Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-09-27
WORK GREAT NINE
CERRO DE PASCO.
FOR 800 YEARS

A brief message In 1928 came from
Los Angeles and announced the death
Of A w. McCune. Jr., recalled to many
an episode OF the early days in Butte
and Anaconda when the name OF NC
Cune was one to con1ure with. The
elder McCune was a compeer Of DAILY,
Haggin and Headst. With Haggin ne
was an owner Of the famed Cerro de
Pasco mine In Chile. long one Of the
richest silver properties IN the world.
About a century after Columbus
time the Cerro de Pasco was discov-
cred and for almost 800 years 1t has
been a producer It's life. which COW
ers a copper and gold era as well as
silver, affords an Illustration Of the
longevity Of a mine which we who are
so interested IN the magnitude Of the
deposits In the Butte hill may well
consider. NO doubt there were evil
prophets two centuries ago who pre-
dicted that the Cerro de PaSco would
not last 10 years.
McCune is remembered in Anaconda
because Of his connection with the Mil
creek flume, constructed TO bring wood
from the mountains for fuel for the
old Anaconda smelter AS a trans
portation line it was the life of the
plant, Just as important in those days
as is the B., A. 81 P. railroad now.
The younger McCune is best remem-
bered as one of the venturesome youths
who 30 years ago endeavored to per-
petuate the stage coach in these parts.
He was a member Of the old Overland
club Of Deer Lodge and one Of two or
three left of that picturesque organi-
cation
Montana has seen extraordinary de-
in vehicles within a COM
short time. There are still
with us men who drove ox-teams /
across the plains Next to the travels
Of the Indians that was the slowest
method of locomotion. The saddle |
horse. particularly speedy in the pony
express, was development. The world I
marveled at the rate at which mail /
was transported across the territory
by hostile Indians by the dar-
ing riders of the period.
The steamers, which laboriously
the current Of the Yellow
stone and the Missouri to Fort Ben
Ton could only operate In summer or
while the ice was out of the rivers.
Many Of Montana's pioneers arrived
On these boats. The arrival of the
abroad marked an epoch in the open
ng of the vast area in the northwest.
Montana's first sight of the iron horse
vas in what Is now Beaverhead county,
/ branch of the Union Pacific stretch
ng north to tap the new mining
amp
Speed Essential
Today four great transcontinental
ystems operate into Butte and 1t is
far cry from the old wood burning
.ngine to the fast electric train Of
he Milwaukee, which today races up
he slope of the Rockies at a faster
peed than it descends The overland
tage ran away from the prairie
chooner and the steam engine and
he electric locomotive from both. The
ligh-power automobile can beat the
astest train across the state even with
he present incomplete conditions Of
be roads, and planes beat everything.
Paul Mitchell's stage, travelling at !
Cd speed from sunrise to dark, with :
frequent change Of horses. might
over 100 miles under favorable cir :
umstances. That would have been
to talk about around the
ampfire at the end of the journey.
'et here comes youth who will pres !
ntly take off from New York in the
forming and caring not for rough
Jads or steep grades, take supper that z
light in a San Francisco cafe. 4
1t is incomprehensible that in any n
Their generation during the worlds {
istory, that is to say. during the O
fetime of one man, so marvellous Y
evelopment can take place as that
the age in which we chance to live. n