The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-10-10
CLARENCE CUNNINGHAM
AND QUEEN BEss MINE
FORMER coEuR D'ALENER AND
HIS BIG MINING OPERA.
TlONS IN q. C.

Old timers IN the occur dAlen,
district who are familiar with the
career of Clarence Cunningham will
be interested in the following &C
count of the phenomenal and alto
gether merited success he has achiev
ed in the SLOGAN district of British
Columbia. The editor of Mining
Truth, of Spokane. recently visited
the Cunningham properties and here
is the story of his trip as told in the
last issue of his paper:
Owned by Two Cunninehams.
Last week visited the Queen Bess
NINE just over the summit of the
high mountain Immediately north
west of Sandon, B. c., in company
, with Clarence Cunningham, of Spo-
kane and many another place, who
in partnership with his brother, DR.. ]
G. Cunningham, also Of Spokane, is
the lucky owner. 1t would be easy to
launch into superlatives in describing
the great clean ore shoot that has
been developed within the past year
but I will content myself by saying
that it is the finest and richest body
ever discovered in a country famous
the world over for its high silver and
lead values. The reader who COM
pletes this story may Judge for him
asm.
Queen Bsss' Romance.
Queen Bess of the SLOGAN is sur
rounded by as much romance as was
her namesake Of old England. Tween
ty-fve years ago it was owned by
Billy Glynn, Jimmy Moran and Char
lie Greenleaf, all we'll known in Spo-
kane, and at one time residents of the
city The early struggles Of the part
nership were severe, but over twenty
years ago the late John A. Finch and
Mace Campbell, also of Spokane, be-
came interested and for some time
thereafter some prosperity was ap-
parent Later, the mine was sold to
thel ate Peter Larson and Thomas L.
Greenough, who eventually Slough
ed" it off to a green syndicate from
Scotland and retired with an ill-con-
cealed laugh and a reasonably large
check. Scotch money was poured in
to extensive development, but some
how the mine would not respond and
about ten years ago the corporation
passed into the hands of a receiver at
the insistence Of the Bank of Montre-
al. which held some notes of not very
large proportions. At forced sale the
property was bought in by little
partnership of SLOGAN men, including
w. E. Zwicky. now president Of Cork
Province Mines, ltd; J. w. Powers,
the freighter, and "Uncle Bob" Irving,
now Of Vancouver. They packed the
load for several years, and at last in
1915 bonded the property to Clarence
Cunningham for $4,000, with no pay
ment down and several years leeway.
That marked the commencement of
the real history of Queen Bess and
put Cunningham in a fair way to be-
come the next millionaire among the
many men who have Jared forth from
this city to seek their fortunes.
Cunningham's Tough Luck.
Cunningham, as all his friends
know. had been the victim of the
toughest and most consistent run of
luck that ever met the optimistic eff
forts of a man who could not say
die" He was among the early pio-
neers Of old Eagle City in the Occur
d'Alenes, where he rounded up the
placer property now being worked
with success by the Guggenheims, and
he also spent many years in develop
ing the Star, adjoining the great Nor
ming mine of Federal Mining & Smell
ting company. and which has just lost
an important apex suit with that sub
sidiary Of the Jewish mining mag
mates. Then he went to Alaska and
all the world knows what happened.
to him there. Locator of the finest
coal fields discovered since the early
days of Ohio, he became involved in
the tide Of conservation that arose
when Clifford Pinchot was at the
height Of his power; with the final re-
suit that he lost all he possessed and
became the vortex point of the con-
troversy that agitated all the country
for many years. In his fight for what
| am now fully convinced was but
justice, all the money he could bor-
row was spent. But he finally bowed
to defeat and for many years wan
dered around the mining districts of
Alaska and other northwest fields
without success. In 1918 a lucky
thought turned his steps Sfocanward
and he then began his climb upward
by monding the old wonderful and
Miller Creek properties within sight
or SandOn. Later he took the Sover-
eign on Reco mountain, and began
long, heartbreaking struggle. Both
properties had been taken upon long
time bonds, with little II any cash
down, and Cunningham was cOmpell-
Ell to win the purchase prices from
the ground or give up the ship He
received loyal aid from his brother
over weary wears but many q time