The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-16
GOOD TIMES ARE COMING
Pay Day Livens Up the Town of
Philipsburg.
HOBOES ARE PLENTIFUL
Returning Prosperity Brings Wandering
Willies In Its Trail-They Won't
work-Putting In Mining
Machinery.

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Philipsburg. Aug. 15.-Philipsburg,
like all mining camps or towns sup
ported by mining camps, has been
waiting. not patiently. but with an
eagerness and restlessness of a people
used to seeing plenty of money in cir
culation. for the largest pa day 1t has
had for three years and to-day 1t came.
While still falling far short of the
towns old-time pay days. this has been
sufficiently large to make even the
Doubling Thomases admit that good
times are coming fast, and with a little
more patience, though that virtue has
in this case probably been stretched
until there is but little elasticity lift,
all business houses which started up
in anticipation of resumption at the
Granite-Bimetallic n those who held
on, trimming their sails TO the winJ,
however IL blew, will soon find smooth
and profitable sailing in the narbor of
restored prosperity to the whole Gem
munity.
| But Philipsburg, in commol with
other Montana towns. nc matter how
plentiful work is and how much work.
ingmen are sought after, IS Away in
tested with the genus hobo" While
farmers in the vicinity are in town
looking for men to work In the hay
fields and unable to obtain them, buns
are plentiful, and the chief of police
only last night routed out a nest of
from 40 to so from around the railroad
switches and warehouses, to say moth
ing of the grafters who swarm into
pluck the unwary as on former pay
days.
The sum paid out by the Granite
Bimetallic to-day will. by Ear, exceed
that paid last 18th, and WHITE this alore
would be an improvement. IT the fact
that many men who received pay tc-
day also received pay LAST month, bot
by long idleness or unstsa'til.s of en-
ployment were compelled to go into
debt, is taken into consideration and
that the payment of tasse debts ratur-
ally did not leave them any money 10
indulge in their old-time copNcnieucCs,
which, in some cases, probably wen
amounted to Stravaganoe, it will read
lily be seen hat with the men out of
debt there is more money to spend
through regular channels. Ills com
pany has been steadily aiding to its
pay roll as necessity demarded. That
necessity has been the req ulrement Of
more ore at the mill, az the machinery
there, which has lately been nut in,
has been improved. perfected ind
strengthened. New men ar. CONSTANT
ly being put % work at the mine in
Granite as place is TIA lie by M
ing where nece ssary AMI new Stopes
arc opened up. And hess men who are
put to work in Granite and make: neir
home there, by helping that town help
this through the MANY channels tpon,
where N towr must diaw all Ms sup
plies either from or through another.
Though the using of coal for fuel by
that company Will shut off the large
amount of men in woodchopping and
hauling who formerly either lived in
Philipsburg or drew their supplies from
here and spent their money, other
places have been opened up in the vi
entity which will make up for the loss.
The Hope company also is paying off
to-day, and though their 10-stamp mill
has been closed down for some time, 1t
has not made any material di ference
in the amount of money usually paid
out by them, as a large" force Of men
lave been employed at the mine than
before. This is owing to the difficulty
which that company is experiencing in
keeping ahead of the river of water
which was encountered in drifting
about a year ago and which, for several
months. caused a suspension of work in
that part of the mine where the water
channel was broken into, owing to the
inadequate pumping facilities then
available. AS the mine a always
been worked above the water level and
in late years through a tunnel. no prep
arations were necessary or justihable
for much water, but as deeper work.
ing became necessary a shaft was sunk
and from that shaft a drift run to
catch the lead. In that drift the water
soon became troublesome. as with every
blast a larger stream flowed until at
last the pumps then in place, though
worked to the utmost capacity, re-
fused to handle it and had to be aband-
oned. Three months ago new pumps
were secured, the shaft implied and
work resumed, with three shifts of men
driving the drift and three shifts of ex-
pert pumpmen. The water so far has
been held, but whenever il is necessary
to stop the upmp for packing and other
small repairs, the water can be seen
steadily rising, and then only by work.
Ing the pump far beyond it's calculated
capacity can ii be caught up again.
Twice within the last six weeks have all
the men been called out of In drift
and all tools sent above because the
water seemed to be overcoming the
pump, after a new blast, until when
the pumpmen would be working in
water above their waist n about
ready to give up, the water would
slacken and the pump again meets II.
The contemplation is, that as soon as
the lead is reached and results will JUS
tify to put in new and larger pumps,
but hat annot be done while the pres
ent one is in place, as the shaft is not
large enough to accommodate more
pipes and columns. and being so near
the goal (they expect to reach the lead
in two weeks) the engagement does
not wan TO again go to the expense of
emptying the shaft again.
Prospecting in the vicinity is also
carried on to a great extent. and stories
of new strikes n discoveries are daily
heard. NJ. A. Hawkins was in town last
week and brought with him an ounce
and one-half Of gold which he had ex-
tracted from 1000 pounds of ore in an
arastra. k from his claim on the
head of Gold creek. This claim has
been under lease and bon to local par
ties for some time, but with the usual
greed of leasers. the timbering Of tun-
nels was so poorly done that before the
ore chutes were reached II had TO be
abandoned n the lease was thrown
~ 7. IInn#Na@. a.. 49, Il.