The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-11-26
FREDERICK AUGUST HEINZE
Engineering and Mining JournaD

Frederick Augustus Heinze, for
many years one of the picturesque fig
ures in the mining Industry, died sud
denly at Saratoga Springs. N. T., NO
vember L. A. year or so previously ne
had been seriously ILL., but he recover
ed and the seizure which proved fatal
was unexpected. His death ended a
spectacular career, which embraced
marvellous rise in fortune and an
equally rapid decline
Mr.. Heinze was born in Brooklyn,
December 5, 1869 of German Irish par
entage. His father was Otto Heinze
His mother, before her marriage, was
/ ida Lacey. The family was We'l-to-
do, and the children enjoyed many adj
vantages in schooling and travel
Fritz Heinze was graduated from the
Columbia School of Mines in 1889, and
Immediately afterward went to Butte
as a protege of Leonard Lewisohn, who
assisted him in obtaining position or
the surveying staff of the Boston &
Montana company HeinZe, who was
at this time a young man of conven-
tional habits with liking for the gooC
things of life, did not quite relish the
.drudgery of underground work and
after year or TWO threw up his job
1t became clear subsequently that be-
reath a shell of apparent slothfuineis
and inactivity taere was brilliant
imagination and a Feen power Of OBJ
servation.
No Liking for Hard Work.
Returning from Butte in 1891, Heinze
Joined the editorial staff of the Engin-
eering and Mining Journal and re-
NAMED with it during most of that
year He is recollected as the only
man who habitually came to the Office
was at that time a handsome young
fellow, genial in manner, popular
among his associates, but exhibiting
no great liking for hard work and be-
ing especially averse to anything con-
fining. During this time he referred
frequently to his experiences and OBJ
servations at Butte and his idea that
there was a fine chance for custom
smelling business to be inaugurated
there.
about this time Henze's father died,
leaving to him and his brothers a mod
crate fortune. Obtaining possession
of his share OF the money, Fritz Heinze
did just what he said he was going to
do If he had the chance, viz, he went
Immediately to Butte to start smelt
ing business, this being about 1892
He organized the Montana Ore Pur-
chasing company and in an incredibly
short time erected his furnaces and
began smelling. His plant was a rath-
er ramshackle affair, but it worked
and there was the big profit in the
business that Heinze had seen in his
visions. He made money quickly and
thus laid the foundation for the grea'
fortune that he was subsequently to
accumulate.
His Start in Butte.
In the prosecution of it's custom
smelling business 1t came naturally to
the Montana Ore Purchasing company
to add to its ore supply by leasing the
small mines. Having thus become a
mine operator, Heinze had some more
visions. He grasped the idea of the
extraordinary complexity of the vein
system of the Butte hill at this early
date in Its history and foresaw the
possibilities of capturing some big
veins through the acquisition of appar-
emily insignificant surface areas With
the aid of his lawyers he examined
records and titles, and whenever he
perceived an opportunity to seize an
apex that had been overlooked by the
Boston & Montana, and
other big companies. he located it.
Made Money in British Columbia.
This is, however, somewhat antici-
patory. Before he became involved in
the great litigation he made q sue
cessful venture in British Columbia.
Being in possession of funds derived
from his smelling works in Butte and
the Rarus mine. he went to Trail, B. c., |
In 1895, and built small smelter for
the Rossland ores Then he built a
railroad from Trail to
Rossland, and followed this with pro-
iect to build another from Trail to
B. c. This project obtained |
'or him land grant from the Do
ninion government. He also owned |
he Rossland Miner, then the only /
newspaper in the district. The end Of /
his Canadian venture came when the
Canadian Pacific railroad bought him
nut and paid him his own price for his
interests, railroad, land grant /
md newspaper. 1t was understood he
eceived $1,200,000. During this time
However, Heinze's chief interests and
lis headquarters remained at Butte.
Almost from the beginning Heinze
vas involved in litigation there. First
here were suits over the Rarus vein
nd then over other veins, and sooner {
r later with most all the big compan-
rs of Butte. Heinze had friends in I,
flee and in the courts, and it was ]
harged that legislation favorable to !