The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-09-06
SENATOR W. A. CLARK'S STORY OF THE BEGINNING OF HIS
CAREER I'M MONTANA; SOME PIONEER mERGAMT1lE HISTORY

I samples / concluded might subserye a two
fold purpose. that is, in the technical work
of determining their values, and the pos
sibility Of discovering some valuable ores
Of which l might avail myself.
In Columbia University
l therefore took passage for New York
with my wife, leaving our children in safe
hands with our friends in Pennsylvania,
and upon arriving at New York I entered
the mining school OF Columbia university
as a special student. The school was then
located on Forty-fourth street on the east
side Of Broadway. In the course Of my
exercises under the direction of the pro-
fessor availed myself of the samples from
the Butte mines, and in some of them !
found encouraging results. In others the
values determined were very low, but al
together 1 had the assurance that with
railroad facilities som of these ores might
be profitably worked.
At the same time learned the practice
of making tests Of values by means of a
blow pipe, which was very useful in pros
pecting where one could not have an assay
office available. Determinations by the
blow pipe, as is well known among assay
ers. could be quite accurately made with
ores having value, as the little button pro-
duced from the melted ore with proper
reagents by the blow pipe can be very
closely gagged by moving the button along
a triangular scale where it's value is indi-
Gated by its size. In practical work /
found these determinations fairly accurate
and very advantageous to a prospector.
Branch Line Acclaimed
The Utah Northern railway was then be-
ing built northward from Logan valley,
Utah, and pushed quite actively. KS freight
was being constantly moved it was neces-
sary to make a new terminus from time
to time. In 1876 this line was extended to
Deer Lodge will a branch from Silver Bow
to Butte, a distance of only a few miles.
The completion of this branch was ac-
claimed with joy by the miners who had
been holding on to prospects for many
years, as they could now see a hope Of
themselves of the ores in the dis
trict.
The extension of the railroad also en-
the construction Of quartz mills
One Of the first of these was undertaken
by William L. Farlin, in 1875, who had
discovered the Travona lode, the ores of
consisted principally Of black man.
ganese gangue with high gold and silver
values. This was the first mill erected in
the camp, and was soon afterward followed
the construction Of the Centennial mill
In 1876, which also was beneficial and help
full to the development of the ores Of the
camp.
Alice Mill Completed
Soon after this time the Walker brothers,
and bankers Of Salt Lake City,
Utah, sent a representative to investigate
he prospects and mines of the camp, which
hey evidently found promising, as they
and completed the construction
If the Alice mill for the treatment of ores
from claims on the Rainbow lode which
had been obtained by them. The first mill,
completed by them with 40 stamps, was
IN the surface of the Alice mine and was
worked for years with great financial sue
less.
l likewise had made a location westward
rom the Alice, but on the same vein, which
named the Frank Moulton. / was unable
o treat the ores except by chlorination,
nd therefore built a 20-stamp mill on the
lain, and erected a Cornish pump for the
Irainage of the mine. This / operated very
uccessfully for several years.
As there were many base ores in the
amp, which could not be treated without
hi orination, as was the case with the ores
( the Alice and Moulton mines, furnaces
we're constructed by which the ores were
oasted with salt and thereby deprived Of
heir sulphur and other bases that inter
cred with their successful treatment. The
My available salt was In Utah, which was
by rail In large quantities. By
be operation Of roasting with salt the
Concluded IN Agricultural Page)