Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-07-26

claim, and advised them to try to gel
control Of the ground by either pur-
chase or otherwise.
This they later accomplished by pay
ing Ettien $2,45O, the sale being nego-
tiated by a disinterested party.
The original partnership Of Hoover
work the mines for several years, but
finally DR.. Bouvet died, and Hoover
sold out to Hobson and Matt Dunn
for 5000 although his original price
had been $4,000. He then moved ia
Alaska leaving behind him the mines
that later yielded millions In profit
to their owners.
Syndicate Takes Mines
Later the mines were taken over
by the New Mine Sapphire syndicate,
incorporated In 1893 and financed by
British capitalists. The sIuicing meth
cd was used by this new company to
work the ground IS deep as possible,
and a half-mile tunnel was driven
through the hill Just east Of the dis
covery.
This huge crevice, about 200 feet
deep and is to IS feet wide, can still
be seen today, although it has caved
in to some extent. Later the company
constructed a hoist and sank shaft
This English mine continued to OPP
crate until 1928 with the exception of
a short time during the World war
Until 1901, no manifestation of the
vein or lead had been discovered west
Of the old findings of Jim Ettien. The
manner Of its discovery Is very inter-
esting. A man employed at the Burke
sawmill at the mouth of Yogo started
from Utica one afternoon to get back
on the job at the mill, but being
slightly befuddled, missed his bearing
and got lost.
Slept On Gems
Before he could find his way again,
night had descended upon him, so he
bedded down on top Of a hill until
morning. When it became light, he
found that he had slept on the sap
phire vein as there were a number
Of stones in plain view.
This discovery was located and
staked Aug. II, 1901, and recorded as
the Lion Lode Sept. %, 1901, by Mary
A. OBri&n. On Jan. IL, 1902, Pat T.
Sweeney made a location which was
Jan. "a, 1902, the ground ex-
tending across Yogo creek, about three
miles west Of the English mine.
John Burke was associated with
Sweeney although his name does not
appear In any Of the locations on
record. Several cuts were made on
these claims but operations were not
extensive. being mostly confined to
hauling the dirt down to the Burke
sawmill and washing.
In 1904, the American Sapphire Co.,
With H. o. Chowan as president, took
over these claims and began operation.
The first mill was constructed IN 1906. |
The American mine continued TO run !
'or about 10 years. In 1914 it sold
nut TO the English mine, and has never !
'un since.
Listed below are some other noted |
characters connected with the early
history Of the sapphire mines:
l. Yogo Bill, an old prospector, con-
lected with both mines.
O. George Fraser, connected with
8. George Spencer. connected with
10Th mines.
4. Gene Poirer, an engineer at the
nglish mine.
5. Henry Crittenden, q lapidary for
he American mine.
6. Charles II. Burr, superintendent
T the American mine.
Z. Dan O'Donnell, foreman Of the
american mine
8. wallace Danford, foreman of the
inglish mine.
arIy Operations
AS stated previously, the earliest OPP
rations were confined to working open
uts or washing the lead out Of the
lde of the hin by hydraulic mining.
a 1901 the English company sank a
haft on the lead and about $50 feet
Glow the surface made drifts running
asst and west.
The ore was broken by low-power
explosive, brought to the surface
y HOSTS with capacity Of 10 cubic
eet each, dumped in piles on extern
I've washing floors, soaked with water
nd left to weather and disintegrate
II about a year. (Some accounts say
)ur years.)
On the surface, the lead Is a soft
ellowish clay, the final product of
Of the ore. but as it
pes down into the earth it changes
, q blue-gray clay and then to q
ue-gray rock which must be decom-
oSed before the sapphires can be re-
ased from It. It was then washed In
uice boxes by water running over It
much the same manner as gold :
ashing was done.