Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives
225 N. Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201
(406) 444-4774
mhslibrary@mt.gov
MC 310
American Gem Mining Syndicate
American Gem Mining
Syndicate Records
1901-1935
2.5 linear feet of shelf
space
The American Gem Mining Syndicate was a
Philipsburg, Montana, sapphire mining company. Records include interoffice
correspondence (1903-1935), general correspondence (1902-1929), court papers
(1906-1915), employment records (1912-1930), financial records (1904-1930),
legal documents (1903-1907), organizational records (1901), and production
records (1911-1914). [Maps were transferred to Library Map Catalog].
English
The American Gem Mining Syndicate was
incorporated on August 10, 1901, by David Jankower, owner of several
Philipsburg area sapphire mining claims; and Auguste B. Ewing, Paul A. Fusz,
Moses Rumsey, and Charles D. McLure, St. Louis, Missouri, businessmen who had
extensive holdings in Philipsburg area mines. The main corporate offices were
in St. Louis. The company was capitalized at $300,000, with Jankower initially
owning all but four of the shares. Among the broad powers claimed by the
company were purchasing and developing mining claims, building water flumes,
and maintaining lapidary and stone cutting facilities. The basic aim of the
company was to mine and market the sapphires from several mining claims in
Sapphire, Anaconda, Myers, and Wildcat gulches on Rock Creek southwest of
Philipsburg. Sapphires were first discovered in the Rock Creek drainages by
gold prospectors in 1892. The claims were purchased by the American Gem Mining
Syndicate in 1903. The bulk of the output was shipped to the company's factory
in Geneva, Switzerland, run by Eugene Deschusses, for use in Swiss watches.
Smaller amounts were used for industrial bearings and for jewelry. In 1912 the
company built a 30 mile long flume to provide water for hydraulic mining of the
sapphires. The company mined sapphires commercially until 1926. After that
natural sapphires began to be replaced for industrial use by artificial
sapphires. The company sold the property in 1936 to Charles Carrp and J.W.
Kaiser, and ceased its legal existence on August 10, 1941.
Content Description:
Records consist predominantly of
interoffice correspondence (1903-1935) between the mine offices in Philipsburg
and the home office in St. Louis. Correspondents include David Jankower,
general superintendent; John R. Lucas, Montana agent for the company; and
corporate officers Paul A. Fusz, Charles G. Ewing, George Zehnder, and L.M.
Rumsey Jr. In addition there is general correspondence (1903-1929) with the
Swiss factory, foremen at the mines, contractors building the flume, government
agencies, and others. Court papers consist of an appeal of a United States Land
Office order. Employment records include time sheets and time checks
(1912-1930). Financial records include a letterpress volume (1906-1912)
containing a variety of records; and scattered bills, freight bills, orders,
etc. Legal documents (1903-1907) consist of mineral applications and an
affidavit of lease. Organizational records consist of articles of incorporation
(1901) copied from records of the Secretary of State's Office. Production
records include reports (1912) on flume construction and reports (1911, 1914)
on shipment of sapphires.
Arrangement:
by series
Acquisition Information:
available upon request
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana
Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
ASSAYING
FLUMES
Industrial
safety
Mines and
mineral resources--Montana--Granite County
Sapphire mines
and mining
Ditches
Granite County
(Mont.)
Philipsburg
(Mont.)
Clocks and
watches--Switzerland
Montana
Mines and Mineral Resources
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection
Interoffice Correspondence
1 / 1-12
Home Office (correspondents
include Paul A. Fusz, David Jankower, George S. Zehnder, John R. Lucas)
1903-1908
2 / 1-15
Home Office (correspondents
include Paul A. Fusz, George S. Zehnder, John R. Lucas, Lewis M. Rumsey Jr.,
Charles G. Ewing)
1909-1917
3 / 1-10
Home Office (correspondents
include Charles G. Ewing, Jesse B. Mellor, Dan Smith, W.T. Terrell, Leigh
Wyman, Joseph C. Yob)
1918-1935
3 / 11-12
Home Office (telegrams)
1906-1930
General Correspondence
3 / 13
Alexander Milburn Company
1916-1926
3 / 14
American Spiral Pipe Works
1913-1926
3 / 15
Anaconda Copper Mining
Company
1914-1926
3 / 16
A (corresondents include
American Concentrator Company, American Forestry Association, American Wood
Pipe Company, E. Amerine, Percy Anderson, R.W. Angevine, W.J. Attwood)
1906-1919
3 / 17
Oral J. Berry
1912-1915
3 / 18
Britton and Gray, Attorneys
1908-1915
3 / 19
Frank D. Brown (includes
Henderson Mining Company, Charles D. McLure Gold Mines, Basin Gulch Syndicate)
1903, 1906
3 / 20
B (correspondents include
Baker Iron Works, Mary I. Baker, Thomas T. Baker, Lewis Barnes, Bethlehem
Shipbuilding Corp., Big Blackfoot Milling Company, Peter Breen, W.F. Brunne,
Buffalo Steam Pump Company, F. Burmaster)
1906-1926
3 / 21
Cheatham and Blakeslee
(includes C.W. Cheatham and E.H. Blakeslee, re building flume)
1912-1916
3 / 22
Continental Oil Company
1907-1917
3 / 23
E.A. Cradle, surveyor
1906-1915
3 / 24
C (correspondents include
B.E. Calkins Company, Carbic Manufacturing Company, D.A. Carey, J.J.
Carmichael, M.E. Craddock)
1907-1926
4 / 1
Daly Bank and Trust Company
1904-1917
4 / 2
Deer Lodge County offices
1906-1917
4 / 3
Eugene Deschusses (Geneva,
Switzerland)
1903-1917
4 / 4
DeForest Don
1910-1911
4 / 5
Downing's Foreign Express
(re shipping sapphires to Switzerland)
1902-1916
4 / 6
D-F (correspondents include
John H. Dalton, Denver Engineering Works, Denver Fire Clay Company, E. Donlan,
Perien S. Dudley, Edison Phonograph Works, E. Erikson, A.A. Fairbairn, Flint
Creek Telephone Company, Jacob Franzman)
1903-1917
4 / 7
Granite County offices
1906-1921
4 / 8
G (correspondents include
General Electric Company, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Gorham-Revere
Rubber Company, Great Western Machinery Company)
1908-1918
4 / 9
H-I (correspondents include
R. Hardesty Manufacturing Company, Herbert Hartley, Henry Heil Chemical
Company, William E. Hidden, R.J. Hoffma, E.I. Holland, A. Hollingsworth, A.M.
Holter Hardware Company, W.T. Hoskinson, C.W. Hunt Company, Edwin T. Irvine,
Mike Iverson)
1903-1923
4 / 10
J.M. Jamieson
1906-1912
4 / 11
J-L (correspondents include
Japanese Labor Association, John B. Johnson, Jones and Johnston, Ed Kahoe,
Keuffel & Esser Company, Fred R. Kneip, Howard E. Law, Lewis Jewelers
Supply Company, Thomas Long, Lorado Gold Mines and Mills Company, Louisiana
Purchase Exposition, Lyster Brothers)
1903-1926
4 / 12
Missoula Mercantile Company
1906-1915
4 / 13
Montana Industrial Accident
Board
1915-1929
4 / 14-15
W.E. Moore, company attorney
1906-1916
4 / 16-17
Cyrus J. Morgan
1906-1916
4 / 18
M (correspondents include
Ernst F. Maehl, D.N. McDonald, Dan McGillis, Catherine McGurk, Sally Mellon,
George Metcalf, Arthur A. Miller, C.P. Miller and Company, Montana Fish and
Game Commission, Montana Secretary of State, Montana State Boiler Inspector,
W.M. Montgomery and Company, Mountaineer Welders Supply Company)
1903-1924
4 / 19
Northern Pacific Railway
Company
1905-1906
4 / 20
N-O (correspondents include
National Tank and Pipe Company, New York and New Jersey Lubricant Company, New
York Cordage Company, Northern Handle Company, Nott-Attwater Company, E.
Osland)
1907-1926
4 / 21
W.L Packer
1912
4 / 22
W.W. Pennington
1910-1915
4 / 23
P (correspondents include Al
Peterson, Philipsburg Stock Association, Pierce's Gold Separator and
Amalgamator, C.N. Pullar)
1907-1925
4 / 24
William Queener
1908-1916
4 / 25
R (correspondents include
G.E. Rasmussen, W.H. Reid, R.J. Riley, V.H. Robinson, Thomas S. Rodgers, L.M.
Rumsey Manufacturing Company, Joseph T. Ryerson and Son)
1903-1912
4 / 26
A.H. Sandin
1910
4 / 27-29
Joseph Sorenson
1906-1913
4 / 30
S-T (correspondents include
S.R. Seelos, S.C. Snavely, Ralph Stanfield, Stearns-Roger Manufacturing
Company, Strassberger and Baker, E.E. Thibault, G.W. Thomas, Twin City
Equipment Company)
1903-1925
5 / 1
Union Carbide Sales Company
1912-1919
5 / 2-4
United States Forest Service
(includes timber sale applications, grazing permits, reports of timber cut,
etc.)
1906-1926
5 / 5
United States General Land
Office and local land offices
1904-1916
5 / 6
United States Surveyor
General
1906-1915
5 / 7
United States government
offices (various)
1911-1912
5 / 8
U-V (correspondents include
United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, United States Steel Products
Company, Valley Mercantile Company [re flume builders])
1906-1925
5 / 9
Walker Commercial Company
(re employee accounts)
1906-1913
5 / 10
N.D. Warner, Contractor (re
flume)
1912
5 / 11
W-Y (correspondents include
Western Employment Agency, Western Iron Works, Western Montana National Bank,
Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, Willard Storage Battery
Company, Conrad Wipf, Forest Wyman)
1903-1926
Court Papers
5 / 12
United States Land Office
affidavits and appeal of order
1906,
1912-1915
Employment Records
5 / 13
Time sheets and time checks
[scattered]
1912-1930
Financial Records
5 / 14
Accounts payable
1920-1921
5 / 15
Bank deposits [scattered]
1904-1922
5 / 16
Bills and invoices (local
stores: scattered)
1911-1930
5 / 17
Bills and invoices
(out-of-town suppliers: scattered)
1916-1930
5 / 18
Bills and invoices (Walker
Commercial Company: employee accounts, scattered)
1906-1921
5 / 19-20
Financial reports (includes
reports of sapphires shipped, orders for supplies, etc.) [letterpress volume
and loose sheets]
1906-1913
6 / 1
Freight bills / bills of
lading
1916-1926
6 / 2
Inventory of machinery
1913
6 / 3
Invoice lists [scattered]
1912-1919
6 / 4-5
Orders for supplies
1906-1916,
n.d.
6 / 6
Taxes
1911-1924
6 / 7
Miscellaneous (includes
telephone reports, lists of supplies, lumber supplied, accounts, labor costs of
different operations, wage rates, livestock on hand)
mostly
undated
Legal Documents
6 / 8
Mineral applications;
affidavit of lease
1903-1907
Organization
6 / 9
Articles of incorporation
[photocopied from Secretary of State's records]
1901
Production Records
6 / 10
Flume construction by E.E.
Rhudy and G.E. Rasmussen
1912
6 / 11
Sapphires shipped and on
hand
1911, 1914
Transfers to Other Programs
6 / 12
List of maps transferred to
Library Map Collection