Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-12-21

the lead is not more than a few inches
in width at some points, varying from
that to as many feet. it was an easy
manner to miss it in locating claims.
Then a company was formed to
mine the sapphires. One OF the prln-
cipal owners was Jake Hoover, an old
trapper and prospector who had Nv
ed on the South fork of the Judith
for years. S. S. Hobson was also III
terested Later Hoover's interest was
bought by others, among them being
Matt Dunn, of this city. In time this
company passed into the hands of an
English syndicate.
In the meantime, claim had been
staked off at the end of the lead.
where the latter ran into YOgO creek,
by John Burke and Pat Sweeney, of
Neihart, and this claim could not be
purchased by the English people at
what they termed a reasonable figure,
so they made the foolish mistake Of
letting it go. They thought they
would probably be able to get it for ev-
years.
In their calculations, however. they
figured without very thorough
knowledge of Mr. Sweeney, who had
commenced to develop his claim.
Sweeney worked like. Trojan. He
blocked out pay dirt and mined enough
of the stones to pay expenses. He
prospected and picked up the lead
across Yogo creek in gulch known
as Kelly coulee, stalking out claim at
ter claim, as he traced the lead along
until he had possession of almost as
much sapphire dirt as the English
company. Various deals were made
with him by various people. but none
of these amounted to much until n
got C. c. Proctor of this city and Oar
Condor of Neihart interested with him
This trio made medicine. present.!
selling their holdings to the present
American Sapphire company.
Today both the English and Amer
lean companies are getting out ;
great many sapphires, but by yer!
different methods. The American
company experimental in concentrat
ing the stones on concentrating tables
and finding this successful method
of extracting the gems from their ma
trix. built mill for crushing the pa.
dirt and concentrating the gems.
The New Mine Sapphire syndicate
as the English company is called, il
still sluicing it's pay dirt through
fumes with rifles in them, losing, il
this process, many of the stones
Their clean-ups have to be panne
down, something in the manner G
placer gold. Their product is all shiI
ped to London. where the owners q
the mine live.
: The American company has all tn
best water for various purposes i
! connection with mining and cOncel
trating the gems, it's plant being loca
t ed on Yogo creek, while the Englis
l company has to ditch it's water ft
= over - miles, and is even shut o
@ from this supply in the winter, whe
j. its water has to be hauled for seve
l. al miles.
e The lapdary shop in connection wit
e the American Sapphire company,
/ which Fl. O. Chowen is manager,
:, located in this city. on Central avenu
o a few doors above the pOstoffice. TT
e superintendent is Henry l.. Critic
den, who was formerly connected wi
v the Helena company that cut al
Il handled the sapphires taken from Il
e bars of Rock Spring creek and va
n ious places along the Missouri rive
II This company discontinued it's C,
d ting plant some years ago, the stOn
II obtained from the river bars bell
IS inferior in color to the YogO stone