Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-08-31

rived with a bang to put Copperopolis
on the map.
He was a good promoter. He had
come to Montana in 1896, fresh from
association with Armour g. Co. In
Chicago, during the flamboyant worlds
fair years; and at once assumed a
responsible position in Marcus Days
offices in Anaconda. Destined to be-
come president OF numerous mining
companies, president of the senate,
speaker of the house and lieutenant
governor, he already knew how to
break down sales resistance. He located
a townsite and offered fine lot In
the center of town to anyone who
would start building at once. BY the
end of october, 1900, there were five
six-horse teams hauling ore from
"Coppertown."
On NOV. IL, Marcus DAILY, dominating
figure of the Amalgamated, lay dead
in New York city.
The work OF Copperopolis went on,
nevertheless. So aggressive were the
tactics of its promoters that Max
Waterman was soon complaining that
"the main push at Copperopolis has
issued a general boycott against per-
sons doing business outside the COM
pany's own town." and asserting White
Sulphur Springs determination to hold
40 OWA eA35 1A44Ob ally QRkOCAbAOAAs
It was wonderful period for the
copper industry. Tremendous improve
ments were being made in technical
and mechanical processes of handling
ore. During the 10 years from 1890 to
1900, Montana's output OF copper had
more than doubled, and operators were
selling in a world market. 1t was a |
wonderful period, but the year 1900
marked the temporary crest of the
wave.
In 1901 an economic crisis 10 Ger
many cut copper exports to that coun- |
Try IN half. The price could not be
stabilized, and stocks accumulated. The |
price of copper dropped from 10 cents
10 1873 cents in December, then to 112
cents IN 1902. That was nothing to
The drop In Amalgamated stock. In
September, stock that had sold at 100
n June dropped to SO, and continued
20 drop to as low as So in December.
TO the Wall street lambs, collar sales
men and elevator boys, who had bought
his stock on margin expecting TO
become second Rockefellers, this was a
1reary Christmas" says a common
,ator.
Besides this, the DAILY estate was in
litigation with the federal government
'ver timber rights; the Anaconda was
n fight with Clark and Heinze, and
he Amalgamated was on the verge
Il being "outlawed" by Judge Clancys
amous Minnie Healy decision. With
hese adverse prospects, operations at
topperopolis were restricted to clean
ng up the ore in sight. There were
nree patented claims In the camp, the
Jorthern Pacific. the Darling Fraction,
nd one other. The deepest shaft was !
My $50 feet, at the Northern Pacific
1uch OF the ore lay under the grass
oots," and some of it ran 80 percent
Upper. The superintendent Of the
lines, a Mr.. Gallagher, is authority
Or the statement that the mines yield
d quarter of million dollars, gross,
ur1ng the first nine months of op-
ration. A Total Of approximately half
million dollars was taken from the /
lines.
There was a flare-up of excitement /
/ 1907, when the Mea0her Enterprise /
n May Il announced q rich strike OF
Upper by Ed Laundt, at Red Butte,
est OF Louis Gies' ranch on Smith i
yer, with gold-beartng ore, sapphires, !
1bieS, ana what not. But nothing came !
IT, or permanent Importance. AS
upper prices fluctuated, leasers would
Ike over the property from time TO
me, during the periods Of high prices;
ut with the postwar slump all work
The ghost camp remained compare
vely unmolested until the great In
ux OF drylanders that began in 1915. 4
s claims were taken I'D Ia the vi 4
nifty OF Red Butte, homesteaders des- I
'nded eagerly on the building ma
rial OF the old camp. They ripped =
sidewalks, and ripped down log y
ais; they tore out window sashes
I'd lifted doors. They did new kind
mining" IN the camp, and neigh Y
'rhood feuds started over the pos a
'ssion OF the more handsome and u
lbstantial Of Mr.. McDoweITs sisewers. /"
Farming the copper" hills was !
oder mistake than prospecting them !
r ore. The empty cabins and fallen =
offs that Red Butte looks down on =
lggests greater finality Of failure than .
, the caving prospect holes. There Is z
ways someone ready to say, of any q
ming camp, The ore Is there. When u
lev once find 1t, she'll be the greatest N