Collection	Hawley, Brooks
Description	North Pole Mine. Mill. Brooks Hawley note: Of the four big mines at Bourne on the same lode, the E & E, and the Golconda had plenty of troubles and went by fits and spells even though they were good mines, while the Columbia and the North Pole went for years without big mistakes, with no change in ownership or change in efficient management. The mill, below Bourne, was a mile and a half from the mine, connected by a tramway of 7/8 inch cable with 200 buckets of 250 lb. Capacity, 7800 ft. in a straight line to No 1 tunnel, capacity 100 tons in 10 yours. Another 2400 ft tramway went on to No's 2, 3, and 4 tunnels. The mill was lower down to get water and water power, plenty to run 20 stamps. The mine was located by James Duckworth in 1887 and sold to Bering Brothers of London for about $8,000 about 1888. A 10 stamp mill was built in 1892. It was remodeled by W. H. Potter in 1903 from a 20 stamp mill to a 30 stamp mill, with amalgamating plates, Wiltley tables, Frue vanners and cyanide treatment. The big years of the North Pole were 1895 to 1908 when it quit. Emil Melzer was as good in running the North Pole as Frank Baillie was at the Columbia, but the Columbia went about 8 more years. Production figures seem to be accurate for 1895-1908, which is $1,927,000 in ore averaging per ton $12.21. Alexander Baring would come from London to see how things were going. As Patricia Stewart tells in "Baker County Scrap Book," as told by Mrs. Birdie Rusk, whose parents, the George Halls, had a hotel at Bourne. When Alexander Baring and his wife were here on a visit, the Halls had to keep the dining room free of customers while Barings had dinner. One of the main claims of the North Pole Mine was the "More or less sold by Thomas McEwen to Baring Brothers for $14,000. It is said some of the profits of the North Pole went into developing another mine in South America that maybe wasn't so good.
Object ID	1992.1.524
Place	Cracker Creek Dist., T8S,R37E,sec28, 44.8406°N, 118.1842°W

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Last modified on: December 09, 2017