Page 86 - Cornelius Hedges Story

73 The Cornelius Hedges Story

E. W. Knight, T. H. Kleinschmidt, H. N. Parchen, Cornelius Hedges
and others filed a supplemental location on the two lodes. The Black
Swan and Black Alder lodes were located on the ridge between Oro
Fino and Grizzly gulches near Unionville.

Often his editorial writing for the Herald was an important source
of income. Such was the case in August, 1876. Hedges lamented:
“Much puzzled what to do to provide for all my wants -No business
to bring in money -Disappointed in not getting money from Herald
-Continue to write because I don’t know what better to do.”267

In 1878, Judge Hedges helped form the Montana Navigation
Company.268 The Montana Navigation Company was organized for
the purpose of improvement and navigation on the upper Missouri,
above the falls, to a point 12 miles from Helena. Officers: John
T. Murphy, President; Albert Kleinschmidt, Vice President; E. W.
Knight, Treasurer; Cornelius Hedges, Secretary. Trustees: H. M.
Parchen, A. M. Holter, James T. Ryan, T. C. Power, J. T. Murphy, A.
Kleinschmidt, Harry Klein, A. Sands, and Chris Kenck.

An interesting, but unsuccessful, speculation which Hedges
helped organize in December of 1885 was a butter company.269
For a short time the company prospered, and on May 10, 1886, the
company directors met to contemplate purchasing the patent for the
remainder of the territory. But prosperity was short-lived and on
June 9, Hedges admitted “Butter Co. is making no sales of product
and I am wanting money.” And Edna was quite displeased with the
situation.270 On the 21st of June, Mr. Miller, Hedges’ law partner,
left for Oregon and Washington to try to sell the butter patent, but he
returned on October 17 completely unsuccessful. In the meantime,
Hedges was chosen President of the ailing company. The butter
company was formally dissolved on October 20, along with the
Miller Hedges law partnership.271 Later, when Miller finally settled
accounts with Hedges, Cornelius did regain some of the money he
had invested in the butter company.

In April, 1887, he bought into the Helena and Rimini Mining
Co.,272 and he helped organize the Queen Esther Mining Co. on
June 22, 1888, and was elected attorney.273 The Queen Esther
Mining Co. located north of the Liberty mine and east of the
Barker claim. Two short adits provided access to the mine.
Before the arrival of the railroad, the company shipped its lead-
silver-zinc ore out but soon found it hardly worth the effort: the
owners paid $52 per ton in freight charges and netted just $52.48.