The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-22
It Gives Promise Of Turning Out the
Yellow Metal as in the Old
Days.
The Present Owners Have no Rea-
son to Be Dubious of Its
Future
something About the Development ON the
Property and tho Methods Used In Min
ing and Milling the Ore.

0AVeO OH WIG TlukO WAASo ~ - ~ 49,
main chain Of the Rocky mountains. There
are two claims on the vein--the Penobsco
and the Snow Drift, the property taking III
name from the former. The strike OF thu
vein ia about sixty degrees east OF nortl
and south OF west. The vein is believed te
DO a true assure. cutting through the mag
nesien slate, the bedded rock of that re
cion, and a dyke of Butte granite" Thu
hanging wall at the eastern end Of the veil
10 granite. The dip 10 to the north, and 81
far az explored is about eighty degree
from horizontal.
At the line separating the two claims !
the discovery shaft. which has been sun
over 100 feet, to the 100 level. The or
chute here was not of great length. beini
about $50 feet on the surface, and at the 10t
level about 1870 feet. The ore in this chute
was not as rich as in the eastern chute. or
which the old working shaft was started.
At a point 400 feet east of the discovery
shaft, an air shaft was sunk by
the former owners to the 100 level
This is the present working shaft. 1t has
been sunk to the 200 level. and is being
continued down to the 800 level. where it is
expected to encounter the rich ore-chuts
found in the old working shaft. and will.
as quickly as possible. be carried down to
the 5OO-foot level or as far as the ore-chute
continues.
The old working shaft is go feet east OF
The present working shaft, and has caved
to the 100 level. Below that level it is in
good order. 1t is 4S6 feet deep, with levels
every fifty fest. The 100 level is about
1000 feet long, the 200 level about $50 feet
long, the 800 level $50 feet long, and below
this the levels are short and are now under
water.
About 200 feet east of the old working
shaft, the vein divides. or. more probably,
there lie large slate horse in the vein. On
the 100 level the point of this supposed
horse is $50 feet east of the old working
shaft. at the 800 level she point of the horse
il a few feet west of the same shaft. show
ing that the horse is dipping toward the
west and the east ore-chute follows this
same course, being largest and richest at
the point OF the horse. which marks its
eastern boundary. North of this horse the
weir is two feet wide. and south of the
horse the vein averages foul feet wide. A
orosscut from the 200 level. about twenty
feet from the western point, shows that the
horse u eighteen fe6t VIDE.
Some fifty feet west of the discovery
shaft, a winzs was sunk in ore fifty feet
from the 100 level. On a branch vein,
which 10 united to the main vein east of the
discovery shaft. and which it is believed i.
united with it again further west. three fee
of ore was found that was taken out BY
John Longmaid, the father of the presen,
proprietots, which carried over Il dollar
worth of gold to the pound OF ore. While
this was the richest body Of ore Of any Rreat
size that was found in the mine. many
samples were found that were much richer.
One large sample of carbonate of lead. which
carried nearly 80 per cent lead. contained
five dollars worth Of gold to the pound OF
ore.
feet west of the present working shaft, anC
from orosscuts on the surface it is believed
to be tho Penobsoot vein. A tunnel is now
being driven on this vein. which is in abou
300 feet. which will tap the 300 level. Orr
has been found in this vein all the way, Blu
no rich shoot has yet been encountered.
body Of good ore has recently been exposed
between the 100 and 200 levels, just east o
the present working shaft.
The Penobscot was formerly owned ant
worked by Nathan Vestal, and was sold b,
him to n Michigan company, in which Capt
Frue, now deceased, was a large stock.
holder. Capt. Frue WAS a remarkable man
and had q most remarkable career. II
stood six feet and a half high. and was
man of fine proportions. He grew up or
ignorant boy in an Irish coal mine, wher
drinking and fighting were the principa
pastimes, and at the latter Frue had II
superior in his locality. and held his owl
we'll in the former. He met a noted ma
in the ring. n in a desperate encounter h
was SO unfortunate as to kill his antngon
ist, for which he was compelled to leay
Irnlorl nv ofoa1kh oacQp inn tn tho fTpifa
States. where he first worked in the Penn
sylvania coal mines. He there became &C
Quainted with the lady whom he afterWard
married. She had a high character an
great good sense. and her influence upo
Capt. Frue was such that his ambition wa
turned to higher and better things. ah
taught him to read and write, and change
his whole career for the better. Leavin
Pennsylvania, he went to the copper mine
OF Michigan, and on the discovery of
silver mine on one of the islands of LAX
Superio-, he became interested in it, an
that interest made him very wealthy
When he died his mining investments alon
were sold for $3, 600, 600. His greatest con
tributlon to the mining world was the i'll
vention of the vanner which bears hi
name.
Under the management of Capt. Ftue'
company the mine was not a dividen
payer, and it was shut down and final
sold by order of court, and John Long
maid became the purchaser. He put b,
son Frank in charge, n in a short tim
over $4,000 was cleaned up out of IL
property, leaving a profit of over $1,000
Mr.. Longmaid, last year, sold the mine
his son Henry. who, taking his brothe
Frank and Charles into partnership vii
him, is now operating the property. Fran
ia the manager and superintendent.
The mill is connected with the sha
hnpoa and tba rniIl and bniut = o,nr.t
by the same engine and engineer. The o
and waste ID holsted in Il self-duInp ir
skip" the shaft following the inclin
The ore is dumped upon ''gtizzlies." II
finer part going into one bin, and 81
coarser Is shoveled into the rockbreake
which ia conveniently at hand. where it
crushed ana falls INTO another bin. II
waste is thrown into the waste car ne
by. Whey waste ia hnisted in the akip
is emptied directly in the waste chr. Mott
ing could be more convenient than the Il
ranRement for handling the ore. and in l
way could it be handled easier or cheapt
The rockbreaker is one of such oapaol
that 1T will crush all the rock a man CT
shovel into ii, and the bina are sufficient
large to hold several days' auppl
The time of the hand at the rockbreaker
not all taken up in feeding it, and he hel
in the mill at other work; neither does
work at night, being able to fill tho bins
well as perform othor work i'll the ten hou
he 10 employed. The water for tho mill
pumped from the mine, and there will 4
ways be sufficient to run n twenty-etar
mill. Ii more water should ever bs want
it can DO had near by with little expense.
The ten-stemp mill was made to ord
after the designs OF the Longmaid brothe
by Frazer d Chalmers, ana is one of t
best ever made by them. The STAN
weigh 1.050 rounds each, and the morta
are heavier and narrower than usual. L
acraaua are btoupht much usnrer The sta