Page 18 By Gregory Reynolds Financing the development of two of the Big Three of local gold mines in The Porcupine was easy but for the third it was a nightmare. Moneyed men were behind the Mighty Hollinger and the Big Dome from the start but fnding money for the McIn - tyre was a fnancial headache. Sandy McIntyre (real name Alexan - der Oliphant, a Scotsman hiding out from a wife he detested) and his part - ner Hans Buttner staked the key four claims. Sandy’ s two claims that were the basis of the McIntyre Mine were sold of f to A.J. Y oung of North Bay and Charles Richardson and G.A. Bagshaw , both of Haileybury Buttner ’ s two claims went for $10,000 but it is not cle ar in the history books as to who paid him. (Another history is that W eldon Y oung got a quarter interest for $300; Jim Hughes a one-eighth interest for $25 and a half interest went to A.J.Y oung for $5,000 (with a promise of $60,000 that was never paid). They had a hard time getting anyone interested in the claims, particular be - cause the gold was in a quartz string - er on the surface. Eventual ly work proved McIntyre’ s gold lay deep as compared to the rich surface showings of the Hollinger and Dome. Charlie Flynn eventually acte d as bro - ker in selling the claims) The two versions agree that New Y ork promoter Alfred Freeman was approached by Flynn to look at the claims. Freema n had a bad reputation but Flynn negotiated $7,000 down and a promise of $243,000 before the end of September 201 1. That happened on March 9, 201 1, more than 18 months after Sandy staked the claims. The Hollinger and Dome had gotten into production in 1910. Cr ook headed McIntyr e Mine for short period in early days Although Freeman had “burned” many of the investors on his private list he approached them again with a promise that the McIntyre situation was for real. Freeman was so confdent he could fnd suckers to invest that a week lat - er he incorporated McIntyre Porcine Mines Limited with an initial capital of $1 million based on 200,000 shares with a price of $5 each. Freeman got 80,000 shares free, plus the return of his $7,000 and the $243,000 was to be paid by the com - pany to Y oung, Richardson and Bag - shaw . On April 26, 201 1Freeman was ap - pointed president of McIntyre Mines. Now J. P . Bickell, the man who even - tually would turn McIntyre into a Ca - nadian mining powerhouse, comes upon the scene. Alex Gillies and Jack Miller , who had staked two claims east of Sandy McIntyre, had a legal problem as part of the land was under water . Clear ti - tle normally could not be secured un - less a producing mine was tied onto the claims. T oronto lawyer Percy Parker agreed to take their case to the province (which he won) but demanded, and got, 51 per cent intere st in the claim s. Bick - ell, a T oronto stock broker at the time, bought the two claims for $100,000. Freeman wanted the claims to broad - en McIntyre’ s base and of fered Bick - ell $250,000. Bickell was now inter - ested in McIntyre and held out for $100,000, plus $4,000 for the work done on the claims and 70,000 McIn - tyre shares. All this was merely an option agree - ment and Freeman sold his option to the company the day he was made J.P . Bickell, centre kneeling, saved McIntyre from crook Cont’d on pg. 18 “The Porcupine Camp” 100 Y ears of Mining Page 16