The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-20
STORY OF 4 GOLD MINE
4 cool TWO MILLION
~ Center Star old in the New York
Market-oliver Durant and Alex
H TArbst Are the Men.
A Rich Strike.

The New York Sunday Telegraph Of
Oct % has the following to say in re-
gard to two wer-known Montana min
ing men:
This is the story OF a gold mine that
was sold In the New York market a few
days ago for a cool two million dollars
in coin. And this is the FIRST mention
Of the transaction. The mine is known
- the Center star. one Of a famous
group of gold properties at Rossland.
British Columbia. II Is the same ledge
with the LIE Roi. which was recently
sold for 81 oo. 900.
''Oliver Durant and Alex II. Tarbet.
mining capitalists OF Montana and
Idaho. who were the chief shareholders
of the Center Star Mining company. are
now guests. with their families. at the
Firth avenue hotel. As the principal
omcers and managers of the company
they made the transfer of the mine to
the Gooderham- Blackstock syndicate Of
Toronto. the purchasers.
The head of this syndicate Is presi-
dent OF the Bank OF Toronto. n IL is
aid that John w. Mackay is also inter-
ested. 1t is known that both Mr.. Good
erham. who has a fortune anywhere
from $751; 900. 900 to SO. 900 900, and the
BONANZA King have large investments
In the district In question and are the
heavy men Of the syndicate. The 81. 000,-
900 was paid over to Messrs. Durant
and Tarbet by the syndicate at the
National Bank Of the Republic. 1 Wall
street.
In order to appreciate the story OF
this mine IL II necessary TO go back a
few years in it's history-back to July
z. 1880. when II was located. along with
four others. by two French-Canadians,
Morris and Bourgeois. They had been
toiling along day by day in the hot sum-
mer sun. with their packs on their
backs. climbing the highest mountain
tops and penetrating to the deepest
valleys. All day they had hobbled along
the Dewdney trail. over which hundreds
OF daring and ad~venturesome prospect
ors had preceded them on their way 10
the Fraser river and Cariboo country.
1T was while trudging along this
winding pathway through the Rocky
mountains that these intrepid sons of
Arcadia stumbled upon surface crop
pings OF gold quartz. They picked the
little yellow nuggets from their very
footprints on a hot July day eight years
ago. 1t has since proved to be one OF
the richest gold Ind of the age.
This was the simple beginning Of
Trail Creek. now one OF the most famous
mining camps In the world. which
sprang up as IL by magic within a few
years. In one day Morris and Bour-
geois located five claims. the value of
which on the Toronto exchange is now
$50. 900. 900. This was indeed a good
showing for two prospectors In a single
day. They staked out their five claims
on the two lodges and all have since
.tAll.A ~@lA -. 10 =. - A.
the yellow metal. These claims have
ance become conspicuous In the mining
world as the lie Roi. Center Star. War
hgle. Virginia and Idaho.
A the laws of Canad prevented the
location Of more than one claim to an
individual on the same ledge. Morris
and Bourgeois were only allowed TO file
With samples OF the ore X from the
surface deposits they FASTENED 20 Mel
son. h. c.. and there interested Colonel
L. 8. Topping.
Topping paid the cost of filing and
tool the lie Roi in exchange. In 1891
he bonded IL to a Spokane syndicate.
OF which Durant and Tarbet. Senator
Turner. Colonel Turner and George
Foster. attorneys. Colonel Peyton. Colo
mel Ridpath. Colonel Harris and other
colonies were the moving spirits, for
$50. 900. All the claims OF the prospect
ors nave turned Out beyond their Wild
est dreams. The work of development
was slow until the Canadian govern
ment built a wage o into the mines.
Provisions and machinery and tools
were packed on horses a distance OF
90 miles over mountains and through
gulches and across streams.
The first large shipment OF ore from
the lie Roi was made in 1896 and IL
Melted some $50. 900. Up to last May the
mine paid in dividends $685.. 900. an extra
Se00. 900 having been expended In the
erection of a smelling plant and hoist
ing machinery. showing that the profits
OF the LIE Roi have been 81 .025. 900.
the Gooderham-B Observation-Disclosures
syndicate. in addition 10 purchasing the
Center Star. gathered in h Wal Eagle
for $500. 900. Tn lie Roi company. OF
which United States Senator George
Turner of the state OF washington Is
president. sold out to the British Amer
lean corporation. an English company.
with a paid up capital of 81, 900. 600. and
OF which s4.500. 900 has been invested In
the Trail Creek division OF the Koote-
nav district. Rossland being the central
point. But a minority OF h stock
holders. representing nearly one-half
of the capital stock Of h lie Roi,
sbucked' after the mine had been sold
for $4,000. 900. holding out for 5000. 600.
N the f@Iklrn tbuibdus oiVtehN 500
to force the sale. and the j.
stil pending in the British Columbian
courts.
when Messrs. Durant and Tarbet'
who are educated miners. bought the
Center Star from Morris and Bourgeois
they pushed the work Of development
with energy. With this development
the .bowing became better and the ope-
rators soon realized that they had pur-
chased an immensely valuable property.
In 1895 they formed the Center star
Mining and Smelling company n Is
sued 500. 600 hares Of stock. retaining
the great bulk for themselves. Ma
chinery was purchased and a plant was
ERECTED. and from that time up 90 the
day OF the sale there was no cessation
Of active operations. Eight thousand
feet OF opening. at a cost OF sl'5.oco. was
the result of this enterprise.
The company refused TO ship OF sen
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