The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-12-09
HISTORY OF GOLDEN CHEST AT MURRAY
FAMOUS NINE AGAIN CENTER INTEREST
COVERS LARGE AREA OF MINERAL eRoUNo-PRoDUcEp MUCH
GOLD IN SPITE OF INDIFFERENT MANAeEMENT-pls
cARDED TUNGSTEN NOW A BIG ASSET
} (By Adam Aulbach, Murray Idaho)

many of the mining engineers cam,
: to Murray during the month of No.
Vember, However, their movements
and labors have been more or less con-
tined to one property--the Golden
Chest, lying one mile east of the town
directly on the county road and on
the Wallace and Murray railroad line
This property had been idle for about
eight years, but three weeks ago min
ers were employed by the care -taker,
Robert I, Horn, to clean out the main
tunnel and retimber 1t where neces-
sary. This was done by order of Sam
uei Green of New York city, who fol-
lowed up the order and arrived here
a week later.
Green the Sole Owner
The writer met Mr. Green on his ar
rival and put this question to him:
Mr. Green, who owns the Golden
Chest property now?" Il do" he re-
Piled, He continued Il own practic-
ally the entire property There are
only few shares out. It will take
few months, however, to straighten
out some of the kinks" There was
much speculation before Mr. Green's
arrival as to the real ownership of the
Dig property, as two of the owners
had died, who We're formerly closely
identified with it's operation. These
We're Maurice Hayman of New York
city, the president, and A. l.. Rice. of
Slatington, Pa. 1t was also known to
the writer that a heavy mortgage was
on the property. Foreclosure proceed
ings nave been commenced on this
mortgage amounting to something
like $4,000 principal and interest. bv
Trustee Ryan, presumably Cat least II
Is so reported here) in the interest of
Mr.. Green, This would Indicate a de-
sire to put the property in shape for
ready handling.
What the Chest Embraces.
With the exception of the Bunker
Hill and Sullivan at Kellogg, it is be-
lieved the Golden Chest holdings COW
er more patented mining claims than
those OF any other corporate body in
the Occur dAlenes. The number is
given at 81, and either 8 or 10 unpat-
ented, This makes a territory some
thing like a mile square, from Reeder
gulch to Butte creek, the bed of Butte
creek up the stream for about two
miles, and from Prichard creek north
along the divide between Butte creek
and Reeder gulch. All of this terri
tory has been prospected and mined
on and near the surface for the past
80 years, excepting during the past
years until within a few weeks ago.
A Consolidation of Properties.
Originally four companies held pos
session and owned what is now termed
the Golden Chest property. The Idaho
company, a Louisville, KY corpora
ton, held the Paymaster group of
claims on the south, facing Prichard
creek; the Golden Chest company, al
so a Louisville, KY corporation, held
the center group, and Wash. Snyder
and F. w. Wentz ("Dixie") held the
northern group, named the Katie ane
Dora. Snyder and Wentz finally pur
chased the Idaho group. and suben
quently sold to the present Chest corr
pany both groups, which combined ~
the claims under one ownership The
Golden Chest, however, had changed
hands twice before the present own
ers came into the field, which now is
under the control of one
Green of New York city
Mills Also Consolidated
The Chest company erected a g.
stamp mill on its property in 1884,
which was increased to 10 stamps lat
er. Notwithstanding serious litigation
between Judge VIM. H. Clagett and
the Golden Chest company, which
all old-timers will remember Judge
Clagett was one of the locators of the
series of ledges, but lost before Jury
In the district court to the Chest COM
pany. For something like IS years the
Golden Chest company operated its
and 10-stamp mill from practically
nothing more than surface ores and
shallow tunnels, when the mill was re-
moved to the mouth of Reeder gulcr
and increased to a 20-stamp later
having added to it also some very ne
cessary modern machinery for saving
The sulphides, which had become
prominent feature in the values. The
Idaho had also erected a 2O-stamp
mill In the early '90s, when that prop
erty was under option to John A.
Finch and his associates, but Mr..
Finch did not conclude the purchase.
FOR reasons other than the values in
The quartz. Then Messrs. Snyder and
Wentz fell heir to the Idaho group
and it's appurtenances for song, so
to speak, and promptly developed
massive shipping ore, breasted out for
4 width of from 100 to 1870 feet mostly
silver-lead, carrying some gold The
Chest company shortly afterward
bought the property, and also all the
placer ground on Butte creek, in or