Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-01-22

visible sharpshooter. These demon
STATIONS discouraged all but the mos
persistent of gold seekers.
So Thunder mountain remained I'm
moleSted for many years BY any larg
army of mining men. Among thoSi
who remained despite the strang'
things that happened and the Sound
heard, were the CasWel brothers. Ate
placer mining profitably for a mum
Der of years, they became convinced
that they had a huge body OF ore OF
the real Thunder mountain.
In the summer of 1900 the CaswelL
tried to take their holdings to mar.
! ket, but encountered many difficultie.
in their efforts to interest capital. Ont
expert after another examined the
property only to make an unfavorablC
report. Others turned it down withou
even making a personal examination
after being told of the existing con.
ditionS. Their efforts, however, hac
given the region considerable public
ity. Colonel Dewey of Nampa, a noted
plunger of the mining world, finally
agreed to take a chance.
So soon, however, as some of his
friends in the financial world learned
that Dewey had taken an option to
undertake the development Of a big
low grade proposition in the wilder
ness, they tried to induce him not to
spend any money on it. He gave in 70
their arguments to the extent that he
agreed to do no more than send in a
crew of proSpectors TO meet what he
considered to be moral obligation,
although it was only implied in the
escrow.
In 1901 he hired crew of practical
miners, friends of the Casweu boys,
and fhou mont IN f1rocr1pFf tho ground
Their first work was to sink at random
on the porphyTy dixie that had been de-
nuded Of earth by the hydraulic oper-
atoms of the CasWells. Seams in the
porphyry had previously revealed free
gold in many places and it was one Of
the most conspicuous of these pay
streaks that was selected for opera
tons
$1,000 to the Ton
Plunger's luck followed Colonel
Dewey. The prospect hole hit into ore
that aSSayed more than $1,000 to the
ton The Workmen loaded $4,000 worth
of it on packhorses and went to
DeWey's home at Nampa. The mining
world was electrified. Dewey with
more than a million dollars in sight
in a mere prospect hole, then went to
the trouble of Inspecting the terms Of
his bond. He found that it required
that wagon road be built to the prop
erty not later than Nov. /, 1901. 1t was
impossible for him to comply with
that condition because of the lack Of
time. The bond also called for the cree
ton of q stamp mill during the same
time. Because he had no wagon road he
had no way of getting the mill equip
ment to the location.
In the meantime, the CaSwell boys
learned that they were selling a million
dollar mine for 100000. Inasmuch as
the road and the mill clauses had not
and could not be fulfilled within the
time required in the bond, they en-
ployed counsel and brought action
in an effort to have DeWey'S bond de-
clared forfeited. 1t was held, however,
that forfeiture could not be declared
until the date set for the specific per-
Torrance of the act had arrived. Be
fore that date Dewey paid to the Cas-
wells the full 100000, the price set
upon the property in the bond, and
which otherwise would not have been
due for two years.
The Dewey mine proved to be a
bonanza. BY the spring Of 1902 it had
produced 100000 worth of ore which
had been sorted and sacked and
stacked away awaiting the installation
Of mill. That ore was taken from
lead which nowhere measured more
than three and one-half feet in width
and was obtained in a length of 1000
feet. Some of the ore taken from the
Dewey mine was worth a dollar
pound.
The Thunder mountain developments
drew mining men not only from other
portions of Idaho and from Montana,
but from Nevada, Oregon, California
and even Alaska. Intensive prospect
ng of the territory followed, of course |
and by men in such numbers that the |
sound of Chinese fiddles and horses |
hoofs upon the mountain trails; mys-
FERROUS rifle shots at night and the |
distant thunder of slides moving were
lot sufficient to drive them out. AS |
matter of fact, however, the myster- |
GUS sounds, except those caused by the |
slides or thunder storms had long since |
leased to be a factor in the develop
nent of the territory.