The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-07

For the first time in thirteen years
there is no longer any activity in and
Immediately around the McCune wood
camp near Anaconda, Mantana. The
reason for this sudden change is the
suspension of all operations there by
the Anaconda Fluming company, Of
which President McCune, of the Salt
Lake City Railroad company, is the
president. Indications are that the i'm
portant industry which has been car
ried on by this company for so long
past. that of furnishing wood for the
smelters of Anaconda and the mines
of Butte, is now a. thing of the past,
and most certainly this will prove to
be the case unless there is q change in
conditions to those which now obtain.
Speaking of this suspension and the
past work of the company, the Ana
conda Standard says;
Work has been suspended for the
season, perhaps for longer time, at
McCune's wood camp, the thriving set
tlement that for the past thirteen years
has been one of Anaconda's leading
tributaries and industries.
The cause of the change is that
which actuates many changes in bust
ness-it is done for economy. The ex-
pense attached to keeping ND the fume
IS heavy, the cost of getting wood to
the hume was growing greater each
year The wood cut during the late
seasons was carried down the steepest
mountain sides by burros, thence by
drag sledS, then on a, traInWay. a cable
railroad for miles at a stretch. and
then down a chute into pond. 1t
traVersed two mountains before it was
ready to start on the float down the
valley.
The enterprise was begun about tlair-
teen years ago, when David Nagle had
the wood contract for supplying the
smelters with wood. He was succeed
ed by John Caplice and A. w. NC
Cune, then contractors, railroad build
ers and business men of Walkerville
Later on Mr.. Caplice sold his interests
and the business, which had been stea-
Oily growing, passed into the hands Of
the Anaconda Fluming company. of
which A. w. McCune is president, w,
Il. Hoge vtce-president, W. NJ. Thorn
ton secretary and treasurer The cap
ital stock is $4,000, all paid I'D.
From small beginnings the camp has
come to be the largest institution of
the klHd IN une United States. It's pro-
duct is all used as fuel. The camp is
In the heart of the mountains. and the
wood is shipped thirty-seven miles nv
tiume into the valley. The wafer
which carries the freight of fuel is sto-
len from the Atlantic ocean. and h.
clever scheme of engineering carried
across the continental divide and sent
scurry1ng away to the Pacific ocean
from the headwaters of the Missouri
1t is transferred to the stream which
IS the beginning Of the Columbia river,
In the building of the flume a fortune
was spent at the rate of So, 600 per mile.
Every year from $1,000 to $4,000 mas
been expended in keeping the lone.
winding trough in repairs.
On an average 300 men have heen
given employment from year to wear
About 100000 cords of wood have
been cut in this camp. and the greater
part OF 1T was consumed by the smeJt-
ers of this city and the mines of Butte
In the days when wood was the fue1
used in the smelter furnaces. from
1000 to 1880 cords a day went nm in
smoke; the mines used from 100 10 125
cords more each day This is now q
thing Of the past. ard coal is the fuel
OF the present and the future.
Superintendent Dudley paid off the
choppers and haulers on Wednesday
An inventory ts being taken of the
stock In the store. and one or two
Watchmen and men to care for Tho
horses will soon be all that remains of
a once busy settlement