The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-07-24
CAMP HEGENER.
A Detailed Description of the
Mines, the Ore, and Charac-
ter of Development.
GREAT poRPHYRY COUNTRY.
Full OF Ore Veins of Wonderful Rich
ness and Beauty.

Early this week our reporter, in COM
pany with D.. J. Condor, visited the late
ly discovered mines on Mackey creek,
about four miles north of Neihart. The
great promise of this new camp, which
its denizens have chIistened "Hegener,"
from the name of its aggressive discov-
ere, is proved beyond question. The
ore bodies already opened are extensive
and rich. New veins are being found
and a large number of claims located.
The formation. is .psrphyry, everywhere
porphyry, and the veins run in various
directions. The mines are reached by
a good wagon road. a comfortable drive,
and all who admire the primitive hustle
and life of a new mining camp should
paw Camp Hegener a social call.
We found the main operator, Joseph
Hegener, busy prospecting upon a new
portion of his ground, to determine more
fully the course of the main vein. 1t
will be understood that Mr.. Hegener has
employed modern horse sense in opening
up this camp; as he has granted a lease
upon every ore-chute discovered, mean
while devoting his W time to exploit
atoms for other bodies of mineral. This
rule of the new camp is commendable,
and at the same time is measurably a
reversal of the rule in the Neihart dis
trict where the average prospector is
afraid lest some one else may make a
few dollars on his ground. Mr.. Hegen-
er has now three outfits of energetic
lease holders plying the pick and the
drill, and fast converting a prospect into
a mine. Every leaser is engaged upon
ore which assays from go to 600 ounces
of silver and carries more or less gold.
Picked samples of one of the mines go
as high as 3700 ounces of silver.
Thos. Westgard and Ole Grendall
have just run their main tunnel through
a pay chute of ore, which is a wonder to
see. The floor of the tunnel presents a
continuous ore body for a distance of
lis feet, which is from 6 to IS inches
wide, and is high grade. In cutting the
top of this chute the boys took out II
tons which will net them a considerable
sum of money. They set in a sinker
today and start a shaft of so feet, from
which they will drift upon the ore and
open slopes. This is the first move in
the new camp to mine below the creek
and the undertaking could not be at
tended with more favorable conditions
than upon this lease of Westgard and
Grendal. The boys will pull out a few
thousand apiece, and will soon be en-
ploying a considerable force.
Ed. Peterson and Mike Erickson are
leasing the same vein farther up the
creek and are working in very rich ore.
They showed us a streak of very pure
black sulphuret of silver about three
inches wide, which made the spectators
eyes bug out like saucers. Such show.
ings are indeed rich and rare. The boys
have made one small shipment which
paid them handsomely, and will soor
make a second with velvety results
They are prospecting wholly by tunnels
and will soon have a modern catacomb'
on the Gold Rock lode. This vein run.
north and south.
The Philippi lode was located upor
an east and west vein, though it is hi.
sected by a north and south ledge upor
which Westgard and Grendal are work
ing. A third lease has been taken by
Hans Westgard and August Ogrin upor
the old Philippi vein, east and west
and these have done considerable work
They started a shaft about 100 feet il
from the mouth of the main tunnel an6
set out to cut the ore body which seem
ed to have sufficient dip to reach a per
pendicular shaft sunk 20 feet. They
were hindered much by wet weather
and caving ground, but are now dowr
20 feet with their shaft. Their calcula
lions were well made; for last Wednes
day they broke into ore, which consist.
of ruby, chloride and brittle silver, ant
is doubtless very rich. They do not ye
know the extent of their ore body, bu'
in an upper tunnel the pay chute herr
is As feet long and 3 inches to a foot il
width. A sample shipment of p ton
of this ore netted 500.
Let the ore bodies of camp Hegene
r continue as they give indications of con
tinuing and a considerable town will
spring up about these mines. And herr
let us remark that if this layout was il
! Colorado or in British Columbia i
t would be a pretext for founding a Tel
' luride or a Fort Steele. The mines o
| Neihart are not doomed. They are jus
s as represented and should our p"opl
: advertise their richness according t
their actual showings we could found
8 more permanent Eureka and a more sub
f s%tantial Cripple creek.