The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-21
CONDITIONS At THE RARUS
Leading Mine of the Montana
Ore Purchasing Company.
A NEW RAND COMPRESSOR
Enlargement of the Boiler Plant-Under-
ground Rspairlng-The Legal Con-
fict With tho Pennsyl-
vania Mine.

In last weeks mining issue of the
standard the noted Pennsylvania
mine received some attention and, per-
haps. description sufficiently detail
ed to satisfy the general reader.
Closely identified with the Pennsyl
vania in litigation is its neighbor to
the north, the Rarus mine, the prop
erty of the Montana Ore Purchasing
company, the plaintiff in the remark
able mining suit recently tried in
Judge Clancy's court
It may be well to restate that in the
suit referred to the lode that was made
the basis Of the PLAINTIFFS claim was
the Johnstown-not the Rarus. But
the YOUNGSTOWN and Rarus claims are
both the plaintiffs property and are
in a large measure indentical. The
two locations cover nearly the same
ground, there being only small diff
ference in their longitudinal directions
and extensions. But the plaintiffs mine
works are called the Rarus and in
popular understanding the contest was
between the Rarus and the Pennsyl-
vania.
The plaintiffs claim was that the
Johnstown' lode extending east and
SO that as depth was attained it en-
tered the Pennsylvania ground and
that the latter mine was extracting
ore from it--all of which was, OF
course, denied by the owner of the
Pennsylvania, which is the Boston &
Montana company. The latter's coun-
ter allegation was that the ore bodies
in the Pennsylvania We're wholly indie
pendent of the Johnstown lode and
that even if there was such a lode, it
had no surface outcrop, and its strike
was such as to give the PLAINTIFF no
rights beyond the boundary lines of
it's own claim.
The Rarus, as stated, is directly
north of the Pennsylvania, the works
being perhaps 600 or 800 feet apart
possibly little more. The mine is
almost due west of Meaderville, the
works standing upon the abrupt hill
that overlooks the smelter Of the same
company as well as that OF the Butte
& Boston. The hill facing to the south,
a very fine view is afforded of the val
ley through which Silver Bow creek
meanders past the smelters and on
down through the beautiful canyon
that about Is miles distant opens out
into Deer Lodge valley. Far over Sill
Yer Bow creek, "A miles away rises a
lofty mountain range carrying STOW
upon it's highest peaks throughout the
entire year, but now covered with a
heavy white mantle down to within a
thousand feet of the base. Upon a
clear day. and there are many such at
Butte, this great mountain range
stands sharply outlined against the
blue sky, its snowy covering flashing
in the sunlight and viewed from the
heights upon which the principal Butte
mines are located, the spectacle is
beautiful inspiring and grand. @
Pnfta haU m or fyIyn Ice
able features, but they have been
greatly exaggerated, and are far more
than offset by natural beauties in its
surroundings that could scarcely be
surpassed. This thought arises every
time one visits mine located along
the brow of the hill to the north and
east of the city.
1t is not, however, so much the beau
ties of the landscape as the location
and general character of the Rarus
mine that it is desired to present for
the consideration of the reader. This
is usually regarded as the greatest and
most important of the Montana Ore
Purchasing company's mines. Like its
southern neighbor, the Pennsylvania,
it is the fortunate possessor Of large
and valuable ore bodies, entirely sep
arate and apart from those now in lit
igation. With the fullest propriety it
may be termed great mine"
1t is now scene of bustling activ-
ity. vast amount of underground re-
pairing being in progress, the cages,
when not actually hosting ore, being
kept almost constantly at work car
rying down timbers and other material.
In the vicinity of the Rarus the
whole hillside is dotted with small
new shafts, sunk with reference to the
litigation so frequently referred to in
these pages. The windlass hoists and
little dumps are strongly suggestive of
newly discovered mining camp in
which the development work is in it's
infancy.
The mine is fairly we'll equipped now
and the Improvements in progress will,
at an early day, give the works more
distinctively first class character. The
engine is fine Webster, Camp & Lane,
with cylinders 20x4s, which would give
commercial rating of about 300 horse
power but an actual working capac-
ity considerably greater. AS the mine
is only between a thousand and eleven
hundred feet deep, the engine Is suffl-
GENTLY powerful for present needs.
The air compressors, though, are
quite inadequate, representing power
of only fifteen drills, and new Rand
compressor of 50 drill power will be
building for it. located Immediately
east of the hosting works. is already
well under way, and a month or six
weeks will doubtless suffice for the
completion Of the plant.
The present boiler power consists of
two sets of Erie boilers, each separate
boiler being of so horse power, making
800 horse power in all. This also is
regarded as insufficient for the require
ments of the mine in the near future,
and new boiler plant will be at once
set up. 1t will be located below the
hoist, little to the east and right
by the side of the railroad track, max
ing it much easier and more convent
ent for the delivery of fuel. The new
plant, it is understood. will consist
of six horizontal. tubular boilers, each
&C inches by IS feet. and of about 100
horse power each. The foundation for
this plant is now being prepared.
Incidental to the addition Of power
it may be remarked that the new
compressor will be provided with ex-
ira large air cylinders designed to
meet the special conditions of the high
altitude of Butte. with the consequent
rarity of the atmosphere. A new
waste dump about 200 feet long has