The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-04-05
DEAN STONE TELLS OF THE GHOST CITY
OF GRANITE, DEP0PWLATGD I'M "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, S7,O00,0O0 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
Cures family now reside in Miss
oula. He died here a few years ago.
Granite mine alone produced
22,930,106.2S from the time it was
first worked until at was closed in
1898. This was an enormous amount
of ore. The metal was shipped out
in huge bars, weighing each, per-
haps three to four hundred pounds.
The ore was transported from the
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 we're very peaceful. For
one thing there wasn't enough level
ground even to start a fight on, let
alone finishing it. Then they were
just naturally a peaceful town. They
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
they painted the town red.
Granite was fast asleep at midnight
and they banked their money instead
Of buying paint. The Philipsburg
street was a great white way
with all its accompaniments-in
Granite the women kept their hus-
bands socks we'll mended and gave
The children baths on Saturday night.
There were no mining camp I
lance hall in Granite for there
wasn't enough level ground to build I
on; a dancehall pivoting on I
several feet in the air might I
Do exciting, but not particularly com
The excitement on the I
whole was little-when the citizens I
felt the absolute need of c~elebrat-
they went down to Philipsburg." :
"But why, since it was a peaceful r
,own, prosperous and healthful, did +
he population leave so suddenly" 7
"Oh," said the dean, smiling, "the s
nine closed down; the sale for silver 2
dropped off and the mine closed the r
asst of July, so the first of August +
hey left, lever to return. Now
Granite stands as it was left, empty
houses, empty stores, staring win
and banging doors. The two
mines we're consolidated under one +
- the Granite-Bi-Metalic s
company in 1898. Since then a
Turing the war, there was a little Y
purt in the silver market and certain 7
cells of the mines were leased to in I
liyiduals or small mining companies. :
However, Granite has never come
'ack to life and now it is deserted,
orsaken and forlorn, a mere ghost
# a village perched high up on the
rest of a mountain like an empty
nest in the fall, hung high in
tree only waiting for a little heav-
er wind to blow it away"