The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-30
In OLD PLACER BEDS
They Are Showing Up Some Rich
Copper Groupings.
THE FORTUNES OF COLBERT
Mining News From Helena via Spo-
kane-Captain COUGHS Ventures
The Trail Smelter Troubles
-Cataract's New Road.
THE FORTUNES OF COLBERT


part Of the city are gradually being
turned into a rich copper district.
From the wealth producing Ground
Squirrel westward a dozen new mines
have recently been opened and are
making splendid showings. The latest
strike has been made on the Protec-
ton lode. which adjoins the Hesperus
on the south and covers the old Emery
placer owned by Charles Colbert The
Protection has been bonded to Pat
Mullins. but work on it will not begin
until after New Years. A few days
ago, while engaged in doing repre-
sentation work, Colbert uncovered q
five-foot lead of rich copper ore. Mr..
Mullins will sink double compart-
ment shaft on the ground and explore
II thoroughly. He also has a bond on
the Childe Harold No. and the Green
Copper. In the same vicinity. and Is
working on the former on which he
Is down so feet on an eight-foot vein.
Both properties belong to Colbert, who
also owns the Alta, located between
the Protection and the Childe Harold.
Colbert is one of the oldest placer min
ers In Butte. He came to this district
| in 1866 and has owned and worked all
Dublin gulch down to the fiat below
the city. and now has quartz locations
| placer grounds. Like all old placer
| miners Colbert has little to show for
( the great wealth of gold he has taken
| out of the placer fields In the last rs
| or 30 years but he is at present in a
fair way to make something out Of his
| quartz claims.
| The following bit of local news
reaches Butte from Helena by the
| way of Spokane:
| Prior to 1895 II was only necessary
to hold an unpatented mining claim
from all new prospectors by once a
| year filing a presentation claim. The
paper was filed ususally in the month
of December, a mere matter Of custom
| and habit as regards the month. But
since the first of the present year the
law concerning these unpatented
claims was changed. and to hold one
the owner or owners were compelled to
do 500 work on the same during the
| fiscal year and file a paper to that ef-
feet in November. attested to by three
parties who were able to swear that
the owner had executed work in full
accordance with the law.
THE result of the law was the re-
linquishing of hundreds of claims
throughout Montana by men who
] could not afford to keep all their
claims, or else did not consider them
worth the 500 per year. And on the
other hand II compels those who keep
their claims to either work themselves
or hire others to do so. The result is
that to-day there are a score or more
mines being developed, employing
from to so men which, under the old
law, would probably never have been
developed at all.
There has been much complaint
during the year that this was rich
mans law and that thousands of poor
men have been frozen out Of their
claims. Finally a prominent attorney
of Butte came out with the declaration
that the law was unconstitutional. As
a result many miners did not comply
with the new law and are awaiting
: developments. tF
THE law says that any claim not
; worked in accordance with the Law
and the papers filed. Is subject to con-
tention after the first of the following
year The result will be that on Jan
1, 1896, many of the claims will bs
Jumped by others, when the matter
will be taken into court for settlement
, This prominent attorney stands
ready to defend the claims of bose h,
advised not to do the statutory devel
. opment work and says he will fgh
the matter through every court in thu
land until the supreme court Of tn,
United States in Washington is reach
) ed. He has made long and careful
search in this particular case and evi
IDENTIFY knows what he is talking about
although he refuses to make known
| the grounds for his assertions"
: Captain Thomas Couch, superintend
= emit of the MERGED mine in Coaltervill,
: Cal, and of the Butte & Boston compa
ny's properties at Butte, Is at the Cul
| len, and is laid up from an affection c
the lungs, says the Salt Lake Herald
His condition yesterday was such tina
he could leave his room and he wa
able to converse about mining natter
; Just now. in view of the prominenc
that the Camp Floyd district ha
achieved in mining circles. II Is prope
to mention that Captain Couch was or
of the earliest operators In that di'
trict. Early in the '70s he opened u
what was then known as the Silvs
n Cloud mine, located well up on Lilo
hill, which he operated as a silver mir
but later abandoned II. In speaking
a the present condition of the distris
: yesterday. the captain stated that II
gold values were known to exist whe
| - nx.oro fin0 In nd around levin