The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-10

capitalists went down to Basin in high
glee. In order to keep the discovery
from the men the mine was shut down,
on the pretext that the hosting works
needed repairs, but engineers and fire
men were kept at their posts. Then
the mine superintendent got in the
cage, and went down, ostensibly to in
spect the workings. but really to pros
pect in the 100 and find the rich gold
streak that was yielding such beau
tiful specimens. They went from end
to end of the level, and up in the
Slopes, and even pulled away the tim
bers overhead in half a dozen places.
without finding anything except the
ordinary white SILICA quartz with lots
of pyrities of iron in it, but no free
gold. They came up disguised,
One of the ore bins was full of ore
from the 100. and the mill superintend-
ent suggested that he should put that
through the mill while they were there.
This was agreed to and done, with the
result that almost quart of fine mug
gets were found in the iigs. The bosses
of the day and night shifts were then
questioned, but they had not noticed
any free gold, they said, except small
colors here and there. The nuggets
were then shown to them and they
were ordered to find out where they
came from without letting their men
know anything about the strike The
mill and mine superintendent were
warned to keep close watch on the
men to see that they did not carry off
any of the rich ore.
In spite of these precautions. word
got about that a big strike had been
made in the Hope. The jigs were
trimmed carefully and little bags of
nuggets were sent to Helena every few
days. Every man who had a share in
the mine Rugged it to his breast and
refused to part with it. Hope stock en-
joyed a boom, and on the strength of it
old Mike Donnell sold the adjoining
claim--the Katie-for $50, 900.
Men who went down into the mine
were carefully watched when they
came out. The dressing room for the
miners was in the mill. They discharged
their open-air attire and got into their
overalls and gum coats here They
were ordered to eat their lunches in
the workings, so they took their dinner
buckets with them when they went be-
low When they came up they changed
clothes in the presence of the foreman
to prevent any hocus pocus with rich
specimens of ore. They day shift re-
scented this treatment, but the night
shift only laughed at it.
There's nothing to steal but the
1p"htl, SttIu olit VI tlltSt
land l can get blowing up enough from
the old woman without taking extra
chances on that"
There were nine men on the night
shift in the 100. Occasionally one Of
them would take a couple of days off,
and on these occasions the others would
object to having a man put on to fill
out the quota on the always good eX-
cuse they didn't want to be blown to
kingdom come by a new mans mis-
take. One day one of the shift got
drunk and went about the town dis
playing a piece of quartz as big as a
mans head that had streak of gold
as thick as a $40 gold piece winding
about through it. The lump was worth
$50 at the very least.
That's what they're looking for,
said he eXultingly, and they'll never
find it. The streak's petered, but 1t
lasted long enough to make a lot of us
tired carrying it away.
When he grew sober he realized his
error and this man went to the foreman
and demanded his time at once. This
is the way a miner discharges himself.
He then had a talk with the others of
the shift and left town. In the course
of time his drunken talk was repeated
to the mine superintendent, who called
the night shift up and questioned them