Manuscript Group 235
Records, 1916-1953
15 cubic feet
The records of the Aurum Mining Company are part of the records of Day Mines, Inc., donated to the University of Idaho by Henry Day in 1984 and 1985. Initial processing of this manuscript group was done under the direction of Richard Davis in 1987 and 1988. Processing was completed by Michael Tarabulski in August 1991. Funds for processing were provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the U.S. Department of Education HEA Title II-C "Strengthening Research Library Resources" program, the Library Associates of the University of Idaho and other donors.
The Aurum Mining Company was incorporated late in December 1927 to take over the property and equipment of the Republic Mines Department of the Northport Smelting & Refining Company, a smeltery located in northeastern Washington treating silver-lead concentrates from the Coeur d'Alene Mining District in Idaho. The Northport smelter had acquired several properties in the Republic District and operated them intermittently to supply its demands for siliceous flux. The smelter was sold in 1922 and its plant scrapped. When Northport's affairs were being wound up the Republic interests were turned over to a new company owned by the former Northport stockholders.
The company held its first stockholders and directors meetings in Wallace, Idaho, on December 27, 1927. Present were: Frank J. Davey, John F. Murphy, Charles A. Solberg, Charles A. Betts, and W. A. Devan, representing all 1350 shares of the subscribed capital stock. They agreed to purchase all of Northport's property in Ferry and Stevens counties, Washington, for 670,000 shares of Aurum capital stock. Because Aurum was incorporated in Idaho, George S. Bailey of Republic, Washington, was appointed as its Washington agent, and a copy of its articles of incorporation filed with the Washington Secretary of State.
The directors met again on May 10, 1928. Resignations were accepted from John F. Murphy, Charles A. Solberg, and Frank J. Davey. Jerome J. Day, Henry L. Day, and H. H. Miller were elected to replace them. The new board of directors elected Jerome Day president, Henry Day vice-president, and H.H. Miller secretary-treasurer. Miller died early in 1931, and a new board -- Jerome and Henry Day, F.M. Rothrock, E.H. Knight, and P.J. Maggy -- was assembled. Maggy was replaced within a year by W.H. Hoover.
In 1932 Aurum consisted of a half-dozen old properties in the Republic Mining District, comprising more than 800 acres of mineral land. This included thirty-five patented mining claims, eight unsurveyed claims, and eighteen lots on patented ground. Northport had paid $175,700 for its original holdings in the Republic District, and spent approximately $111,400 in exploration and development up until December 31, 1926. Between then and September 1932 Aurum spent another $31,650 acquiring patented ground in the district and on annual assessment work required on unpatented claims.
The stockholders met in Wallace in 1933 and unanimously elected a new board of directors: Jerome, Henry, and Harry Day, Frank M. Rothrock, and E.H. Knight. At the directors meeting Jerome and Henry Day were re-elected president and vice-president, respectively, and S.F. Heitfeld was elected secretary-treasurer. A.P. Ramstedt replaced Harry Day as a company director in February 1935 but, due to extended illness, was himself replaced by Clarence I. Paulsen in February, 1937.
Aurum expanded its operation in 1938 by acquiring additional mining and milling properties near Republic, Washington. It purchased the Quilp and Quilp Fraction patented lode mining claims in the Eureka Mining District for 30,000 shares of its stock. Simultaneously, it purchased the Ferry County property of the Eureka Mining & Milling Company--several lode claim groups, a millsite, and other mining claims--for 121,458 shares of unissued capital stock and $27,500 in cash. Other mines and mining properties in the area were also purchased.
Prior to these purchases the money necessary to carry on work and acquire new mining properties came in equal proportions from the Aurum's principal stockholders: the Hercules Mining Company, and the Tamarack & Custer Consolidated Mining Company. In 1938 Aurum's indebtedness equaled $60,000, and both creditor companies held Aurum stock. In fact, Aurum's directors were proxies for one or both companies, and the Aurum stock in their names were actually qualifying shares belonging to the Hercules and/or the Tamarack & Custer. They authorized borrowing an additional $40,000 from Hercules and Tamarack & Custer.
In February 1939 Aurum's stockholders authorized the purchase of the Last Chance mine, an office building, and other property in Republic, Washington, for $40,850. They also approved the action of their officers in borrowing $62,662.50 each from the Hercules and the Tamarack & Custer, and future additional amounts not over $75,000 from each. This figure exceeded, an additional loan of $8,325 from each was made and, after the fact, authorized.
In 1940 and 1941 the Aurum stockholders re-elected their directors; and the directors, their officers. Additional appointments included Paul B. Jessup as comptroller and John H. Wourms as Aurum's attorney. At the February 1942 meetings Paul B. Jessup was elected to the board to fill the vacancy created by Jerome Day's death early in the previous year, and Howard C. Paulsen replaced his brother, Clarence. Henry Day was elected president and manager; Frank M. Rothrock, vice-president; and S.F. Heitfeld, secretary-treasurer. Jessup and Wourms were reappointed to their posts. The company directors and officers remained unchanged until 1946.
In 1945 the stockholders and directors addressed the problem of the company's indebtedness. Additional capital was needed to defray expenses, to pay for the recently purchased Old Republic and Blaine-Republic groups of mining claims, and to reduce monies owed to the Hercules and the Tamarack & Custer. Rather than incurring more debt, an assessment of three cents per share was levied on Aurum's capital stock.
At the 1946 stockholders meeting Clarence Paulsen resumed his previously held board position in place of his brother, Howard. Until the company became part of Day Mines, Inc. (DMI), in 1950, the Aurum board and officers remained unchanged.
On July 8, 1950, Aurum's directors met to discuss dissolving the company and transferring its assets to DMI. By 1950 Aurum was -- and had been for some time -- a wholly owned subsidiary of DMI. For Aurum's property holdings, materials, and equipment, DMI would surrender its Aurum stock for cancellation and assume all of Aurum's obligations and liabilities.
On July 26 the Aurum stockholders met for the last time and voted to support the directors' resolution to dissolve the company. Accordingly, on August 31, 1950, the Aurum Mining Company transferred its assets to DMI. It was officially dissolved in June 1951.
The records of the Aurum Mining Company span the years 1916 to 1953, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1927 to 1947. Included are minutes of meetings, annual financial reports, correspondence, legal documents, capital stock records, financial ledgers and journals, ore settlement records, and payroll records.
Of particular note in these records is the relative absence of stock and personnel records and, in contrast, the great amount of correspondence and related records. This latter, for reasons not easily apparent was divided into three separate alphabetical files, all from the same office but overlapping somewhat in time and much in subject matter.
Related materials can be found in the records of the Northport Mining and Smelting Company.
The records of the Aurum Mining Company are arranged in six series: Director's Records, General Correspondence, Capital Stock Records, Financial Records, Ore Records, and Personnel Records.
The first series, Director's Records, contains the minutes of stockholders and directors meetings. Also included are legal documents, certificates, and memos pertaining to the dissolution of the Aurum Mining Company; correspondence; lease agreements and permits; Washington State corporation licenses (1939-42); tax registration certificates and refund permits; stock receipts; legal documents pertaining to assessment taxes; proxy forms and authorization letters; stockholders and directors lists, meeting announcements, minutes and order of business checklists; directors election ballots and return forms; affidavits; balance sheets and profit/loss statements; company officer's (secretary) oath of office forms; annual operations reports; resignation letters of company officials.
The second series, General Correspondence, contains three subseries of general records, divided by date, (with some overlapping) and arranged alphabetically by subject. There is much subject overlap among these three subseries. Included are: correspondence, telegrams and memos; legal documents (claim notices, contracts, leases); claim lists; lease, claim, mine, and district evaluation reports; treasurers' reports; annual reports; accident reports and testimony, labor reports, timebook pages, Washington State payroll forms; general ledger accounts classifications, stores and supply inventories; bills of lading, ore schedules, assay reports, production and shipping schedules, smelter returns; delinquent tax statements, county tax receipts, state mine tax regulations; mining district and claim maps; magazine and newspaper clippings; photographic negatives and prints.
Also in the second series is a subseries of Miscellaneous Business Records, 1927-1950. These 33 folders include: correspondence and memos; ore schedules; mine and claim maps; silver regulations; railroad rate books and records relating to the abandonment of the railway line to Northport; papers and materials concerning Aurum's acquisition of various mines and mining companies and documents pertaining to those properties; and legal documents (indentures, wills, court orders and decrees, petitions, easements, contracts, bills of sale, permits, depositions and affidavits, leases, patents, applications, notices).
The third series, Capital Stock Records, contains only a stock ledger and a stock journal.
The fourth series, Financial Records, includes ledgers, journals, cash books, voucher registers, and general records. Folders are arranged chronologically by month and year and contain general financial and operating records of the Northport Smelting and Refining Company. Materials include correspondence; receipts; credit memos; cash statements; vouchers and voucher lists; deposit slips; income account sheets; photographs; annual statements and monthly balance sheets; freight bills; expense accounts; power bills; payroll disbursement statements; ore settlement sheets; monthly stores distribution and inventory statements; bank statements and cancelled checks; bank drafts; check lists; tax returns; IRS information; corporation license certificates and tax receipts.
The fifth series, Ore Production & Shipment Records, 1937-1940, includes an Ore Record Book, 1916-1941. Entries, by consecutive lots, include the lot number, assay date, wet and dry weight, metal content and value per ton and per lot, freight rate and amount, proceeds, and mill lot number. On some pages the car number, ore grade, bill of lading date, voucher number, net return, umpire value, and settlement number are also recorded.
Also here are Ore Settlement Records, 1917-1945, arranged by property and year; these folders contain ore settlement, assay, and shipping forms and information on ore for mines and mining properties in the Aurum group. Most of these records date between 1933 and 1945, but one folder, for the Canada Copper Corporation, Ltd., contains ore settlements from the Black Tail Dump for the period 10/31/17 through 3/28/18.
In the final series, Personnel Records, there are nine monthly time books from various mines in the Aurum group which list employee names, hours and wages for the years 1937 through 1943. Also included is a Payroll Record, 1944-1950, (unbound), and employee payroll and compensation records for the period Feb. 1948-Aug. 1950. The Aurum pay roll, Jan. 1936-Jan. 1948, is in the records of Day Mines Inc.
Removal of vouchers, bank statements, and paid checks reduced the bulk of this collection by 15 cubic feet.
Box or volume I. Records of the Board of Directors and the Stockholders, 1927-1951 1 II. General Correspondence and Related Records, 1927-1953 2-7 A. General Records, 1930-1937 B. General Records, 1936-1953 C. General Records, 1937-1942 D. Miscellaneous Records, 1927-1950 III. Capital Stock Records, 1927-1948 7 IV. Financial Records, 1921-1950 8-16 V. Ore Production and Shipment Records, 1916-1950 16-21 A. General Records B. Settlement Records VI. Personnel Records, 1937-1950 21-23
Box Folder Description
1 1-2 Minutes, 1927-1950 3 By-laws, 1928 4 Records relating to incorporation and dissolution, 1927-1948 5-10 Records relating to meetings, 1927-1950 11 Decree dissolving corporation, 1951 12 Manager's annual reports, 1940-1945 13 Financial statements, 1946-1947
14 A 15 ASARCO Smelter 16 Anaconda Copper Mining Co. 17 Assessment work 18 B 19 Baby Fraction 20-23 Bailey, George S., 1930-1936 24 Belcher Mine 25 Bodie Mine 26 Bunker Hill Smelter 27 Bourne Property 28 C 29 Carmichael, C.H., 1938 30 Central Republic 31 Check, E.E. Claims 32 Ben Hur and Trade Dollar 2 33 Hercules 34 Minnie 35 Palo Alto 36 Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. 37 Cusick Lease 38 D 39 E 40 Eureka Queen 41 Evening Star Group 42 F 43 Ferry County State Bank 44 Fritt's Lease 45 G 46 Golden Reef, Myers Falls 47 Gold Dollar 48 Great Republic Gold Mines, Inc. 49 H 50 Hercules Mining Co., bills 51 Hermes 52 I 53 Insurance, Industrial 54 Insurance, Fire 55 Iron Mask and Mountain View 56 J-K 57-58 Knob Hill 59 Knight, E.H. 60 L Leases 61 Miscellaneous 62 Belligerent 63 Blacktail 64 Blacktail-Warner 65 Fairweather 66 Last Chance 67 Little Cove 68 Lost Lode 69 Lone Pine-Surprise 70 Lone Pine, vein no. 2 71 Tom Thumb 72 Trevitt, C.M. and Wilson 73 Mc-M 74 N-O 75 Ore Production 76 P 77 Pfefferle Ranch 78 Peterson Ranch land 79 Quilp Mining Co. 80 R 81 Reconstruction Finance Co. 82 Rents 83 Rentals 84 Reports: Hershey, Oscar H. 85 Reports: Wyatt, J.S. 86-87 Republic Mining Department 88 Republic Mines Corp. 89 Richardson, Sam H. 90 S 91 Sanpoil 92 Schimmel Property, etc. 93 Silver Dollar 94 Smelter, Tacoma 95 Standard Group 96-97 Statements, 1933-1939 3 98 Summary, Monthly, 1938-1939 99 T 100 Taxes 101 Testing, Flotation 102 Tom Thumb Group 103 Tom Thumb Group: maps, etc. 104 U 105 U.S. Treasury Dept. 106 U.S. Director of the Mint 107 U.S. Bureau of Mines 108 U.S. Dept. of the Interior 109 U.S. War Dept. 110 Unpatented Claims 111 V-W Washington State 112 Dept. of Highways 113 Dept. of Labor and Industries 114 Division of Mines and Mining 115 Wourms, John H. 116 Yellow Jacket
117 Miscellaneous 118-119 Affidavits, Silver 120 Accounts Receivable 121 Accidents ASARCO 122 Contingent Obligation 123 Contract: Tacoma, Republic Gold Ore 124 Smelter 125 Assessment, January 9, 1945 126 A-B 127 Bennett's Chem. Laboratory 128 Blaine-Republic 129 Carmichael, C.H. 130 Contracts 131 Costs 132-133 Cyanide testing 134 C-D 135 Eureka Mining & Milling Co. 136 E-F 137 Great Northern Railway 138 Great Northern Railway vs. Interstate Commerce Commission 139 G-H 140 Insurance: Compensation and Fire 141 I-L 142 Lease, Fred (foreman) Leases 143 Grazing and house rental schedule 144 Everett Hougland: Old Republic Mine 145 Lone Pine, 6-7-8 veins: E. Hougland 146 Lone Pine, 6-7-8 veins: Williams and Schlegel 147 Wilson Trevitt: Tom Thumb vein 148 Leasers 149 Milling data 150 Mountain Lion Consolidated Mines Co. 4 151 Mountain Lion group: Ben Hur, Trade Dollar, Rebate, Relief, etc. 152 M-N 153 Noble, O.W. 154 Okanogan County Medical Service 155 Ore reserves 156 O-P 157 Pending: Travelling file 158 Q 159 R 160 Reports: C.H. Carmichael 161 S 162 Statements, Financial 163 T 164 U 165 U.S. Bureau of Mines 166 U.S. Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics 167 U.S. Dept. of Labor, wage orders 168 U.S. Office of Production Management 169 U.S. Treasury Dept., Gold export license, etc., to Trail, British Columbia 170 U.S. War Production Board 171 V-Z 172 Wages and hours division Washington State 173 Excise tax returns 174 Dept. of Labor and Industries 175 Dept. of Licenses, Gas Tax Division 176 Dept. of State 177 Washington Unemployment Compensation Division 178 Western Economic and Mining Affiliates, Inc.
179 A 180 Accidents 181-182 ASARCO 183 Assays: Grab and settlements, car shipments 184 Assets, Capital 185 B 186 Bailey, George S.: correspondence 187 Ben Hur: unwatering 188 Bennett's Chemical Lab 189 Bonneville Project 190 C 191-193 Carmichael, C.H.: correspondence, 1939-1940 194 Carmichael Report 5 195 Cascade Machinery and Elec. Co. 196 Cash requirements, estimated 197 Claim: Admiral 198 Claims: Ben Hur and Trade Dollar 199 Composite monthly smelter adjustment 200 Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co. 201 Contract: Medical aid and aid 202 Cunningham, E 203 Cyanide Mill 204 Day, Harry L. 205 D-E 206-207 Eureka Mining & Milling Co. 208-209 F-G 210 General Electric Co. 211 Great Northern Railway 212 Hoists 213 Hospital contract 214 Hudson, W.W. 215 H-I 216 Insurance: Compensation and Fire 217 Inventory 218-219 J-K 220 Kirkbridge, George A. 221 Knob Hill "flood" pictures 222-225 Knob Hill Mines 226 L 227 Last Chance Mine Leases 228-229 Ben Hur: Ickes and Trevitt 230-231 Black Tail: Rounds and Warner 232 Gold Dollar: Trevitt 233-234 San Poil: Trevitt, Hougland, Wicks 235 Lone Pine 6,7,8: Fairweather, G.W. 236 Lone Pine, Vein no. 2: Plant, L.J. 237-238 Surprise: Fred Lease and Rae Cameron 239-240 Tom Thumb: Ricks and Trevitt 241 Trade Dollar: Cameron, Rae L. and W.L. 242 Leasers 243 Little Cove progress 244 Micawber claim 245 M-N 246 Ore record 247 O-P 248 Plant, L.J. 249 Production figures 250 Profits 251 R 252 Reconstruction Finance Corp. 253 Records, Old Republic 254 Rentals 255 Reports 256 Reports, Annual 257 Reports, Progress 258 Report: Robert Bailey 259 Republic Power Company 260 Republic Power Rates 6 261 Russell, Dr. D.G. 262 S 263 Serafin, Fred 264-265 Statements, Monthly, 1941-1942 266 T 267 Testing, Sink and Float 268 Tonnage ore shipped 269 Union Iron Works 270 U.S. Bureau of Mines 271 U.S. Office of Production Management 272 W 273 Wage and Hour Division 274 Washington Metal Mines Assn. Washington State 275 Ferry County 276 Dept. of Labor and Industries 277 Dept. of Licenses, Gas Tax Division 278 Dept. of Mines and Mining 279 Public Utilities Commission 280 Dept. of Social Security 281 Dept. of State 282 Tax Commission Division 283 Washington Tax Commission vs. Aurum Mining Co.: occupational, sales, compensating tax 284 Washington Unemployment Compensation Division 285 Westinghouse Elec. & Mfg. Co. 286 Wourms, John H.
287 Complete list of all property assessed to Aurum Mining Co. in Ferry County, WA 288 Appropriation of water from Mud Lake, 1935-1936 289 Transcript of record in the abandonment of railway at Republic, WA, 1941 290 Protest against abandonment of railway at Republic, WA, 1941 291 Right-of-way deeds, Washington state, 1934-1940 292 Freight rate increase, ex parte 166, 1947 293 Correspondence re gold and silver export regulations, 1934-1938 294 Purchase of half interest in Ben Hur and Trade Dollar lodes, 1937-1938 295 Claims: Old Republic and Blaine Republic 296 Eureka Mining & Milling Co., 1938-1939 297 G.S.B. Lode: patent papers, 1936-1939 298 Hercules and Northport lodes, 1937-1938 299 Last Chance Lode, 1938-1940 300 Last Shot Lode, 1935 7 301 Little Cove, Mammoth, Gold Dollar, 1931-1941 302 Lone Pine, Surprise, Pearl, Ireland, Silent Fraction, and fraction lodes 303 Micawber Mining Co. and lode claims, 1938 304 Minnie Lode: application, 1938 305 Northport, Hercules, Plant, Tamarack no. 2, and Last Shot lodes, 1934-1936 306 Quilp Gold Mining Co., 1936-1938 307 Silver Dollar Lode, 1932 308 Tuesday, Minerva, and Hilo lodes 309-314 Leases, deeds, and bills of sale, 1927-1950 315-318 Correspondence, 1928-1949 319 Correspondence, C.H. Carmichael, 1938-1939 320 Freight record, 1949
321 Ledger, 1927-1948 322 Journal, 1927-1946
8-9 Journals, 1927-1950 10 Ledger, 1945-1950 11 Cash book, 1938-1950 12 Northport/Aurum voucher record, 1921-1934 13 Voucher record, 1939-1944 14-15 Voucher registers, 1939-1950 16 323 Voucher ledger, 1938-1944 324-336 General records, 1923-1934 337 Federal excise tax, 1939-1949 338 Federal old-age & unemployment comp., 1938-1950 339 Return of income tax withheld on wages, 1943-1949 340 Tax settlement, Ferry Co., WA, 1928 341 Washington State unemployment, 1938-1950 342 Working papers: Aurum, 1947 343 Working papers: DMI, 1945-1948
344-349 Silver affidavits, 1934-1945 350 Estimate of ore reserves, 1950 17 Ore record, 1916-1941
18 351 Canada Copper Corp. Ltd., 1918-1919 352-353 Miscellaneous, 1933-1934 1935 354 Black Tail Leasing Co. 355 Lone Pine: G.W. Fairweather, Millet and Gendron, etc. 356 Lone Pine 6-7-8: G.W. Fairweather 357 Lone Pine-Surprise Cons. Mining Co. 358 San Poil: G.W. Fairweather 1936 359 G.W. Fairweather 360 Miscellaneous 361 L.J. Plant 362 Surprise Lease 1937 363 G.W. Fairweather, lessee 364-365 L.J. Plant, lessee 366 Surprise Lease 367 C.M. Trevitt, lessee 1938 368 B.E. Warner, lessee, Apex Leasing Co. 369 Apex Leasing Co. 370 Ben Hur: Chester Ickes, lessee 371 Bodie Vein: Jake Rounds, lessee 372 G.W. Fairweather 373 Last Chance 374 Melett Vein: Jake Rounds 375 Pearl Vein 376 Pearl-Surprise 377 L.J. Plant, Plant 378 San Poil Dump: L.D. Wicks, lessee 379 Surprise Lease 380 Surprise Vein 381 Tom Thumb Lease: C.M. Trevitt 382 Trade Dollar: R.L. and W.L. Cameron 1939 383 Black Tail: C.M. Trevitt 384-386 Ben Hur: Wilson Trevitt 19 387 Bodie: Jake Rounds, lessee 388-390 Last Chance Vein 391-393 Little Cove 394 Lone Pine: Jake Rounds, lessee 395 Pearl Vein 396 San Poil Vein 397 San Poil Vein: L.D. Wicks 398-401 Surprise Vein 402 Tom Thumb: C.M. Trevitt 403 Tom Thumb: W.D. Wicks 404-405 Trade Dollar: R.L. and W.L. Cameron 1940 406 Apex Lease: C.M. Trevitt 407-408 Ben Hur Lease: Wilson Trevitt 409 Black Tail Lease: C.M. Trevitt 20 410-411 Last Chance Mine 412-413 Little Cove Mine 414 Lone Pine Lease: Everett Hougland 415 San Poil Lease: Everett Hougland and C.M. Trevitt, lessees 416 San Poil Fraction Lease: A. Johnson, et al, lessees 417 Surprise Lease: Cameron, Rae and Wm. 418 Surprise Lease 419 Tom Thumb: W.D. Rick, lessee 420 Trade Dollar Lease: Rae and Wm. Cameron 1941 421 Apex Lease: C.M. Trevitt, lessee 422 Ben Hur Lease: Wilson Trevitt 423 Black Tail Lease: C.M. Trevitt 424-425 Last Chance 426-427 Little Cove 428 Lone Pine Lease: Everett Hougland 429-430 San Poil: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 431 Surprise Lease: Wm. Cameron 432 Tom Thumb Lease: W.D. Rick 1942 21 433 Apex Lease: C.M. Trevitt 434-435 Last Chance 436 Little Cove 437 Lone Pine: L.W. Hill 438 Pearl Lease: E. Hougland 439-440 San Poil Lease: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 441 Surprise Lease: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 442 Trade Dollar 1943 443-444 San Poil: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 445 Trade Dollar: Wm. Cameron 446 Trade Dollar: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 1944 447 Lone Pine Dump Lease: C.M. Trevitt and Guy E. Williams 448 San Poil Dump: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 449 San Poil Lease: C.M. Trevitt and E. Hougland 1945 450 Black Tail Dump: E. Hougland 451 Pearl: E. Hougland 452 San Poil Dump 453 Trade Dollar
454 Time books, 1937-1940 22 Payroll ledger, 1938-1940 23 Payroll record, 1944-1950