denver and Syracuse N. Y.
The section Of country In which the conl-
pany 10 operating is noted IN the early his
tory OF the state for the vast amount OF
gold il turned ous and the fineness of the
product. All the old time placer minors of
the state will recall the richness of the
Grasshopper creek bars, which produced
more than $3O,0O0000 in gold. The gold
was noted AZ being the finest IN the state,
going $40. 80 to the ounce. All Of this gold
was taken from the bars. the gulch itself
not being worked. 1t has always been held
by the placer miners that there was moro
gold in the gu!ch than had been
taken out of the bars. but the diff
fculty was to got down to bed
rock in the gulch. Tho patented ground
of the company takes in all the best por-
tion of Grasshopper creek. It has been
thoroughly prospected with the result that
the company knows il has a pay ntreak Of
from forty to eighty feet in width that Will
yield an ave age of 81 to the square foot OF
bed tock, or $50 day for every man en-
ployed. The bars were first worked In
1862, and for ton years or more there have
been efforts made TO consolidate the inter
ests of those working the bars with the
ownership of the eulch and work the latter.
There were two difficulties to overcome.
however. One was that the owners of the
bar, who used the gulch In which to dump
would not sell and the Other was efforts to
wo k other portions of the Rnlch had
failed because of the difficulty OF reaching
bedrock. Several years ago Prof. Gregory.
a noted English placer mining expert who
had had large experience In the Australian
placer fields examined the ground now
owned by the Gyasshopper gulch company.
In the interest Of an English company. He
made q most careful examination, pros
pectin0 the Ruloh at frequent intervals,
and as a result gave il as his opinion. in n
written report. that there was $50. 900 900 in
gold in the gulch. While negotiations
we're in progress for the acquisition of tho
property by the English the alien law was
passed and that broke up the negotiations.
George F. Cope than began to negotiate
for the property, and two years ago he sue
ceeded In buy ing up every interest Of the
men on tile bars and after that was done 1t
was not difficult to get patents for the en-
tire nine and three-quarter miles and Or
ganizs the company. Then the difficulty
to overcome was how to open up the ground.
The gulch Is almost dead level, and all
attem Its 70 get TO bedrock by pumping had
always failed. A few weeks ago ths Grass-
hopper company dets mined to begin or
erations. and Mr.. Cope went over to start
up the work. He made careful examina-
tion and found, about midway in the gulch.
just tho place to begin. As said before the
ground is almost level, and the general be-
lief was that this was the character of the
entire nine and three quarter miles. Mr..
Cope found a place whsrs there was con-
siderable elevation. ami before returning to
Helena he was able to put number Of men
At work to carry out the plans OF tie com
pany. The method to bs used in opening
up the ground is to start a dain at the
most elevated point. By running 1t $500
feet IL will strike bedrock. 1t
is very advantageous ground to l
drift, as all the gold Is either |
on the bedrock, or within eighteen inches
Of it. he bed, ock is from twenty TO
thirty feet below the surface. Nearly all
he gold taken out in prospecting 10 the size
If a cucumber seed. After the dram ia in .
md mining has begun on :he upper part of
he ground, the company will commence at I
he lower end of the property. near the
river and put in q bedrock
lulne, to work that portion of the ground
below the drain. Next year the company I
will give emp mpovment to $50 men.
1t is not exaggo alton to say that the
company has the biggest placer mining pro- !
ect in the county. Tie is not oba-
ply, another enterp, ise in the country that .
las nearly ten miles of patented virgin
gold bearing ground so rich as thorough
has shown the ground Of the
count to be. The company
ans annie funds on hand to cary on the
work OF developing, AMI 1t will not be
many seasons before the Helena people who
had the ente prise to go into the project
will receive their reward. Mr Core 10 the
and general manager of the COM
pnny.
AT A REDUCED SCALE