The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-23
THE GREAT LIE RoI MINE.
History of the Discovery and Devel-
opment of This bonanza

opment of This Bonanza
The story of the discovery. and de-
velopment of the LIE Roi mine, which
sold the other day for a greater sum
than any other British Columbia prop
erty ever sold for, has been often told
but it is interesting enough 10 bear re-
peating. says the Spokane Spokesman
Review.
Joe Burgeois and Joe Morris. two
French-Canadian prospectors, were the
discoveries of the property. Joe Bur
geOis, who had mined in placers. but
never in quartz, was sent to do assess
ment work upon the Lily May the first
claim located in Rossland. This work
performed. Burgeois lOafed and smoked
and waited for supplies that were COM
ing from Nelson. Looking across at
Red mountain he saw it was bare in
places and could be easily prospected
In the meantime he had become asso-
ciated with Joe Morris, 4 prospector,
and the two went across the canyon
and discovered the bold iron Gaping of
numerous strong veins. On these they.
located the lie Roi, the War Eagle, the
Center Star, the Idaho and the Virginia.
But with prospective millions in their
grasp Burgeois and Morris We're poor
men-so poor that they could hardly
claim a grubstake Burgeois with his
scant outfit tramped over to Nelson
There he showed his samples with lit
tie encouragement. Iron pyrites," said
the local expert. What does it as
say?"
Ten dollars in gold, 5 per cent cop
per and trace of silver"
That's a bad showing, Burgeois; bet
ter drop it,
Burgeois was decidedly blue and dis
eouraged until he ran across Colonel
i. s. Topping. Topping had been min
inc recorder and rlInvincr a
store at Nelson. He questioned Burgeois
and found that the only assay was from
the Virginia.
The others may do better" he rea-
soned. IT'S clean ore and the veins
are big"
Topping made 'dicker" Topping was
to pay the fees for locating the five
claims and was TO have his choice of
one Of the properties.
Burgeois came back to Trail creek, !
stripped off the iron Gaping, put in
few shots and found clean ore above
the FIR roots. Topping followed and made
crude assays which gave more encour- !
aging returns; and the three-TOppinG, |
BurgeOis ana Morris-gathered around !
their lonely camp fire and resolved To /
stay with the strike and give il a fair /
trial
That is the story as narrated by Col
OIlCA 4ODlLl46 oA AAAG AASCOFt4g VI lllG !
mines of Trail creek.
Bur .eois sold his holdings for $4,000 !
or S20,0 600 and went up into the Fort 1
Steele district and located a silver-lead |
claim, sold it for $4,000 and then went
to the Northwest Territory, bought a
5,G00-acre farm and sent back east to
Canada for his relatives. The dream
Of his life had been realized. He had
struck il rich and settled down.
Morris carried $4,000 or $4,000 out of
the camp. came down TO Spokane. mar
Tied a school teacher and bought a
home on the north side and has since
become farmer.
From the start Topping had faith in
the camp. He calculated that there
would be d movement of prospectors
and miners and went down 10 the
mouth OF Trail creek. seven miles from
the LIE Roi and War Eagle group
200 acres of land and built
q hotel on the picturesque bank of the
Columbia. He is there yet.
In the fall Of 1880 George NJ. Forster :
was at Colville trying a lawsuit and be-
came Interested in the lie Roi. He en-
tered into a bond with Topping where
by he agreed in consideration Of four
en-sixteenths Of the mine to eXpend
81, 600 in development work. Forster
to Spokane and took in upon
the deal Colonel l. y. Peyton of Spo-
kane. George Turner, Oliver Durant,
w NJ Ridpath and Alexander Tarbet
Colonel Peyton afterwards bought Top
pings remaining interest. dividing it
among a few Of his friends, chiefly in
Danville, Ills
About two years and a half ago the
stock in the LIE Roi was being peddled
about the city for so cents share, and I
almost any price it would bring. 1t has
since been quoted as high as IS.
There have been no great changes in