The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-10

| II self intended. This must account Tor the fact that man full grownt va his eye teeth presumably all cut, lost possession of gold bearing properties | that are as rich as any in California since 1S49 one of the Eldorados of the world.
 But before proceeding further, let us inquire what sort of property it was of
 which Butterfield became the owner
 and by what means he lost possession
 of it.
 For the first part of our inquiry let us have reference again to the report
 of the State Minerologist already re- ferred to.
 ''The veins," he says, "of the May
 Lundy series outcrop above the lofty \ granite wall above Lake Canon on the
 west. They vary in width from a few | inches to several feet and have in gen. | eral northwesterly course with dip southwest at angles varying from 25 | degrees to 45 degrees. Structurally | they belong to the class of fault fis- l sures, a type common to all regions which, like this, have been subjected
 to great dynamic disturbances; that is, they are deposits along fracture planes
 and Assures so produced. The ore
 consists principally, of a native gold ] which often shows in the quartz and
 which is more or less argentiferous | The value of the bullion produced | from these ores is said to have varied | from SIS to s17 per ounce, in gold and | averaged s35 per ton free milling ore | since Cn0 OTSanlZaIlOn or the OlS- | trict in the fall of 1879 the total bullion output from all of its mines is esti-
 mated to have been s1,o22, 900. About | $SS7, 900 of this amount, however, was | produced from the Buterfield May Lundy mine between October, 1880, and | the fall of 1SS4.''
 | Since historical time the appeal of l gold has been potent in the ears of in the ears of George W. Butterfield | when he in 1879 learned that a couple of lum'bermen had made
 discovery in the Homer district, and town in the neighborhood to the dis trict to see what might be seen. AS result of this visit. although Butter field. was then substantially without prospect, which his knowledge and ex-. perience told was a rich one, and by diligence, which, as the story is told:
 was extraordinary in character. ra1s- ed the funds to close the bargain. He was then the owner of the property which is now described as the May I1undy mine.
 With this property later were join ed other properties in the same neigh borhood; it was through Pike that the money was obtained originally to go into the enterprise and terms of own ership were agreed upon which were deemed fair both to Butterfield and the Maine Congressman.
 Sometime in February the partner ship to work the Lundy mine, had be- come G. W. Buterfield, Frederic A. Pike, c. N. Fox and M. B. Kellogg.
 As early as January, 1883, Butter field, Fox and Kellogg with Pike had become the owners of three mining claims or ledges in the Homer dis trict, known respectively as the May Lundy. the Lucky Morton and the Lake View mines. Pike, Fox and Kel- logg buying their interests of Butter field, Pike paying cash, Fox giving RI1ffarfio1d his which he has paid.
 All of these mines the partnership had worked and had for several years prior to 1883 extracted satisfactory quantities of precious minerals, al- though their invested capital was small and their facilities not great.
 And property in other forms had been acquired as necessary to operate the mines. included in which was a toll road, a tramway, mills, offices, ma chinery of its kinds and the structures that go to make up a mining village.
 Rich as the property appeared to be, and satisfying as its returns must have been to all concerned, it was not conducted for the benefit of all, and the partners did not share in it's pro- ceeds according to their equities and holdings. Butterfield never received a cent out of the proceeds of the mines. | In such a game Butterfield, the pros | pector, appears to have been no match l for the clever lawyers who had financ- l ed the property. As the pleadings | naively read, 'tthe said Pike, Fox and Kellogg, at all the times aforesaid were | attorneys at law, skilled in the busf- | ness of law, and this plaintiff was a | miner, or mining prospector, of no great skill or experience in matters re- | Quiring legal training or experience"
 At any rate, the lawyers ran the | mine, received the product and both | cred little to account with Butterfield. | Quarrels arose and the suggestion was finally made by the more experienced | and wealthier partners that Butterfield either buy or sell. Doubtless it was thought by the trio of lawyers that | there would be no course open to But terfield except to sell. But in this | with the indomitable energy of But terfield, who, though the inferior of | his partners in cunning, appeared to | be at all times their superior in indus try and energy.
 Butterfield entered into an agree ment to buy. making the stipulation | that time enough should be allowed him to visit England and interest, if possible, purchasers there.
 The agreement which was thus exc cuted appears upon the records as Agreement A." Under this document Butterfield deposited $10,0O0 as a. for felt, s, 900 of which was handed to | Pike in consideration of the execution of the agreement and $5,000 of which was deposited with the New England Trust Company. The conveyances of ln0 InlIS were lO De OepOSll0O WlCn the same company in escrow, with the understanding that if before July 31, 1883, Butterfield should pay to Pike the further sum of $171 400 the former should receive the deeds. Failing to make such payment the latter retained the $10,000 deposited to bind the option. There were some minor conditions in agreement 'A'' as to the manner in which the expenses of operating the mine were to be shared, and a final settlement made with Butterfield be- fore the last payment on Butterfield's contract with Pike and Fox of the partnership affairs.
 Butterfield, seeking to make the most of the scant time at his disposal for the performance of his engage ment, made a hurried trip to England and there he formed the May Lundy Company, Limited, but owing to the length of time necessary for the trans