The indicator. (Pueblo, Colo.) 1894-1911, 1897-06-19
"MILKED" THE MINE WATER.
Suit Involving a Unique Montana Industry

Suit Involving a Unique Montana Industry
A peculiar damage suit is in prog
ress in the district court of Butte
Montana, brought by one Ledforl
against the Anaconda Mining Com
pany, upon the rather novel charge of
having ''milked" the water from the
st. Lawrence mine, one of its largest
copper properties.
\ number of years ago Il terrible
fire ragged in the St Lawrence mine,
and i'll the efforts to cNtin-uish the
flames the mine WAS flooded with wa
ter, but an idea of the extent of the
cont gra ton can he gathered from
the fact that now. after all these years
the fire is still burning in some por-
tons of the mine. In all the lower
levels the fire was entirely eNtin.
guishcd. but in the older workings. in
the upper levels. 1t has smoldered
year after year. much Of the time
burning quite tiercely.
Ever since the fire it has been no.
ticed that the water pumped from the
mine was of a peculiar color, totally
different from what il had previously
been. This was supposed to be due to
the lagration in some way, but
Lcdford investigated the matter and
having asccrtaincd by analysis that
the water was strongly impregnated
with copper in solution and that by
contact with iron the copper could b,
precipitated. he Immediately proceed
ed to put his discovery to practical use
He entered into n contract with the
Anaconda Mining company whereby
for the payment of certain amount
of money. he was to have the privil
nF ,i,-tt a
water pumped from the ST. Lawrence
mine. Having sccured his much. he
built number of large watts shor,
distance below the mines and con
structcd a tlume to connect the watts
with the mines. In the bottom of the
watts be placed large quantities of refuse
iron. which he had gathered from til,
back streets and alleys of the city. con
sisting of scraps of iron. tin cans and
cast-of ironware. lie then ordered the
water from the mine turned into tn,
numc and was Immediately ready fol
business.
The results from this seemingly in.
significant beginning Were remarkable
The precipitation of copper by this
somewhat unique method developed
into n fourishing business and the or
iginator of the scheme soon had to On
large his copper plant by increasing
the number and size Of his watts. while
he employed II small army of boys tc
collect for him the refuse scraps OF
iron. His income from this precipta
ton business soon became enormous
extending into thousands each month
ranging, it is reported. from $1,000 tt
$4,000 per month. while the rental re-
ccivcd by the mining company, which
..Ff ...Is N1r,i.
no small sum.
But in the midst of his increasing
prosperity Lcdford suddenly discov
cred that the water had been tampcrcu
with. or "milkcd'-in other words, thai
it had been robbed of much of til,
copper contained in solution before Il
reached the watts. This discovery. To
Gethe. with some additional fact.
learned upon inquiry, convinced Led
ford that the mining company had
been making use of his own process.
upon the water before it was allowed
to leave the mine
lie Immediately instituted suit. ask
ing for an injunction to restrain the
company from prccipitating copper
from the water before it reached the
surface, and also asking for more thar
S20,uOO damages for the time-fouI
ana oHc-nHli months during Whlcn he
alleged the defendant company had
carried on the precipitation and which
he claimed had damaged his business
to the extent of 10000 per month.
The mining company admitted lIav.
ing precipiiated copper from the wa,
ter by means of old iron thrown in the
levels. but claimed they had been com
PEELED to do so for the reason that the
water had become SO highly charged
with the copper that it destroyed the
pipes throughout the mine and was
even iniuring the pumps to such an
extent that the water could lie raised
to the surface only with the greatest
difficulty; hence they had been Obliged
to purchase new pumps and to prccip.
itnte n certain amount of copper in
the levels in order to protect them
from injury.