The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-12
WITH PICK AND SHOVEL.
How Hon. W. A. Clark. Of Butte,
Commenced His Mining
Experience
Ho Is Now Building a Railroad 20
His Copper Mines In
Arizona.
The Fres MiIIiaE Geld Camp OF bonider
sud Its Inmsnss Deposits OF
ore.

recent number OF the san Francisco
Chronicle has the following interesting
sks,sh Of Hon. W. A. CLARK. Of Bate; Mr.
Clark has Just returned from Arizona. He
owns the United Verde copper mine At
Jerome. which has an enormous daily out-
put Of clean copper. lie IL projecting
railroad there ia order 10 get In hissupplies
aud ship his copper. Because OF these IN
tereats he has lately spent some time al Je-
rome. The dispatches a week ago told
somsthing OF the plans Mr.. Clark had on
foot. but they were meager. The BONANZA
kina mas a striking personality. lie came
west 20 the Gregory gold mines IN Colorado
In 1862. and ten years later went TO Mon
tana. He began with pick and shovel
and all Of his great fortune has been
amassed sines then by his own en-
dsavors. He says the United Verde
COPPER mines were acquired BY
him BY bond five years ago. There are
about a dozen claims In all In she combina-
tlon. and he IL nov working about 26O men
thsre. There is plant OF very costly ma
chinerV 20 she ninss Including mills Tor
treatment OF ore. The mineral 10 frat re-
duoed 20 q copper matte. 80 per cent me
and then put through the BesssmeT process.
by which bullion consisting Of ~ rer cent
clean COPPER 10 turned out. The Bessemer
process IL very similar 60 that used for
making steel. SIncs the bullion Is almost
pure its cost OF shlpnent Is naturally re-
dsssd. bu; Il costs a great deal 20 get in
coal. coke and TIE various other things
ussd Al Jerome. Its because Of this that
CLARK IL pushing his railroad.
4 49, NfHnn HmF
he. and row have engineers out running
another one. If they get grade that 10 a.
all feasibls I will start in at once and build .
the road. Il will BE- q short one-only I
about thirty miles loug-but very costly. I
The direct distance is only seventeen miles, /
but the detached ridge Of mountains the I
Black hills. through and over which must
Oct 20 reach the santa Ee, Prescott 4 fhU- /
niH branch Of ths Atlantic Iaeiae, 10 very /
roueh. The mAin range OF the ROCKY noun
tains west Of Helena Il nothing 30 u. There .
are innumsFAble RorGes putting In every
wav like threads. We will have 10 twist
and turn and build many tunnels. went
over the entire route while VAS there this
time, and 10 was about the toughest "Trip
ever had IN she vest.
whether shall make IL = standard or
thfee-foot gauge. II can get p per nj
grade l will make 10 a standard, but II I
cannot approach that will probably adopt
the other gauge. The foad l am TO con-
meet with is standard. bui can manage by
getting my road on a higher grads 10 un-
load into she other cars Withoat much eK-
tra cost
II nav bald standard gauge and put on /
Shay locomotives. These are nov being \
ussd in Utah. They climb grade Of SIX
or seven per cent They can make abrupt I
turnG They are built low ana have many 1
large wheels or what theJ call large wheel
surface. The engines are put in vertically, /
too. watch gives them < eat power.
when the road il finished the force Of
men will be largely increased. A the
present rrios Of copper don't think shall
increase the daily product, but / can de-
velop the property. and besides have some
argentiferous ores there 10 which attention
will then be given.
"Atizona Is unlike Montana. 10 having i
its mining camps detached ana isolated.
In Montana you fad mines and mining
camps every few miles, but In Arizona II is
different. The mineral, thoagh usually
found in large quantities Is not so con
tinuoua over the country. beslder this
there is oftentimcs a lack OF water For
tunately for me / have what need, and .
could get any amount by moving the mills
TO the Verde r.yef. s0mo hEe miles aWaV."
Mr. CLARK is the owner OF the Bate Re
duction works at Butte and Is large owner
there Ia connection with n. i. hll, Henry
Colorado Reduction and Refining com nanY.
He Is also ths owner Of the Bank VI Butte
and tho Butte Daily Miner.
These possessions are rather insignia
cant, however. com pared with his silver and .
copper mining intsiests Ia Montana, ldaae .
and elsewhere. lie is heavily Interested Ia .
many propertiss aud. all things consid-
cred, 10 one OF the most striking examples Q
OF great success N 10 iu.ng IN tie west.
10 his opinion nearly all the substantial I
information on which 70 base the Judgment I
as 90 the value and psTmauence OF great /
mines has been acquired IA tbs last twenty I
years Bsfore that all was largely conjecture +
and luck. Now. although luck figures some /
times in getting possession OF good mine ]
more dspoEds on It's management he
way Of working handling the o and the
building Of suoh mills a. are properly re
quired, test she Judgment and skill. A
man with good business qualifications. De
snys IL 4 obably more liable 90 succeed
than any other. yet he ought 70 be judge
Of a mine. know how 20 work it I ON a
practical AMI technical experience. and
have az definite a knowled.e a. possible Of
AL these things Mining % nov reduced
90 a system. 10 Is not what 10 once was.
Mr.. Clark had the misfortune 20 loss his
wife short time ego. She died o. New
York of typhoid feyer. Mr.. Clark has an
Office ia New York. Hnd will leave 90 NOR
row for that CITY. lie sxpecfa 90 return %
California IN about two months.