The weekly tribune., 1894-01-26
Organizes the Montana and Illinois
Gold Mining Company with
Great Success.
Visits Louisville, Chicago. and Other
Places, and Sells Thousands of
Shares at s. Each.
Ropes in His COlOred Brethren and
Sells Stock for Good Hard
Cash,

HELENA, Jan 22.-The latest thing in
mining circles is the outcome of a we'll
known mining scheme. Charles Porter
Grove, more generally known through
out Montana as "Blue Dick" has arp;4r-
emily reached the crisis in his carr as
president OF the Montana & Illno COY
Mining company About a yea, -ago
Grove, DIR. Norman Crooker IF Chicago
and Francis Brooks. whose address is
unknown, organized under the laws Of
Montana the Montana & Illinois Gold
Mining company. The capital stock was
placed at s5,OOO,0OO, divided into 1,OOO,-
GOO shares of s. each. Beyond the fact
OF its incorporation and Groves some
what notorious reputation nothing was
known of the company or of its prop
erty. Grove was known to be the owner
of half dozen or more prospects in
Jefferson county near Radersburg, stu
ated on what is known as Coon ridge.
The name was given the ridge by tbs
miners of the district owing to the fact
| that Grove is a cOlOred man.
Some two months after the organiza-
tion of the company Grove left Montana.
| The next heard of him was early in
November, 1898. when numerous inauir-
les were received in Helena regarding
| Grove, who was posing in Louisville.
KY, as millionaire Montanian and the
president of the aforesaid mining com
pany. 1t developed that Grove had won
the affections of colored girl and the
confidence of numerous colored people
OF both sexes on the strength Of his
alleged rich mining properties He mar
ried the girl ane sold the confiding COL
ored brothers and sisters large blocks of
the stock at uniform price of s. per
share--the par value.
Leaving Louisville with his bride
after swell wedding that stirred Ken
tucky colored society to its depths,
"Blue Dick" journeyed to Chicago
most lucrative field in which to disposa
of mining stock was in church circles.
In the windy city, therefore, be hunted
up the pastors and the pillars OF the
colored churches. "Blue Dick" despite
his lack of education, is very smooth
and convincing talker, especially OF min
ing propositions, as numerous white
men in Helena can testify to their
financial loss. Grove had little difficulty
in arranging for meetings at the
churches, whore he could deliver ad-
dresses on the subject of the great
fortune that would come to those who
would invest in shares of the Montana
IL Illinois Gold Mining company. As
the result Of these meeting he sold in
Chicago several thousand shares at the
regular price, 81 per share
BY this time the scheme had been
we'll pulled, at1 inquiries were made for
dividends So Blue Dick" caIled
meeting, said he was ready TO go TO
work, and those who wanted 10 work ia
the mines, if they purchased one share
so he would give them work AT SlO5
per month. This vas accepted and Dick
made another cleanup.
A few days after he selected thirteen
men to go. They paid their own fare
and accompanied by "Iur Dick" his
wife, and her brother Game to Montana.
Three of the men were told they would
be located in Helena, where one would
have an office, the other two to work on
gold mine on Rodney street, which
clam Is SAID to be worthless, and to
which he had no title.
While on the trip Grove changed his
mind, and instead of these men going to
1AS'phu thSy "Cip pCll ~ '.tOI huge,
while their trunks cane 10 Heller.
Grove put Howard, who had never
been west of Chicago, in charge as man
ager. These men Were turned into 2
cabin without furniture while Grove
and his wife stayed in Radersburg). ari
no tools furnished them. Inquiry being
made by them they found Groves pyop-
erty consisted Of five or six prospect
holes, and two fairly developed mines
that might possibly pay with deveIoy
ment, but the only money ever made b
him was selling interests to Helsua
people.
When the month was up they rectiy.
ed from the manager $40 in cash al / 4
certificate for 10 shares of stock. which
by Groves figures made Sl05 OF course
the men protested vigorously and wrote
to the other officers of the company, but
got no reply On January s, these men
went to Helena Since then they have
made enquiries and have concluded they
were grossly deceived, The four nen
appear gentlemanly people, and of some
education, one being 8n excellent dentist
who since his arrival has been employed |
by a leading dentist in Helena