Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-06-27

ERNEST RamrneImeyer, one Of the
wssaneeF miners Of The Butte dis
2rsct and since removed 70 Utah.
wrote the following article regard
ang the Tseie shaft mentioned an an
article appearing in a Butte news
7nzper some years ago. In which u
was claimed that 3 large sum OF
money had been hidden Ia the cid
shaft back In the SOS. Mr. RAM
Eneimeyer said:
~An old miner who lived in many
mining camps in the territorial days
and knows the history OF the camps
ne has lived in, always cherishes the
bits of news he gathers from the news
papers and other sources OF these
places. and this gives many pleasant
memories in passing them through the
minds review, thinking Of old friends
who long ago have answered the last
call into the unknown Mining Camp,
the Great Beyond, immune from the
hazards and clemencies and compass
sions OF rich strikes and its vicissi-
fuces.
Some time ago I noticed an &C
count Of early Butte, Montana, history
IN a Salt Lake paper from q Butte ar
Gfcle under the heading: Long Missing
Gold Sought in Mine, $4,000 Disap-
peared After Tragedy
1.-The article related that Fred Isele
4Ocated a mine In 1864, and named 1t
the Isele Mines got $4,000 for 1t,
cached it in the mine at the bottom
of the shaft and that at the time the
story was written a heavy guard is
posted to ward off any attempt to
Jump the claim after the shaft has
been cleared of the water.
Il was well acquainted with Fred
Isele. He had a cabin between Butte
and Rocker, an old placer camp, on the
main road to Butte. He located the
claim in 1874 as the records viii show.
In 1881 he sold the claim for $4,000 to-
ShaugneSSy, United States marshal,
.Sey started work that winter under the
direction of a Mr.. Larsen as Superin-
Eendent, also of Utah. This company
sank a two-compartment shaft 200 feet
deep with several drifts on the 100
and 200-foot levels and stopped some
ore between these levels about 200
feet south of the shaft and then let
Che mine fill up with water in 1883.
Fred ISele and Charles Stricken
and another mana brother-in-law Of
the owner Of the Mountain Boy Mine,
whose name was Jacky-were celebrat- |
ing the Fourth Of July in 1882 in Fred's
cabin
"A singular occurrence happened,
creating dramatic episode. Charles
of 10 sticks Of dynamite with percuS-i
sion cap and about two feet Of fuse
and lit the fuse with the intention Of
leaving the cabin Immediately and
drop them some distance from the
cabin. In their last venture one of the
fuses burnt to the cap before leaving
the cabin which exploded the other
dynamite sticks in their hands and also
so pounds of dynamite which was un-
der the bed. In the he'd lay the other
man watching Fred and Charley who
we're killed outright, and badly multi
lated. The man on the bed was blown
the shack roof and badly
shaken up, but in six weeks after the
explosion he was in as good condition
as before the accident
TSele got all his money while the
mine was in operation. I worked on
the Sheridan mine not over 500 feet
from the Isele, sinking a shaft with q
whim at the time Larsen sunk the Isele
shaft with q whim the first 40 feet and
then installed boiler pump and hoist
Il came back to Butte after an in
Eerval Of II years, and worked the Isele
mine for OdgerS, Wearing Hammer and
Holland, who had lease. We shipped
considerable refractory silver, zinc ore
and let the mine fill up when we got
through. There is no money hidden In
the shaft. The stump was shallow and
occasionally had to be cleaned out.
'ISele got his money for the mine
whfle the mine was In operation under
larsen, and died during that time. He
sent some money back east to some
relatives who after his death inherited
bis belongings, together with half Of
Ehe Germania mine which adjoins the
Mountain Boy. Both shaft houses were
within 100 feet distance apart.
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