The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-22
IT IS MERELY RUMOR
Building of SmelterS and the COnsoli-
datOn Of Mining Interests.
NOURISHING FOND HOPES
Granite County People Would JOY
fully Receive News of the Con-
firmatIon of the Widely Cir
cuIated Reports-Gossip.

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Philipsburg, Jan. 20.-There is some
talk of the erection of large shelters
near the mouth of Boulder creek be-
tween Flint and Stone stations on the
Drummond and Philipsburg branch.
This information is given out by those
who pretend to know something about
it, whether they do so or not remains
to be proved. Apparently no one knows
who is going to put up the money or
when it is proposed to commence oper-
alton, therefore the statement is al
together premature and would not be
mentioned now except that II Is sub
ject of common talk throughout the
town. That the point indicated would
be advanta geous for such an enterprise
there can be no doubt. but In this case
IL may be that the wish that II might
be so is the father TO the. thought.
Speaking of smelters and other min
ing matters is a reminder that news
comes floating up here from st. Louis
that there is a scheme on foot for the
amalgamation into one company or the
Alps company property and that OF
Charles ID. Mcclure, at present under
the management of Frank ID. Brown,
all located in the Harvey creek district.
The Alps people have a good mill, some
fairly good ground, an invaluable wa
ter right and geographical position
which, in a military sense, gives them
command of the country Immediately
surrounding them, while the Mcclure
interests are represented by ~ odu
claims, chief among them being the
Hidden Treasure claim, with a thou
sand or more tons of good ore on the
dump and almost an unlimited supply
in sight and no place available for the
erection of any sort of works, ana the
country being so rugged as TO preclude
the possibility of shipment with any
thing like a decent profit. 1t would
seem to an outsider having no interests
either way, that ii would be quite pos
sible to make a business arrangement
between the two concerns that would
not only be of great benefit to those
interested, but to the people of the dis
trict and county generally. such an
arrangement would result in, perhaps,
the strongest financial gold mining
company in the state, and would be
dividend payer from the date of the
first cleanup. OF course this talk. like
that of the smelter. may be a little pre-
mature, but as talk is the principal
stock in trade of many people here
abouts at present, the repetition of one
or two items can do no particular
harm.
1t is frequently said Of some one who
has made a success of a mining enter
prise IndI ne WAS LUCKY, Mntis do a
matter of fact, there was little or no
| luck about it, A case in point is that
of Frank Grimes. the managing lessee
| of the Trout property which has been
| lying idle for the past IA or Is years.
one frequently hears someone who does
not believe in good judgment or good
management, say that Grimes is
lucky" The truth is that the fact of
| there being good ore and lots of it in
| the Trout mine has always been known
/ to nearly every one in any way con-
nected with mining affairs in the dis
| trict. 1t was simply a question of MAX
/ ing a business arrangement with the
owners that would be equitable, this
| based upon the estimate of cost in
| reaching the ore bodies. Mining engi-
| neers who would be much nearer their
natural walk in life as off-bearers on
| a potato ranch, estimated that the cost
/ would and could not be less than $780,
600. and more likely $4,000. and Mr.
| Grimes luck came in by knowing that
| he could do IL for $4,000, and by actual
| ly doing IL for less than this amount
he is dubbed lucky" while the other
fellows think that it was because the
stars were wrong that they did not get
the lease or bond the property. 81
There is an epidemic Of leasing here
now, or at least of trying to lease. and
anyone who has a disposition to work
can get backed for money sufficient to
! commence any reasonably good look
ing lease. This probably comes about
from the reaction of the stock purchas-
I ing disease so prevalent and so finan-
cially fatal for the past few years, most
! people now figure ii out that stock that
is urged upon the market rarely proves
of value, and that stock having real
value behind IL is not often offered for
sale except in cases where the owner
! thereof is forced to dispose of his
holdings There is no great amount of
leasing now being done, but ii is known
that there are many who are anxious
ly looking for opportunities to work
somebody else's ground where the value
is in sight. If satisfactory businesses ar
| rangements can be made.
|
| Boston Wool.
Boston. Jan. 2l.-Sales of wool are