The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-17
A PENOBSCO7 COLO BAR.
Manager Frank Longmaid Brings in
One Valued at Nearly
$4,000.
The Result OF a Ninety Days
Run Of a Ten-Stnmp
Mill.
Tho Whitlach-U Union and Mcintyre Show
Tho whitlach- Union and Mcintyre show
Ing Up in N Way That VIII Plenss
tho stockholders.
A cold bar displayed at tho Merchants

"A ROlo DuE dl6PtaSeu az euo
National bank yesterday. attracted a 9teat
deal of attention, FIRST because of its value.
and second because it came from tho fam
GUS old-time Penobsoot min The gold
was brought i'll a few days ago by Manager
Frank Longmaid. of the Penobscot. and
was run into a bar at the United States
assay office. 1t weighed 100 pounds and ak
ounces and contained SCI. 96S. and was the
result OF q three-months run. The largest
bar that ever came from the Penobscot was
when the mine was owned by Nate Nestal.
1t was valued at 800, 900 and up to that time
Was the largest god bar produced by a
Montana mine and attracted attention
from all o7or the country.
Tho penobscot is among the noted gold
mines of the state. and is perhaps better
known than any other gold property IN
Montana. In tho early days ii was owned
principally by Nate Vestal, and produced a
good many Thousand dollars. III those
days the only rock milled was that which
showed gold by psnning, and i'll the last
wear it was operated there was no assayer
employed. Finally il was abandoned as
being worked out and was allowed to re-
main idle for a number of years. Seven
or eight years ago j. II. Longmald, the
we'll known mining man. bought It Tor a
few thousand dollars and with a small!
force and by working only the rich ore that
could be easily taken out was supposed TO
have cleared quite q snug sun. He
ouly operated il u short time and did no de-
velopmsn work of consequences. About q
year ago j. FL. Longmaid, Jr.. and his
brother Frank, sons of ]. H.. IonRmRid. ST.,
purchased the Penobscot from their father.
Both of the gentlemen had been connected
with the Golden Leaf Mining Co. for sew
sral years, the elder as manager and the
younger az his right hand man. When J.
II, Lonomaid took hold Of the Empire. the
company was virtually bankrupt. He paid
oil its debts and run it at a profit until
every bit of mineral bearing rock in the
Empire mine had been stopped and mllled.
At the Empire they took rock OF 80 low
grade that it WAS considered impossible to
and made i. pay. They reduced the
average expenses per ton OF reducing the
Empire ore, including mining. milling.
management and all other expenses, il the
writer remembers correctly, to $40 \ ton.
With this record, whom they took bold
predicted they would make il pay if the ole
was in the min They have conclusively
demonstrated they will mako it pay. but
thsy have not yet worked any ore tEey have
themselves broken down.
Al examination of the waste heaps and
careful assays after the Iongmaid Bros.
purchased the Penobscot convinced Shem
that by using the same methods they had
at Empire-running everything through
tho mill, and letting the ore be sorted there.
instead Of being sorted on the dump-they
could run 1t at a profit. A ten-stamp mill
was purchased and was placed In such a
position that tie mine shaft is
right in its rear, the boiler and
engine ars next to it, and the engineer can
run the hoist. pump the water from the OLD
shaft for the mill, and attend to his engine.
The mill has bean running just three
months, and during that time has crushed
on an average Of fogty-six tons of rock a
dav. the average value Of the rock being
So so a ton. What they have run through
the mill Is slate thrown on the waste dump
II ore lefs above the 10O-foot level by the
old company. With the big slate there is
a great deal Of fine stuff, and from the lat
ter the best returns have come. They have
shipped a car of tailinga to the smelter that
nettsd $45, and they have three-quarters OF
Q mile of sluice boxes, lined with copper
plate. running from the mill. SO that the
very smallest percentage Of the yellow
metal will get away.
The old shaft on the mine is down 1856
g bab HlA5 lio AuSp Lad oSS bASAkA
below IL is all right. A new shaft has been
started, now down 1G0 feet. This will be
pushed 200 feet deeper Immediately, and
later TO 800 feet. In addition a tunnel has
been started, now IN 100 feet. This will be
continued 1000 feet. when it will strike the
3OO-foot level. This tunnel Was started on
the vein and is following it. If the Long
maid Bros. can get nearly $4,000 out of
waste ore. with a ten-stamp mill, In ninety
days. the probability is that when they
get their development work further along
and begin working new rock the famous old
Penobscot will rival her palmy days.
Speaking yesterday of the Golden Leaf
company, j. II. Longmaid, the general
manager. said that the Empire mine was
completely worked out. but that the Bell
Boy. q recent purchase of the Golden Leaf
company, was looking very we'll and that
the mill at Empire was now running on ore
from it. Mr.. Longmaid is managing the
affairs OF the English syndicate.