Here is what we knpw about Thomas Rickard in France, at least here at
L'Argentière (we know also that he was at Pontgibaud near Clermont Ferrand
at some point, too)
(text translated by Ian Cowburn from B. Ancel, mining archaeologist,
L'Argentière-la-Bessée)
The silver-lead mine at L'Argentière was closed since 1881, when it was
exploited by Argentiere Mineral Company, Ltd, which also had mining
interests in Lozère, Spain, and Portugal (further details of these last two
stakes would be most interesting). Marius Hoskins, sometime foreman of the
mines at St Maurice en Valgodemard (equally in the French southern Alps) and
Moreing the engineer represented the Company).
On the 27th of June 1888 an auction gave the mine to François Batigne (a
Marseilles lawyer), Jean-Baptiste Simmonet (civil engineeer at Clermont-
Ferrand) and Emile Charlon (civil engineer at Turin). The management of the
mine was given to Thomas Rickard, mining engineer whose address is given as
35, Queen Victoria St, London.
In 1891 the concession was let to the "French Mines Ltd" which then became
the "Dauphiné Mines Syndicat Ltd", who also held the concession at Grand
Clot near La Grave, towards Grenoble. Rickard is still the manager. He had
three engineers, Hoskins, Westin and Baldy working under him.
Working restarted in April 1892. The mine was put into good order but new
extraction veins were desperately needed. At the bottom of the recent
inclined plane and higher up the mountain research yielded nothing, the lode
seemed to be totally exhausted. Only 25 workers (surface and underground)
were on site (compared to over 500 thirty years earlier). Even the new
washery was unsatisfactory.
Problems with unpaid bills cropped up during the summer of 1893. The
workers, mostly Italian, went out on strike the 9th of August, asking for
their unpaid wages. The gendarmerie from Labessée intervened immediately and
everyone went back to work :)
At the beginning of 1894 the Esperance gallery was opened high up on the
mountain, but with no success. Working was insignificant and the washery
closed for lack of mineral to treat. Only 15 workers are now on site. All
work ceased on the 6th of July 1894, and Rickard is not heard of again at
L'Argentière.
(We are eager for more information on any of the above-mentioned British
companies or engineers mentioned above)
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