The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-28
WRITTEN In BOSTON
A Correspondent Charges a Mining
Company With Theft.
THE B. & M. ROBS THE B. & B.
Agent Leman of the Former Cor
porstion Puts the Whole
Story Down as the Raw
ings of a Fool.

Great Falls. Feb. 27-Considerable
comment has been caused here by the
following article, written by the Bos-
ton correspondent of the Copper Coun-
try Times, a journal devoted to copper
mining interests and published at Cal
umet. Mich. The article says: THE
inside history OF the Butte & Boston
mine never has been written. and prob
ably never will be. as those who have
made ii would not care to reveal the
truth. No annual reports have been
made and the stockholders, from lack
of proper appreciation of the situation.
have endorsed the blind poor man
agent from beginning to end but il will
be strange IL some sort of an investiga-
ton is not ordered at or before the next
annual meeting. The company was
launched with pomp and under appar-
emily propitious circumstances. Why ii
has failed to develop as per the original
programme is something which the
shareholders ought to determine at the
earliest possible opportunity. Semi
official advice, from time To time re-
ported. the company was highly sue
cessful, out of debt ans with good pros
poets for paying divioends. IL now
transpires that just the opposite has
been the case.
"A gentleman who has had inside IN 3.
formation on Butte & Boston matters
occasionally tells the writer that, al
though provision was made for a sink
ing fund of 500, 900, to be paid annual
ly toward the redemption of the first
Issue of $1,O00,000 Z per cent. ten-year
bonds, not one dollar has been appro-
priated thus far for that purpose. He
also is of the opinion that If the truth
were known, 1T would be found that the
excellent showing made by the Boston
G. Montana mine was due, I'm fact to
the Butte & Boston. III other words
Butte & Boston stockholders have been
robbed for the benefit of Boston & Mon
tana shareholders. by selling the cop
per produced in the Butte d Boston
mine as Boston & Montana product
and crediting their proceeds to the re-
ceipts of the latter company. The in
evitable accident which always hap
pens to interrupt and expose a crooked
career seems to have occurred I'm this
instance, and Butte & Boston share
holders doubtless will meet with many
unpleasant surprises when the truth is
revealed"
In discussing the sensational charges
contained in the above article with
Standard reporter tonight, Agent Lee
man. who resides in this city and is a
stakeholder in the company. said:
Inere Is aDSOlutely no truth IN the
story as printed in the Calumet Times.
1t Is without foundation or fact and is
malicious from beginning to end. For
some time past sensational charges
have been made with the idea to injure
the Boston & Montana, but this last
assertion is not based on even ordinary
common sense. The Boston & Montana
courts a thorough investigation of its
business methods at all times. The ar
ticle in the Times was evidently writ
ten by some disgruntled sorehead who
has a grievance of some kind against
the Boston & Montana people. The
Butte & Boston company will probably
be reorganized in the near future. Its
present condition is largely due to the
fact that a large block of it's stock is
tied up in the Davis estate and cannot
be utilized at this time, owing to the
estate being in charge of the courts.
The charges of theft of ore and the like
will not be believed for an instant by
mining men who are familiar with the
class of ore mined by the two compa-
MES. The Boston & Montana ore is
much richer than the Butte & Boston
ore, and there is enough Of the former
in sight to keep the smelters going for
the next few years. Put the whole
story down as a lie pure and simple"