The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-04-06
DEAN STONE TELLS OF THE GHOST CITY
OF GRANITE, DEPOPUlATED 1M A DAY

most of all-the people. He has many
friends among the Indians and knows
many of the Indian folk songs. He
has friends among the old-timers OF
Montana by the score and he knows
the history of Montana down to near
ly every detail. One has but to talk
with him for a few moments to learn
that he loves Montana from the bot
tom of his heart and that he is as
proud of her as if she were his own
native state.
In continuing his story he said:
There are two silver mines there
one called Granite and the other
the Bi-Metalic. The Granite was the
older of the two. In eight years it
paid dividends amounting to $12,-
| 100000, while the Bi-Metalic paid
in the same time, $7,000,O0O. Chas
d. Mcclure was the discoverer of
this mine he was an expert miner
from the east. 1t was he who organ
lied the Bi-Metalic Mining company.
These two mines made what is
known as the est. Louis group of
millionaires, since it was the men
from ST. Louis who were backing this
mining project financially. Mr.. Nc
Clure's family now reside in Miss
oula. He died here a few years ago.
Granite mine alone produced
$22,930, 106.28 from the time it was
first worked until at was closed in
1893. This was an enormous amount
of ore. The metal was shipped out
in huge bars, weighing each, per-
haps three to four hundred pounds
hn troy cd n
mines at the top of Granite noun
tain to the mills at Philipsburg, 1000
feet below, by means of a wire cable
and large baskets. 1t was here that
the ore was made ready for ship
ping"
When asked if there was any
feeling between the employees of |
the different companies, the dean re-
piled;
Motley were very peaceful. For
one thing there wasn't enough level |
ground even to start a fight on, let
alone finishing it. Then they we're
just naturally peaceful town. They
were not the high-life type that one
reads of as usually going with a /
booming mining town. Philipsburg |
at the bottom of the mountain ran
horse races at midnight and on pay |
nights they painted the town red.
Granite was fast asleep at midnight |
and they banked their money instead
of buying paint. The Philipsburg
main street was great white way
with all its accomplishments
Granite the women kept their hus-
bands socks well mended and gave
the children baths on Saturday night
There were no mining camp
dance hall in Granite for there
wasn't enough level ground to build
one on; a dancehall pivoting on
props several feet in the air might
be exciting, but not particularly COM
forting. The excitement on the
whole was little-when the citizens
felt the absolute need of celebrat-
Ing they went down to Philipsburg."
"But why, since it was peaceful
town, prosperous and healthful, did
The population leave so suddenly" :
"Oh," said the dean, smiling, "the
mine closed down; the sale for silver
dropped off and the mine closed the
asst of July, so the first of August 1
hey left, never to return. Now
Granite stands as it was left, empty
houses, empty stores, staring win
lows and banging doors. The two
mines were consolidated under one
company the Granite-Bi-Metalic
Mining company in 1898. Since then
Turing the war, there was little
,purt in the silver market and certain
eels of the mines were leased to in
1ividuals or small mining companies. :
However, Granite has never come
back to life and now it is deserted,
'orsaken and forlorn, mere ghost
If a village perched high up on the
crest of a mountain like an empty
birds nest in the fall, hung high in
/ tree only waiting for little heav-
er wind to blow it away"