The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-01
YEARS AGO
the Big Moose Lake Copper
Mine Was Discovered.
DIGGING A DOGS GRAVE
Mineral Bearing Ore was Found Which
= Proved to Be Rich In Copper-It
Was Deserted In a Placer
Stampede.

I During the past week several Of the
owners OF the big copper mine eight
miles from Moose lake spent their vaca-
sions in Butte. M of them told a
friend an unpublished story in connec
zion with the first discovery of the big
1ea 25 years ago. IL is supposed by
many that the mines were discovered
only two years ago.. To all intents
and purposes IL was. for the original
discovers are now out OF the state
and have been for years. and none of
the recent discoveries knew anything
about h lead until they accidentally
a across IL two years ago next May.
The story of the original discovery they
learned only a few months ago. and
this is how IL is told:
In the fall of 1873 or 1874 Con Corco-
ran and Joe Featherly left Philipsburg
for the Salmon river country in Idaho
They had two pack mules n a riding
horse each. They Travelled by Easy
stages. hunting and fishing along the
route. They camped for a week at
Moose lake and probably killed N irst
moose that ever fell at the hands of a
white man in that beautiful basin. A
Quaflti VI n III UtlpN ne ldht u a.
large tree which the settlers have nam
ed moose pine" 1t is said that the
moose Featherly killed was hung up on
that tree and dressed.
The men proceeded on their Journey
mp the middle fork Of Rock creek and
camped for several days mons tine
great craggy peaks of the main range
of the Rockies. which tower majectic-
ally above the tfmbered mountains sur
nlrndinU fhpm their nnafta nnntfnn-
ally covered with snow. This is indis-
putably one of the widest and grand
est mountain scenes in the state. Its
grandeur is indescribable. Mountain
lion. bear and deer used to abound
there. Now only an occasional black
bear is seen, playing tag with a chip
munk and chasing a woodchuck. Grouse
are not to be found where once they
made the hunters heart glad.
Roaming over the high passes in that
district the men found deer tracks. and
with the instinct inherent in them, they
followed them. Towser. the pet setter,
was right on the spot and as eager as
any OF them TO find the object of the
search. In some way unexplained Cor
coran's u was discharged n poor
Towse was a corpse. The men agreed
60 give the dog a decent funeral and
forthwith set about digging a hole In
the loose rock and earth. using sticks
and sharp slabs of ock as tools. The
FIRST rock they loosened was broken,
and II looked like mipeal-besyin ofe.
still another was removed AID inore
and more the men became convinced
that they were digging In rich crop
pings. The dog was buried in a hole
about two feet deep, after which tie
men returned TO camp, carrying pieces
of the strange looking ore. BY their
crude process of assaying. the men re-
dVced the samples n were convinced
that. while gold did not predominant.
the rock contained a large per cent.
of copper.
The guns were stacked and the pick
n shovel put into active service. A
shaft IL feet deep was dug, after which
the men returned 10 the burg. The ore
was assayed n preparations made to
return to the mine. About that time a
placer gold excitement attracted the
wealth hunters to another part OF the
state. and Corcoran and F~eatherly
Joined the stampede and never return
ed to Moose lake.
Last summer Dorland and johnson.
go the recent story goes. found the
skeleton OF the dog near the tunnel they
are driving. Dorland suggested that
they name the tunnel Dog Tunnel"
and now when the boys speak of that
tunnel they refer to IL as the dog hole.
These copper deposits are said to be
rich. and while the owners do not say
much about them. IL Is inferred that
they have great confidence in heir
property. Last year a large mining
company of Butte sent it's agent there
20 inspect the mines, m the result of
his visit. IL is believed. will bring the
district into prominence.