Montana oil and mining journal., 1940-04-27

Of stern resolution. But he had vision.
confidence and determination. Single
handed he drove his 500 feet Of tunnel
through the massive granite, into the
treasure house his vision anticipated.
There IN the dark and dismal cham
bers with walls wet as if with the
sweat Of human agony he toiled with
pick and CAD to wrench the precious
metals from the misery clutch Of the
rocks. But subsequent events brought
his greatest griefs. Endowed with a
good measure of native business acu-
men, he managed his enlarged affairs
with remarkable sagacity. But the
simple life he lived so many years, no
doubt were his happiest, for sudden
wealth surely brings sudden and
strange responsibilities. Cruise expert
enced both sides Of the drama Of
human life. He knew Of all the pleas
ures Of poverty and also the anxieties
Of wealth.
HarbOred No Regrets
In strange and extreme contrast to
the successful career Of Cruise we shall
place that of George Detwiler, one Of
the early placer miners of Silver creek.
Elected in 1864 to the first territorial
legislative assembly from Silver City,
he became the speaker Of the assembly.
He later became the rolling stone that
gathers no moss" We find MIN finally
In a small cabin In Trinity gulch,
about two miles from Marysville, where
he was washing out q little gold TO
provide him with the necessities Of a
modest and unnoticed existence. He
made frequent visits to Marysvtlle. He
was modeSty perSonified. He often
viewed the northern slope of the Cruise
mountain that was being honeycombed
by hundreds of miners and he could
see and hear the 120 stamps ceaseleSs
pounding on the ore from his locations
made a quarter Of g century before.
Yet he harbored no regrets His cup
Of contentment of life apparently was
filled. Never a word of complaint.
never a thought OF envy. OF quiet de-
meanor, his countenance was serene,
with a few crescentic lines, where for
70 years his fascinating smiles came
to the surface.
On Oct. IL, 1873, Charles and VIII
liam Mayger located and recorded the
"St. Louis claim as the southern ex-
tension of the Drum Lummon vein.
At that time the strike Of the Drum
Lummon vein was not definitely de-
termined. After mining operations Of !
the Montana company were extended
south, the fact was established that |
The apex of the vein followed closely !
the upper sideline Of the st. Louis |
which was also the lower sideline Of |
the Marble Heart" Of the Montana |
Litigation ensued and for 20 |
years this matter was held In the |
courts upon various points Of law. |
final decision was reached
and the st. Louis company acquired |
The property through judgment de-
cree. Had the ST. Louis claim been /
ocated up the hill a few feet there |
would have been no question as to ,
he ownership Of the millions In the
)re bodies below. The Mayger brothers
'aded from the picture shortly after
wards, broken in heart and spirit.
Unwanted Law Proved Lucky
Silver creek was the camps water
;ource and the carrier Of the tailings
rom the mills. Shortly after entering
nto statehood, Montana adopted the
California code which provided that
Ill tailings from quartz mills and
placer mines be tmpounded TO prevent
'loodtng the agricultural lands below.
The Montana company was required to
purchase the worked-out placer ground
md small chicken ranches along the
.reek, at a cost Of $4,000, which was
considered as exorbitant. However,
ater the cyanide method Of treatment
# ores was developed and 81 900, 900
from the tailingS At the
resent time dredges are at work
leaning up the old placer ground and
ak1ug OUT duOLIlcI IOTbu1e. CLlll lar
her down the creek new process for
he treatment Of the tailings that
loated down the creek six miles below
darysville Is at work. They find gold
nine at grass roots" The gold dig
ers are again coming to town"
During the time covered by this mar
ative II gold mills have been built
nd put into operation In the Silver
reek basin and have to their credit a
ross production of $50, ,155, 900 and the
nd Is not yet. The lesson, we wish to
mphasize here Is that the early pros