The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1930-08-28

!. these claims to Sturgiss & Lam
bankers, of Cheyenne, Wyo.
The Cooke City or Republi
smelter was butt by these me
in 1883 and was put into operatio
in 1884 ON the complex lead-silvel
zine ores of the district. As Their
was no coal or coke available
charcoal was used which at tina
time was obtained locally for 1
cents bushel, or about S1.20
| hundredweight.
| Clarence King, of the Unite,
| States geological survey, VIII
knew Sturgiss & Lane by reason
of a mutual interest in cattle, rec
! commended the services of Reubel
Richard as general superintendent
of the Republic mine. Accordingly
Richard was engaged as manager
in 1884 and supervised the early
trials of the shelter. The first run
in 1883 had shown that the com
pick ores from the Republic mine
contained too much anthony an6
zinc to be smelted without roast
ing. Heap roasting Was unsuccess-
fully tried. In 1885 roasting
furnace was constructed and in the
fall of 1886 the smelter was again
put into operation. Smelling was
successfully carried on by mixing
the nearly pure lead-silver ores of
Miller mountain, and several hun
dred tons of lead was produced
that year.
Urges Desilverized Plant
Owing to the high freight rates
Richard believed that shipping
base bullion from Cooke would
prove Improbable and advised his
employers that a desilverized pant
should be erected. He intended
to ship the silver and hold the lead
hoping to accumulate enough to
bring a railroad into the district.
Owing to financial stringencies the
owners were unable to supply the
funds for this project, and Richard
resigned. Operations were then
abandoned, and the mine was not
reopened until 20 years later.
With the closing of the Republic
mine and smelter the activity IN
the district practically ceased for
many years, although sole lead
silver ores from the Morning Star,
Butlker Hill and Back Warrior
claims were smelted in the Mex
lean furnace. About 1888 rich gold
ore was found in the Daisy and
Homestake claims on Henderson
mountain and several carloads
were shipped. A few years later
a small stamp mill was built, but
this had only a short run, and
no ore has heen treated there
since.
The Alice E. property on the
mountain, contained oxidized gold
ore averaging about $14 in gold
to the ton. A cyanide mill, erect
ed in 1898, ran there successfully
for two years, and $4,000 in gold
was recovered before the fall of
1894, when the oxidized ore was
exhausted. AS the sulphide ore
remaining could not be cyanided
profitably, the mine was closed,
and no attempt has ever been made
to reopen it.
In 1904 cooper ore was discov-
cred at Goose Lake, and the Cop
per King Mining and Development
was organized. This COM
pany built a road from Cooke to
the mine and carried on operations
actively until the financial panic
of 1907. A 60-foot shaft and an
open cut were made, and a fair
tonnage of high-grade chalcopy-
rite ore Was exposed, but little if
any ore was shipped, and the mine
he's been inactive for years.
Republic Mine Sold
In 1906 the Buffalo-Montana
company, organized by R. I. Nc
Kay and his associates, bought the
Republic mine and operated it in
desultory way for a number of
years, but the property finally
went into the hands of receivers.
Mckay was appointed receiver and
as such continued to operate the
mine internationally, but apparent
ly with little success. In the sum- |
mer OF 1918 W. D. NARROW leased
The property and worked it for two
years. The mine reverted to the |
old company in 1920; since shat |
Time 1t has remained idle, and in |
1879 the property was in litigation. |
&. j.. Tanner organized the Ir;c-
ous Metals company in 1904 and |
ever since has beer a leading fig
urc IN the promotion of Cooke