The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-20
Clarence Cunning
ham and Mining
Operations
HE OWNS EIGHT MINES
Luck Turned After Losing
His Alaska Coal
Lands

Clarence Cunningham, pioneer Q
the Coeur d'Alenes, now millionair
mine owner of Sandon, B. c. The stor
of his career Is full of human inter
est and carries with it a moral tina
should not be lost upon those VIII,
seek fortune in mining and who ar
disposed to repine and lose their gril
when reverses overtake them. He ar
rived in Murray along about '85 ant
for many years thereafter gave his at
tention to mining, first for gold OF
the North Side and later for lead OF
the South Side, but the fates were
against him in this district SO far a.
mining was concerned. But discour
agements in the mining field never
disturbed his optimistic Temperament
and he turned to new enterprises witt
confidence undismayed which seldom
fails to eventually lead to success. Mr.
Cunnignham's greatest enterprise, one
In which there would have been liter.
ally millions If he had not been balk.
ed by a Pinchotized administration
took him to Alaska as the representa-
tive of a group of friends and where
he located in conformity with the law
a large tract of coal land. His claim.
were contested by special agents O
the government under the direction O.
Pinchot and were finally cancelled, h
and his associates losing mot onl!
their personal expenses in connection
with locating the land, but also tn,
money they had paid for the claim
when their filings were accepted b.
the government.
Finds Fortune at Sandon.
| But the loss of the Alaska coal LAM
marked the turning point in the for
tunes Of Clarence Cunningham. Hi
last visit to Wallace was about fou
years ago, when he got enough none.
together to secure an option ant
lease on the Queen Bess mine nea
Sandon, British Columbia. A goo'
many thousand dollars had been spen
by the late John A. Finch and A. B
Campbell in an effort to develop al
ore body on the property and who fin
ally gave 1t up. Mr.. Cunningham
took up the work where Finch ant
Campbell quit and after running i
feet he broke into fine body of lead
silver ore and soon began shipping
The royalties received by the owner
paid for the mine. With only 22 mel
on the payroll, the shipments from th'
Queen Bess are now averaging 500,
900 a month.
| This information comes through
Judge C. e. Miller, of this city, Mr.
Cunnignham's attorney and persona
friend, who has just returned from {
visit of three weeks at Sandon.
Operates Eight Mines.
Judge Miller states that in addition
to the Queen Bess, Mr.. Cunningham
also owns and personally operates
other properties, all but one Of which
are shipping ore or have reached thu
productive stage. These properties
are the Wonderful, Sovereign, Idaho
Alamo, Vanroi, Hewitt and Mille1
Creek, the last one named being th'
only one in which ore has not beer
developed. Three mills handle thu
ore from the various mines. 1t is es
timated That there is 100000 feet O.
timber standing on the Cunningham
holdings, which is a valuable asset, al
much timber is required in the mines
The Cunningham properties emplo!
275 men, who receive practically thu
same wages paid in the Occur d'Alen'
district. The mines are provided will
modern boarding houses conducted b!
the management and the men pay s
per day. Dry and change rooms will
baths are also provided.
Other cosur d'Aieners.
Old timers in Wallace. will remem
ber ]. M. Harris, who went from her
to British Columbia many years ag'
at the time of the "Slocan excite
ment." He located the townsite o
Sandon and acquired the Reco mine
from which he made fortune. HI
still owns the mine which Is now op
Grated under lease, from which he re
ceives large income. Mr. Mile
says Mr. Harris is still In Sandon
where he owns the leading hotel. ligh
plant and water works and other val
liable interests.
F. Gushing Moore, former resi-
dent of this city, now lives at Sandon
where he Is the engineer in charge o
all Mr.. Cunningham's properties.
w. H. North, for many years con