The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-10

property. This ore contains some gold
and silver, 20 per cent lead and now and
then an excess of 30 per cent. 1t seems
to be the desire of the community
about the Bridges that this smelling
property should fall into the hands of
Messrs Owsley and Schatzlein, as then
1t would be an assured fact that any
and all indebtedness contracted by the |
company would be paid, and those
operating mines throughout the county
no doubt would ship great deal OF ore
to them. and with the assurance that
they were going to receive their pay
for the same.
The Bob Ingersol mine, near Sheri-
dan, owned by Rod d. Leggatt and 9TH
ers of Butte, is drawing no little atten-
tion among mining men. From the
beginning the Ingersoll showed up well
and has continued in the same man.
ner. the vein gradually increasing In
width and in value. At present work
is being done in the 200-foot level and
a most promising body of high-grade
ore is being uncovered. 1t is thought
that Mr.. Leggatt and partners have
bonanza.
Recently the Ruby Placer company.
who are operating on the Van Brocklin
ranch. made cash payment on their
bond for this property of $1,000. Two
large pumps have just been delivered
by Butte parties on the property and
work is being pushed ahead as fast as
possible 1t is said by mining men
that should the Van Brocklin and Con-
rey ground prove to be ground abound
ing in placer gold of sufficient guam
titles to pay that there is no doubt
but the entire stretch of land along the
Ruby river to Sheridan is equally as
good and it will be but compare
lively short time when this ground will
be worked as placer ground instead of
cultivated ranches and farms, as they
now are. and why gold should not be
in this ground in paying quantities is
not reasonable. for Alder gulch. the
richest of all gulches ever discovered.
is a direct tributary to TINS entire
stretch of country.
The Columbia Mining company of
Pipestone Springs has bought and re-
moved the mill buildings and ma
chinery of the Madison Gold Mining
company. The mill was erected over
year ago for the treatment of the ores
of the group of mines known as the
Pennington. i modern steam plant, 70
stamps lighted by electricity, was
erected by Messrs. Frazer and Chal-
mers. This sale to the Columbia people
and the removal of everything of value
including all of the buildings winds
up the affairs of the Madison County
Gold Mining company. limited. A short
sketch of this grossly mismanaged af-
fair may not be uninteresting 1t
demonstrates the injurious effect to
reputable mining section of placing a
shady mining property with moneyed
men at home or abroad. No doubt "a
Madison county Mayfiower would re-
ceive a cool reception in London or
Nottingham, where the history of this
/ company is known The mines We're
! discovered about II years ago, and up
to the time of the sale. which took
place three years ago, they were
worked on a small scale from time to
time, with Indifferent results to their
owners. On the surface a few narrow
seams of rich free gold ore We're dis
covered, which invariably pinched out
in l. or 20 feet, or merged into seam
of mad and tale of absolutely no value.
1t is stated on good authority that
where the vein pnched out il was care
fully covered up, and where rich ore
was exposed, such places were left
prominently on exhibition. a method
commonly practiced but not strictly
honorable. The property was handled
through the agency of M. NJ. Freed OF
Dillon, who had associated with him a
mining engineer by the name of Allen.
The attention of w. A. G. Berkin, a
capitalist of England. was called to the
wonderful richness Of this bonanza,
and to the fact that this property was
owned by a couple of ranchmen, who
did not know quartz mine from
lndfDle anu Indl II GOulO DE
purchased for song. IN due time Mr..
Berkin, who was to expert the mine,
arrived on the ground. accompanied by
all the necessary details in the way of
corduroy suits, leggings. etc, and fur
Their supplied by half dozen cases of
champagne and $4,000 worth of dogs.
guns and fishing tackle all of which
We're essential to the proper examina-
ton of the property. In the course of
a few weeks, which We're spent in
hunting. fishing and general enjoy
ment, the arduous duty of exporting
the property began and half day was
spent at this task, a dozen or more
samples were taken from the different
holes in the ground, these samples We're
left around easily accessible and sub
ject to examination for over week,
and We're then sent 10 London for ex-
animation by experts. The results
We're astonishing and satisfactory in
the highest degree, returning values
from $50 to $500 per ton and showing
saving OF something like eS per cent by
milling test. Mr.. Berkins report was
fully substantiated by the engineer
above mentioned. which latter gentle
man found not less than s., 600, 900
worth of ore in sight. One who
knows. says the actual facts were that
there were not 20 tons OF even fair ore
in sight, and by carefully selecting the
rock samples could not be obtained
that would return one-quarter the re-
ported values The company was
formed and the purchase price of $40. 900
was paid over TO the owners. The ma
chinery for 2o-stamp mill was at once
ordered and the work of construction
pushed rapidly forward under the
management of Manager Berkin. The
mill was completed in January, 1897,
and 200 tons of ore run through before
the assay office was erected. a building
which should have been the first con-
| sideration. Something like 10 cents per
/ ton was saved, considering the original
value of the ore. This run acted as an
eye opener to the company, but never
| theless the work of construction went
on. the manager hanging on with the
| hope that there possibly would be a
| mine whore none existed. The shaft
was sunk TO a depth of 800 feet and
| many drifts and erosseuts run. the ore
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