Glacier County chief., 1939-08-25

district because it was the scene of
one of the greatest mining swindles
in the history of the state. More than
$4,000 of eastern money was sunk,
and according to those who remember
the venture, the only ones to profit
were saloonkeepers in Butte and
Missoula.
An electrical railway and 100
stamp mill was partially completed be-
fore the crash came and it became
known as the "Quigley sWindle.'
According to one statement, 1T was
the widest sort of a wildcat, absolutely
without merit as mining proposition,
engineered by men who had neither
the knowledge of mining nor the dis
position to do that which was right"
Up the Clark Fork of the Columbia
and in the extreme northwestern cor
ner of Granite county lies the Garnet
district. In the. early days this was
placer mines situated in every gulch
leading from the mountain on which
the town of Garnet is situated yielded
, approximately S14,000,0 900 prior to 1900.
Since 1900 Garnet has doomed and
one time in recent years was, termed
a "ghost town" More recently with
the rising price of silver and gold,
Garnet had another brief moment OF
activity and residents of that locality
predict even more in the near future.
One of the famous mines of the
early days near the town of Garnet
was the Nancy Hanks, property OF
/ Samuel Richie. By 1908 this mine had
produced nearly sl,000,0Oo in gold and
pect at that time. Adjoining the Nancy
Hanks was the McDermott, or Sham
rock mine, which is noted for having
made more than one man wealthy. II
was still considered to be great mine
at the turn of the century.
{ Garnet Mother Lode
The mother lode OF the district is
located right in the town of Garnet
where it was the property Of Hugh
Grant. one OF the old-time miners OF
the district, in the early 19OOs. The
vein or ore body was more than 100
say value of ST per ton. Here and
there were found spots of almost pure
gold
According to old-timers in Granite
county, Hugh Grant was known to
have taken out more than 81 900 IN
gold nuggets in one day. A short dis
! lance below the Granite mine was the
Hartford mine that for time in the
early 1900s threatened to rival the
Nancy Hanks as producer. 1t was
worked under bond by group OF
Butte men.
mines that adjoined the Grant and
Hartford were also rated as successful
producers in the early 1905 They
were bonded for $4,000. and yielded
$4,000 in a short time after work was
started under the bond.
The Mitchell and Mussigbrod, estates
owned 80 patented claims and 10
stamp mill. These were rated as valu-
able properties and two of the mines
in the years 1901 and 1902 produced
approximately $4,000 in gold. 1t was
stated at that time that s5OO,0O0 worth
I<~f i,,c iG in fhnCn
The claims and mines mentioned
above were some of the most prom
! inent during the boom times OF Philips I
burg'S history. During more recent
years paying mines have, been devel-
oped in manganese, although these
mines. too, have suffered because of
depression fluctuations.
Worked Every Summer
During the summer months many !
families move into the Philipsburg
mining area and placer mine for gold. |
These families and individual pros
pectors are able to make wages and
as some have expressed it, I'VE keep
off relief enjoy a summers vacation, .
and make little money at the same
Placer mining is by no means |
thing of the past in Granite county
and according to some. there is enough |
pay dirt on Flint creek to keep the
head of water that it is possible to
obtain busy for more than 1OO years.
The placers in Basin gulch on Rock
creek have been big producers since
their discovery.
At the present time none of the
placers yield the unusually high values
that were noted in the early days of
Montanas history. However, colors can
usually be found and enough gold can
be obtained to make. placer mining
in most cases worthwhile. Also there
always is the attractive hope Of "strik-
ing It rich" some day.
The old saying that gold is where
you find it" has been found to be
true in the past and present day pros
pectors maintain that it still holds
good. Philipsburg residents firmly be-
1ieve that Its biggest boom Is in the
future and that It will someday be-
come the mining center of the state,
adding this to its present agricultural
and stockraising revenue.