An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 160

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Montana > An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 160

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

ores from the Crevice mines. The mill did not succeed in saving the gold, although a large amount of free gold was found in the tailings by the pan test. This mill was moved to some place near Drummond.

The Thompson is some distance back of the Gillis; and the Empire State is on Pine creek, a branch of Bear. These mines are on strong veins of good quartz, containing oxide of iron rich in free gold. Below permanent water the iron containing the gold will be sulphuret of iron or pyrites. As a result of these practical tests and assays and a large amount of develop- ment work, the mines of Crevice mountain are held in high estimation, and a group of them have passed into the hands of an Eastern syn- dicate, with the prospect of mining commensur- ate with the richness of mines. The quartz of Crevice mountain will soon aid the placers of Bear creek and Crevice Gulch to keep Montana in the front of the mining States.

Emigrant Gulch is on a tributary of the Yel- lowstone which comes down from the Snowy mountains above Livingston. The placer mines of Emigrant Gulch acquired a widespread repu- tation at an early day in the history of Montana mining, and a large amount of gold was taken out by primitive modes, and much more re- mains to be cleaned up by the more efficient modern appliances. As was to be expected, many quartz veins have been discovered in and above the famous placer deposits of this rich gulch. Miners and experts agree that these quartz veins contain large quantities of rich golden ores, and they certainly add a large amount to the available mineral resources of Park county.

These mines are on Mill creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone, which comes down from the snowy mountains some twenty miles above Liv-

ingston. The Silver King, Silver Mountain, Alice, Emma, St. Paul, Genet and other lodes have been consolidated by a company organized to develop the discoveries made in this region. This is a step in the right direction, and those well informed prediet a successful issue of this enterprise.

There are mines on Boulder creek, about thirty miles north of Cook City. Placers have been worked here for several years and some remarkable quartz veins have been discovered. The Hidden Treasure is a large vein which has been cleaned off by placer mining 150 feet in length and thirty feet in width. The quartz is very rich in frce gold in some places. Some specimens showed numerous particles of gold; in other places the quartz appears to be nearly barren. This is certainly a very "bright pros- pect," and we may expect to hear pleasant things from the Hidden Treasure on the Boul- der of Park county. Judging from what I saw, the name should be Visible Treasure rather than Hidden Treasure.

At Copper, six miles from the Boulder mines, are some copper veins at Camp Copper. These mines are held in high esteem, but not enough work has been done to convert the prospects into good mines. Some quartz veins have been discovered on Rocky Fork creek, six or eight miles southwest of Red Lodge. These discov- eries have not been examined, but they are in the midst of low, rounded knobs and ridges similar to the granite and limestone ridges at the head of Stillwater, in which so many good veins have been discovered.

Cook City is in the New World District, which includes many mountains and valleys in- tersected by numerous large, rich, and in some respects very remarkable, veins and deposits of rieh ores.

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The geology of a district usually indicates to some considerable degree the nature of its min- eral deposits. Productive veins of the precious metals are found in no place save in regions where the rocks have been metamorphosed and more or less crystallized, as is most common in mountains and the adjacent country. Bnt in some places the rocks are metamorphosed far away from the mountains, as in some parts of New England. This is more common where the rocks belong to the oldest formations. But the more recent rocks of the gold and silver re- gions of the United States are never metamor- phosed far away from those influences which elevated, fractured and tilted the rocks which form our mountains. Ilence, veins of gold and silver are never found in those regions far away from the mountains and foothills.

But while productive veins of the precious metals are never found in any save metamor- phosed and igneous rocks, it is not true that all metamorphosed rocks contain such veins. Some mountains contain but little gold and silver, and even some parts of very productive ranges pro- duce none of the precious metals. But nearly all mountain ranges yield some valuable mate- rials for man's use. While the Ozark monn- tains have furnished no valuable mines of gold and silver, they have vast deposits of iron, lead, zine, nickel, cobalt and marble. The northern part of the Alleghanies furnish large quantities of slate, marble and mica, the middle portions, anthracite and iron, and the southern portions, gold, mica and marble. Some have imagined that the most ancient rocks are the richest in the precious metals; but this is a mistake. While the iron mines of the Ozarks and the Adirondacks are in the oldest rocks and monn- tains of the continent, and the anthracites of the Alleghanies are in mountains more recent; the

gold and silver mines of the Rockies are in mountains comparatively new. The whole re- gion of the Rockies, the Sierras and the Cas- cades was under the Pacific ocean when the Alleghanies were formed. So this whole region of the Rocky mountains and the Pacific slope, so rich in precious metals, is as comparatively recent in the geological ages as its civilization is in the historical times.

The highest mountains about Cook City pre- sent a feature which, though common in this part of the Rocky mountains, is seldom seen in the mountains of the Atlantic coast. Mountain ranges and spurs and peaks usually appear as if the central and highest portions had been forced up through the horizontal surface strata, leaving the latter fractured, tilted and lying against the sides of the mountains. In the highest monn- tains at Cook City, the central and highest peaks have been forced up through the hor- izontal surface as stated, but, instead of tilting . the surface strata, the disturbing forces lifted them bodily to a height of some 8,000 feet and left them in a horizontal position as before they were disturbed.

Another uncommon feature is quite obvious in these high mountains. The horizontal strata which form the sides of the mountains are but little changed on their outer edges, but they are much more metamorphosed and fractured next to the basalts and trachytes or ancient lavas which form the central peaks and ridges. Hence many of the best mines in these mountains are in these metamorphosed rocks near to or in con- tact veins next to the central basalts or ancient lavas. This is true of the Morning Star, Black Warrior, Homestake, Elkhorn, War Eagle and many other mines.

Other mines in these mountains are what the miners call "blanket veins." They lie nearly

Jepure

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horizontal between the rock strata. Others still appear to be irregular veins with vast pockets filled with ore, usually in or adjacent to the limestones. Such is the geological structure of the high mountains known as Mil- ler, Henderson, Woody, Republic, Sheep and Red mountains. These mountains are actually covered with hundreds and hundreds of mineral locations. Some have been so well developed as to show their valne and prove them good mines, while the great unmber have been but little worked and are simply bright prospects.

At the head of Stillwater and Slough creeks are some low, rounded mountains or foothills,

HON. THOMAS C. POWER is one of Montana's most prom- inent and distinguished citizens, successful in business, influential in politics and respected and honored in all the relations of life. He is a Western man by birth, and with those of the vast territory beyond the Mississippi his in- terests have always been identified and progress has been largely advanced by his efforts. Holland says that the history of a community is lest told in the lives of its citi- zens, and the record of Mr. Power's career certainly shows forth much of the condition of the localities with which he has been connected.

A native of Dubuque, Iowa, he was born May 22, 1839, and comes of a family of Irish origin. His father, Mi- chael Power, emigrated from the Emerald Isle to this country in his boyhood and settled in Iowa in 1834, becom- ing one of its pioneers. In 1836, in Dubuque, he married Miss Catharine McLeer, a native of Hagerstown, Mary- land, and they began their domestic life on a farm near that city, where, in addition to carrying on agricultural pursnits, Mr. Power was also engaged in selling goods to the Indians. Thus they lived upon the frontier, bearing their part in the work that opens up to civilization a new country. The father died in the fiftieth year of his age, and the mother passed away at the age of seventy- five. Both were devout members of the Catholic Church.

Thomas C. Power was the eldest in a family of four children. Reared amid the wild scenes of pioneer life, it is not strange that a boy possessed of his keen per- ceptive powers and ambitious disposition should have im- bibed much of the spirit of freedom, independence, cour- age and determination which characterized the Western settlements. In the public schools he received mental training, and his physical development-no less important -was obtained in the fields, where he aided in the plow- ing, planting and harvesting. Later he pursued a three- years' course of study in the Sinsinawa College in Wis- consin, making a specialty of engineering and the sciences, and on leaving that institution he turned his attention to

called Granite Range and Limestone Range, which contain many important mines. There are also large areas on the headwaters of Soda-Butte creek, Rocky fork and Clark's fork covered for the most part with low, rounded knobs and ranges, which have been bnt little explored, though some mines have been discovered in them. This is a promising region, and will be prospected as soon as the railroad whistle startles the deer and the elk and the bear from these wild regions and promises cheap transportation. The picks are already sharpened, the shovels are bright and the don- key and the cayuse are ready to pack the grub

teaching, which profession he followed for three years during the winter season. This was really his first busi- ness venture. In 1860 he put into practice the knowledge gained in college, and engaged in surveying in Iowa and Dakota, walking over the greater part of both States, -- receiving $20 per month for his services when at work, but getting nothing for the time he was traveling. For several months he was employed in this way, but found it unprofitable and returned home. In the spring of 1861 he again started for Dakota, where he worked at the carpenter's trade, but shortly after he resumed surveying, being employed to survey town lots and pre-emption localities and doing some field work. Ere winter came he returned to his native State, and in the following spring started out with a larger surveying party than had accompanied him on the previous expedition. This trip proved successful and he did considerable surveying work, going a long distance up the river, where later he engaged in buying and selling land warrants.

The year 1864 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Power in Montana, but at that time he remained for only a short period. In 1866, however, he began sending merchandise from Omaha to Montana, and the following year settled at Fort Benton, Montana, where he became extensively engaged in mercantile pursuits, handling all kinds of merchandise and produce. In 1868 he began freighting, and his business constantly increased, his trade with the Indians being large and remunerative. Many and varied have been the business interests with which he has been connected, and in nearly all he has been eminently suc- cessful, for he possesses that determination and perse- verance that never succumb to failure.

In 1874, in company with I. G. Baker and other busi- ness men of Fort Benton, Mr. Power built the steamer Benton. The following year they loaded this vessel with merchandise at Pittsburg, and for two years made trips from that place to Montana. That was before the day of many railroads in this State, and transportation by steam-

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for the pioneer miners who shall develop these vast regions whose mineral veins have not yet felt the blows of the prospectors, whose discov- eries have covered the Pacific Slope and filled these mountains with civilized States with a rapidity that surpasses all historical records and even the magical results of Aladdin's lamp.

The pioneer prospector may live in his log cabin, his tent or even his brush wicky, but when the true history of America is written he will have a monument quite as creditable as the marble palaces of the millionaires his discoveries have made. This whole region, drained by the waters of the Soda-Bntte creek, Clark's fork, Rosebnd, Stillwater and Rocky fork, belongs to

er, when the work was successfully conducted, proved very profitable. In 1867 they built the steamer Helena, in 1878 the Butte, and in 1879 Mr. Power purchased still another steamer, the Black Hills. In 1879 he also estab- lished the stage line from Helena to Fort Benton, which he operated for a number of years, and in addition to this and his large freighting business, he carried on his mer- chandising operations on a larger scale than ever before, establishing branch houses at Bozeman aud Helena.

In the year 1875 Mr. Power became a resident of the latter city, which has since been his home, continuing all the while his business at the other places, and having by far the largest mercantile trade of any firm in Montana. He has given considerable attention to stock-raising, and along this line his efforts have been crowned with pros- perity.

In 1867 Mr. Power was united in marriage to Miss Mary Flanegan, of Dubuque, Iowa, and they now have one son, Charles Benton, who was born in Dubuque. He was graduated at Georgetown College, Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia, received the degree of A. B. from Co- lumbia College, and has also recently graduated in the law department of the latter institution.

After becoming a resident of Helena Mr. Power identi- fied himself with the city and its best interests, and has been an important factor in its upbuilding. He has erected several of her best business blocks and one of her finest residences, and has been instrumental in securing the establishment of the railroads which have so largely contributed to the growth and development of the country, making Helena a central point in the com- mercial world of the Northwest. He was one of the organizers of the American National Bank, of Helena, and has served as its president from the beginning,-his able and careful management making it one of the safe and trusted financial concerns of the State. IIe is also a

the New World Mining District. It is believed that fully 1,000 claims have been located in this district since its organization.

Among the mines and bright prospects in the district are the following: On Miller mountain are Morning Star, Shoo Fly, Stump, Novorbis, Nellie, New World, High Ore, Washington, Volunteer, Alta, California, Richmond, Ash, Uncle Sam, White Cross, Comet, Red Cross, Josephine, Talc, Monitor, Exchequer, Big Blue, Pine Nut, Balaam's Ass, Revenge, Yellowstone, Day Light, Rising Sun, Iceberg, Rob Roy, Sil- ver Lead, White Lily, Alta, Chief Justice, Lit- tle Judge, Street, Bunker Hill, Harrison, Ne- vada, Fairview, Albion and many others. On

stockholder in those companies which have secured to the city its water-works, electric lights and street rail- ways. His splendid ranch of 2,000 acres, which he has put in a fine state of improvement, is not the least of his excellent investments.

Since the organization of the Republican party Mr. Power has supported its principles and stanchly advo- cated its doctrines. In 1878 he was elected on that ticket to the first Territorial Constitutional Convention, and in 1883 was sent as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. He was honored with the nomination of his party for the office of Governor of Moutana in 1888, but was defeated by a small majority, although the State had for some time been quite strongly Democratic. In Janu- ary, 1889, occurred the election, in the State Legislature, of a United States Senator, and on the 2d day of that month T. C. Power was elected, receiving thirty-five votes against three cast for Lee Mantle, of Silver Bow county. His fitness for the position was unquestioned, and his ability and faithfulness to the trust reposed in him was soon made manifest. He took his seat in the Senate chamber April 18, 1890, his term of office to expire March 3, 1895. He is an efficient and active member of the fol- lowing committees: Improvement of the Missouri River, Civil Service, Fisheries, Mines and Mining, Public Lands, Railroads, and Transportation and Sale of Meat Products, -serving as chairman of several of these.

In this brief review of the life of Mr. Power only the outlines are given, yet enough has been said to show his chief characteristics. His business ability is of a high order, and he carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. Few have been the idle mo- ments of his life, for his time is always devoted to public or private work. He is a prudent and progressive busi- ness man, a wise legislator, a genial, affable gentleman and a valued citizen, whom Montana could ill afford to Iose.

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Henderson mountain are Alice E., Unicorn, Homestake, Daisy, War Eagle, Forget-me-Not, Bonanza, Mountain Lion, Hidden Treasure, Isa- bella, Rising Sun, Snow Bird, Mountain Sheep, Como, Rhode Island, Naragansett, Puck, New Year's Call, Ivanhoe, Little Queen, Sunny Side, Magnetic Iron, Longstreet, Silver Queen, Lady Henderson, Pick-up, Snow Slide, Silver Won- der, Silver Zone, Leopard, International, Young America, Never Sweet, Diadem, Little Blue, Henderson, White Pine, Cleveland, Wisconsin -

Highland Maid, Tiger and others.

On Sheep mountain are the Silver King, Sat- urn, Warrior, Chief, Orange Blossom, Little Kid, Longfellow, Idlewild, White Warrior, Bor- land, Golden Fraction, Enterprise, Progress, Commonwealth, Traveler, Proctor Knott, Or- phan Boy and Golden Terry. On Woody mountain are Comstock, Eclipse, Queen Esther, Horrible, Vermont, Plain View, E. C. Waters, Myrtle, Volunteer, Montana Boy. Cache-of-Ore, Ore-of-Cache, Norway, Jupiter, California, Rosella and others. On Red mountain are Elk Horn, Isabella, Seg, Belcher, Boulder, Gela, Great Eastern, Bonanza, New-Year's Gift, Melissa, Bull-of-the- Woods, Estella, Alabama, Elk Horn Extension and some others. In Wolverine Pass are Blue Bird and Cavern. At the head of the Stillwater and Lake Abundance are Stillwater, Monroe, Josephine, Moulton, Mammoth and many others.

The people of Cook City and the New World Mining District belong to the men who have made the country profitable for railroads, and they hope the railroads will speedily come to take their bullion to the Eastern markets at such cheap rates that they can afford to work out the millions and millions now in sight and yet to be developed.

The ores from the Republic, Shoo Fly and New World produced 422 tons of bullion and still the mining and smelting did not pay. The low grade of the bullion and the cost of the transportation have caused the smelters of Cook City to shut down and the miners to quit work, save what is necessary to represent and hold their claims until such time as cheaper transportation will enable them to make a fair profit on the output of their mines and for- naces. Notwithstanding this delay of profit- able returns, neither the prospector who dis- covered the mines nor those who have pur- chased interests in them have lost faith in the final results; all are holding on for the "whistle of the iron horse." When he comes the New World will be alive with men, teams and smelt- ers, and the railroad will have its train loaded with coke and the bullion of the mines now idle for want of cheaper transportation, pro- vided silver recuperates.

One of the features of this New World Dis- triet is its extensive dense forests of pine, fur and spruce, with here and there a patch of asp- ens, willows and alders. From the tops of the mountains about Cook City, one can see a vast area of mountains and valleys covered with dark, thick forests, save the naked mountain peaks and here and there a small prairie ou the mountain slopes and in the narrow valleys.

These forests continue for twenty miles to the west down Soda-Butte creek, and for fifty miles along the snowy mountain slopes to Bear creek, and for twenty miles north along the mountains and down the Stillwater and the Rosebud, and for thirty miles east to Rocky fork and Clark's fork, and south as far as vision extends over the headwaters of Clark's fork and the East fork of the Yellowstone. IIere we have a vast forest region covering an area of

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some 2,000 square miles, ample to furnish fnel and timber for the thousand mines which will be worked in this region.

But the timber and fuel are only a small part of the benefits these forests bestow upon this favored region. In the autumn of 1889, after the dryest spring, summer and autumn ever known in Montana, the mountains and valleys of this forest region were literally sparkling with cool springs and running streams.

Timber and water are prime necessities in mining. Both are now abundant in the New World Mining District. Let all insist that the forests and fountains shall be carefully pre- served through the thousand years these mines shall be worked. If not, these glorious wooded mountains will soon be made hideous with blackened stumps, naked rocks, spring floods and fountain and streams dry in the summer and antnmn. What then will mining be at Cook City?

The old Bitter Root country has many mines, valued mostly for silver, lience mining is now dull in Ravalli county. In better times there was systematic and very successful work on the Curlew mine; the vast quantities of ores taken out, and the yield of what was shipped (some- times $250 per ton), was sufficient to pay for an excellent plant for extensive mining, a first class mill and concentrator with a capacity for 130 tons per diem. This has inspired the Bit- ter Root miners with great confidence in their mines and undeveloped discoveries and pros- pects.

Many lodes have been discovered in the mountains on both sides of the valley. Some eight miles east of Corvallis, in the mountains, several quartz veins have been discovered and numerous claims recorded. All these mountain ranges between Bitter Root and Rock creek

and Flint creek seem to be full of mineral veins. On Bass creek, on the west side of the Bitter Root Valley, and fifteen miles northwest of Stevensville, are located the Domingo, the Ren- egade and other mines, which have attracted much attention, and have been put into condi- tion to be thoroughly explored and their hidden treasures taken ont for man's use. On the Three Mile, a branch of the Bitter Root, there are several quartz locations, and some good placer mines. At the head of Burnt Fork there are several bright prospects partially developed.

The mines of Mineral Hill District are lo- cated in the extreme southwest corner of the connty. They are seventy-five miles from the terminus of the Bitter Root Railroad. Over most of this distance no wagon road has yet been made. The formation is granite, the ores are galena with zine and iron sulphides, which run well in gold and silver. The present de- velopments are on the Lent, a 250-foot tunnel; on the Merrill, a 90-foot tunnel; on the Moss- Back, a 50-foot shaft ; on the Arkansas Traveler, a 40-foot shaft, and on numerous other prop- erties shafts and tunnels of less extent. Eight Mile District is on the north side of the Bitter Root Valley, sixteen miles from Missoula. Most of the ledges of this district follow the line of contact between porphyry and granite.

Ravalli is ready with her mines and courage to spring into active mining life. The miner can then look down upon growing fruits and vegetables which will tempt his appetite when called from labor to refreshments. The farm, gardens and mines will meet on profitable terms in this beautiful valley.

SILVER BOW COUNTY

Has in some respects a very remarkable history. Some of the quartz mines at Butte were opened at an early day and a furnace was erected to

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test their ores, but the mines were worked but little for some years. Enterprise and capital came and Butte became the largest mining eamp in the world. Fifty mines with 5,000 miners made Butte the busiest city in the world; six mills with 240 stamps made Butte the noisiest eity in the world; and nine furnaces, with a ca- pacity of 4,000 tons, made Butte the smokiest city in the world. These furnaces at Butte and those at Anaconda give a smelting capae- ity of 7,000 tons a day, the year's work look- ing up into the millions.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 160

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216