Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-05
NOT IN ON
! THAT. DEAL
EX-GoV. MACINTOSH SAYS HE
DID NO. VISIT ENGLAND
10 PROMOTE
BOSS TWEED AND
CLIPPER MINE DEAL,
Denies the Report of Contemplated
Gold Trust and Talks OF
Other Matters. 49,

Ex-Governor S. II. Macintosh of Ross
land, Il. C.,who went to London six weeks
ago on mining business of the greatest
Importance reached town yesterday and
is staying at the Butte hotel. He fur
nishes information that is likely to create
stir in the mining w Nj, not only fatty
contradicting the rumors that he went to
England to negotiate deals in which the
Clipper and Boss Tweed mines are con-
cerned but declaring that the published
accounts of an English gold trust are alb
surd.
After my experts had examined prop
ertles extending from Mexico up to Brit
1sh Columbia he stated, 1--WE centered
our attention consequent upon their re-
ports on Montana and Oregon. l am here
now to be Joined shortly by some one
who knows great deal more than do
about mining, and we will look into min
ing affairs generally.
You have doubtless heard and read
good deal about alleged gold trusts in
England. l do not know where the re-
ports of that description originated, but
they are absolutely mythical. Logically
the amount mentioned, $500 O,O0O, as
ready to control the gold output of the
world, is simply moonshine. Mr.. Belt,
mentioned as the frontispiece Of this
combination, is one of the shrewdest and
ablest financiers in Europe. My impress
sion is that the statements so largely
published were circulated with the inten-
ton of booming properties in the United
States and Canada. In the list men,
toned in these dispatches is the Camp
Bird property in Colorado sold for
millions of dollars. There is nothing
whatever in that. The Camp Bird prop
erty, with az it's surrounding claims has
been turned. Down by john Hays Ham
mond and tne money withdrawn. SO far
as | knew, this property is certainly a
fair business prcpos. tion, but the price
asked was simply excessive. Over-capl-
tliZa'tion is the keynote of many mining
fas2os. The people of Great Britain are
beginning to think they cannot stand
the pressure. Camp Bird has d. ed nat
ural death so far as those interested in
At are concerned.
"Why is it that the Stratton Inde-
pendence mine alt Victor Colo. has
dropped so much? you ask. In public
favCr, you mean? Well, it is the same
Old story-over- capitalization, the same
Old tale of men wanting the value OF
ten years oultupt when there is only two
years output in sight. The Stratton In
dependence dropped a pound day while
I was in London, and properly so.
have no doubt that it is a good mine,
but not from the standpoint of men with
whom l am connected. Our syndicate
buys developed mines and pays commer-
cial prices. Personally, l would not sell
a mine tC- any man. no matter how much
money was in 1T, unless our experts,
over their own signatures, stated the
value of the property and the ore in
sight. Nor do we in any case pay money
for the privilege of looking at mine,
because. one can look at mine.'
"1s there any truth in the rumor which
has been in circulation since you de-
parted for London that the main object
of your visit was to negotiate a big deal
IN which the Boss Tweed and Clipper
mines are concerned?" Governor Mack
intosh was asked.
Anyone who made that statement was
quite incorrect, or l might put it, that
he was misinformed. l went to London
because l believed the time had come to
correct an impression that appeared to
me to exist in the minds of the British
investors that the Americans and Cana
dians always tried to do them.
1--WE watch the product of Colorado
year by year, with a great deal of inter-
est, believing that Montana absolutely |
takes the lead. I do not say this out of
any spirit of flattery. A few more mill |
lion dollars put into Montana will with
out doubt astonish the world" |