The sun., 1897-06-13
LEDToRD's QUEER ENTERPRISE.
Ills Suit Against .. Mining Company for =. Milk.
Ing " Water from Its Ninc.
From, the Chicapo Record.

From the Chicago Record.
BUTTE, Mont, June Ga peculiar damage
suit is in progress in the District Court OF this
city brought by one Lclfori against the Ana
conda Mining Company, upon the rather novel
charge of having ''milked" the water from the
ST. Lawrence minc one Of its largest copper
properties.
a number of years ago terrible fire ragged
in the st. Lawrence mine. and in the efforts to
eXtinguish the flames the mine was flooded with
water, hut an idea Of the extent Of the confagra-
tion can be gathered from the fact that now.
after all these years, the fire is still burning in
some portions of tho mine. In all the lower
levels the fire was entirely eXtinguished. but in
the older workings. in the upper levels. it has
smouldcrcd year after year. much Of the time
burning quite ferccly.
Ever since tho fire it has been noticed that
the water pumped from the mine was of II pc
culiar color totally different from what it had
previously been. This was supposed to be due
to the conf!agration in some way, but Lcdford
investigated the matter. and having ascer-
tanned by analysis that the water strongly
imprcgnatcd with copper in solution and that
by contact with iron the COPPER could be pre-
discovery to practical use.
He entered into a contract with the Anaconda
Mining Company whereby, for the payment OF a
certain amount of money, he was TO have the
water pumped from the ST. Lawrence mine
of large watts a short distance below the mines
and constructed fipmc 10 connect the watts
with the mines In the bottom of the watts he
placed large quantities of refuse iron, which he
had gathered from: the back streets and alleys
al and ihS OF m then onered e % n:
water from the mine turned int o the fiuIne, and
was Immediately ready for business.
The results from this seemingly insignificant
beginning were remarkable. The precipita-
tion OF copper by this somewhat unique method
developed into IA hourshing business and the
originator or the scheme soon ha,. Cnlnryp
his copper plant by increasing the number and
army Of boz boys to Collect for him the refuse i
of iron. His income from this precipitation
business soon became enormous. extending into
the thousands each month. ranging. it is re-
ported. from $1,000 to $4,000 per month.
while the rental received by the mining com.
pany, which was % per cent of the proceeds,
ngt in the midst Of his igr5easipE prospeEtY
been tampercd with, or ',milkcd in other
words. that il had been robbed Of nrIch OF tho
copper contained in solution before it reached
tho watts. This discovery. together with some
additional facts learned upon inquiry, con
vinccd Iedford that the mining coinpany had
water before IL was allowed 10 leave the mine
He Immediately instituted suit, asking for an
Injunction to restrain the company from pre-
reached the surface and also asking for more
thcr 10000 tan@gGs for . The time Tn -four and
! defendant company had carried on the precipi.
| tation, and which ho claimed had damaged his
| The mining company admitted having pre-
cptatcd copper from the water by means of
old iron thrown into the levels. but claimed
| that they had been compelled to do so for the
| reason that the water had become so highly
| charged with copper that it destroyed the pipes
| throughout the mine. and was even injuring the
! pumps to such an extent that the water could be
rnised to the surface only with the greatest diff
! hculty; hence they had been Obliged to pur-
| chase new pumps. and TO precipitatc II certain
amount OF copper. in the levels in order to pro,
tcct them from injury.
| The company claimed, however, that it had
already discontinued tho work OF precipitation,
and the court therefore refused to issue an in
| junction. ledford. in supplemental COM
| plaint. still demands heavy damages. The
company expect to show for defence that, accord
| ing to the Terms OF the lease. i was under no
obligation to raise the water To tho surface from
! the lower levels of tho mine, but only to turn
the water over to Lcdford after il had reached
| the surface; also that no precipitation had been
carried on excepting what was necessary 10
| protect the working apparatus of the mine, and
| also that the total amount of copper preCipi-
| tatcd by the company during the time com
planned OF did not exceed In value $i00