Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1896-11-20
GENERAL MANAGER KLEPETKO
superintendent Of the Shelters An
pointed to Succeed Captain
Couch.


The resignation of Captain Thomas
Couch was Saturday accepted by the
board of directors of the Boston snd
Montana company, and Frank Klepetko,
VINO has been superintendent of the
Great Falls smelter, was named to fill the
vacancy. Manager Klepetko will prob.
ably continue to reside at Great Falls.
where he will have, as in the past,
charge OF the smelling plant, but be
Will also manage the mines of the Bos-
ton and Montana in Butte. Captain
Couch is O in California at the Mer-
ced gold mine and was yesterday mott
he'd by the secretary of the company
that his resignation had been accepted,
MIR. klepetko will be in Butte in the
course of a few days and take active
charge of the properties. He is already
familiar with the the properties of the
Boston and Montana and it is under.
stood that the present working force of
the company in this city will continue
tho same as under the management of
Captain Couch. The mines, it is under
stood, will be worked along on the lines
lald down by Captain Couch in the past
and the reserve bodies of ore 10 the
Mountain View, Pennsylvania and Col
usas will be kept as they have been since
the mines were opened. 1t is known
that klepetko and Couch have always
been warm personal friends and that
hlepetko was thoroughly in accord with
the views OF Couch on mining generally.
Frank klepetko ia a native OF Hun
gary and is about 40 years of age. He
graduated from the Columbia School of
Mines at New York in the year 1878 and
his first employment in the capacity of
mining engineer was with the Conglom-
crate Mining company in Michigan on
Lake Superior, In 1881 he was trans
ferred to the Osceola copper mines,
where he served as mining engineer for
several years under the well known
Captain Daniels. Some years later he
was put in charge Of the large Copper
Rolling and Smelling plant at Dollar
Bay, Michigan. In 1892 Mr.. Klepetko
took charge of the construction of the
Great Falls amelter and has been super
%intendent OF the plant ever since.
u have known klepetko for % years
and consider him a first class mining
man" said Capt. G. II. Palmer last
night, "He worked for many years in
the big copper mines Of the Lake Su-
perlor district and has u splendid repu-
ta'lon among mining men generally. He
is all right and is a good man for the
position, The company could not have
made a better choice for the place"
Mr.. hlepetko is we'll known in Butte,
as be has been a frequent visitor to the
city for several years. He has a wife
and two children and has many friends
in different parts Of the state.
capt, Couch. the retiring manager,
has hosts of friends in Butte who will be
sorry to hear that he will no longer be a
resident of Montana. He has been man
of the Boston and Montana proper
Ties IN the west since the organization of
the company. Under his management
the company has had net profits amount
ing to over 100000 and he leaves the
properties here in splendid condition,
the profits Of the company the
treat Falls smelling plant, costing over
TWO millions of dollars, has been con.
n five millions paid to the
in dividends. Capt. Couch
still! has charge Of the MERGED gold mines
n California, in which he is a large
'tockholder. The stock Of this company
8 held largely by the Boston and Mon.
ana people. He will probably return TO
about the first of the year 10 set
lie up his affairs. He stated before he
on his present trip that he did net
to remain in the state. 1t is said
le contemplates engaging in mining op-
IL Mexico, where he will pro.
eed after his visit to California Butte
Miner, Saturday.
The poston News Bureau says: sit {
8 said that Messrs. Lawson, Weldcnfeldt
!. Co. have secured an option of So per s
hare on the 10000 shares of Butte and i
stock held by the Davis estate, c
nd that Captain Couch will be engaged /
0 manage the property, but the Butte |
nd Boston people say that the 10000 r
of Davis estate stock are SO tied
p in litigation that no one can have an \
ption upon Them