Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-12
FRIDAY. APRIL Il. 1901.
ROBERT CRAIG CHAMBERS.

The death of r.. c. Chambers. at San
Francisco yesterday removes one more
MN ng men who in the early DAYS.
created great industry and added mill
lions to the wealth of the world. The
event is of especial interest here because
fer many years he operated extensively
in this camp, his syndicate owning a
number of fine properties. He was also
engaged in banking in this city and Ana
conda being member of the firm Of
Hoge Brownlee & Co. His interests here
brought him in contact with scores of our
citizens, with the result that many warm
friendships Were formed. but he never
became resident of Montana and finally
closed out all of his holdings here
Mr. Chambers was a native of Ohio and
Went to California with the gold seekers
He mined for time. then opened a store
and was elected sheriff. serving for two
terms. 1t was While acting in the latter
capacity that he showed his true metal
In those rough and tumble days. it re-
qu:red at times strong hand to preserve
law and order and the lawless element in
Mr.. Chambers county undertook to run
things. Three hangings in quick success
sion brought about the needed change
and the word of the sheriff went far af-
ter that.
Some time later. Mr. Chambers again
returned to mining and late in the COS
n ~
tive of California capitalists. In 1869 he
was at what is now Park City, in Utah.
looking for mines. when the great Ontario
was discovered by a French Canadian
prospactor. Mr.. Chambers inspected the
r find and finally bought it for himself, the
late Senator Hearst and other Califor-
: mans with whom he was associated, pay
ing something like $50. 900 for the prop
erty. The mine was opened and operated
by him and his management of the On
tario from 1870 up the time of his death
stamped him as one of the most capable
mining men IN the country. All sorts of
obstacles We're encountered and over
come. with the result that the Ontario
paid its owners something like sl4,O00,0 900
today.
Mr. Chambers amassed a large for
tune, and his investments took a wide
range, including the street car system
of Salt Lake and real estate there, a ho-
tel in San Francisco, a California orange
grove and mining properties everywhere
Closely connected with the industrial
development of Utah, it was but natural
that Mr.. Chambers should have taken
rart in the politics Of that state, but 50
well did the man know his own limita-
tons that the part he played was much
less conspicuous than the one he might
have filed He was a member of the
Worlds Fair commission for Utah. a
member of the constitutional convention
and state senator through several ses-
sions Of the legislature, being promin-
ent all the while in the democratic or
ganizaton.
At one time it was proposed to elect
him United States senator, and but fol
his own refusal that honor would DOUBT
less have been conferred upon him. Dis
cussing that matter he once said in tho
presence of the writer, Il have too much
respect for the office of senator to de.
sire to fill it, The figures of men like
Webster would always be before me, arc
the honor could never repay me FOR the
sorry figure l should cut in my oy,r
view. My friend, Hearst, made that mis-
take and 1 shall never follow his ex
AMPLE"
Yet for all that. Mr.. Chambers was &
man of great intellectual power and ha,
many splendid traits of mind and hear
together with a rugged indeDendenc,
that won for him the respect of all men
Possessed of great physical strength
times finger touched him SO lightly tina
at 6s he seemed still young man. Blu
other blows than those of the fallin;
years struck him and told upon him
the heaviest being the death of his wife
whom he married late in life. More re
Gently the men with whom he was mos
closely linked have been falling ava
unit! the most of his companions wel
upon the other side.
Mr.. Chambers won many triumph
and made himself a captain in the grea
industry to which he devoted his e., er
giles He lived a most useful life IN
ali over this western country the tidins,
SORROW.
THE FUTURE OF BUTTE.