The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-12-21
For tho State Rights Democrat
Montana Mining Interests.
STERLING. Montana. Nov. Of. /

sounded far and wide by those who hoped
thereby to advance their own pecuniary in.
terests, or by those who had been unsucccss.
ful in finding the much desired treasure ly-
ing on the surface, long before any symp.
toms considered by the ''wiso and prudent
unfavorable, had made their appearance
Montana, though in her infancy, as a mining
country has not escaped the common lot of
her older sister mining sections in thnt re.
spect. The effect of such reports will Of
course exert some detrimental influence
coming, as they do, from ''inaucntial sour.
ces" but such can only be temporary when,
as in Montana, daily developments are prov.
ing the contrary. New sources of wealth
nre constantly cheering those who have re.
solved to sec the end or gain the prize. While
the placer mines are still producing full com.
pensatory yields, as they will for years to
come, and while there is yet a vast area Of
country east and south OF us, occupied by
hostile Indians, that has not been further
prospested than to know that gold there ex.
ists, we have in addition thereto hundreds Of
undoubted good leads OF gold aud silver, the
yield Of which has been well tested, aud are
only waiting capital judiciOusly supervised
to mako them produce most satisfactory re.
suits. One obstacle TO the development oi
our leads has been that they are, 10 o great
extent, held by too many claimants, cutting
them up into fractions Of two hundred feet
or less, which renders il inconsistent for one
party to develop his or their portion, as there
by the interests Of six or eight parties would
be advanced at the expense of one. All can.
not unite in equally disbursing the expenses
Of development, As in most cases n majority
are men Of no means. still owners, perhaps.
Of millions Of slumbering wealth. Care has
been taken, in the discoveries Of late DAYS,
10 secure the entire lead TO the control and
ownership OF one party so, if the party be
not able TO develop. they can donate portion
10 some one who has means To do 30. The
laws of Montana only allow 2. 200 feet taken
in body ON lode or vein, though extensions
may be made as far as the lead can be- found.
Each claimant is entitled 10 two hundred feet
by pre.emption, though by purchase one par.
~ can hold the entire eleven claims. The
obstacle just mentioned has not been 30 heavy
u draw back to the quartz interest ns the
failure of so many quartz mills that baYe
been erected without regard tO utility or
practieability. Many eastern capitalists
have scnt OH and erected such order Of ma.
chinery as have proven dead loss 10 them.
both IN cost Of machinery, transportation
and erection. il seems tina; some men will
not allow themselves TO profit by the expert.
ence of others, bat trust that their thc0rcti.
cal Judgment can bring about renalts that
practical experience has pronounced upat.
tainable. Inventors East have no means oi
testing their machinery on "a large scale. but
make them on small scale sand iherelr0m
make their calculations as 10 the capacity 0i
the machinery. never failing 10 make il snf.
ficent 10 meet the demand. But when an
outlay has been incurred that should have
erected good mill its efficiency is found
wanting.
Capitalists have not only incurred loss and
failure in their mining investments bY adopt.
ing bad order Of machinery, but also in
many instances by not sending out, or EN-.
ploying here. a. their superintendents. prac.
rical aud stirring business men. Failures
caused from either Of the consideration
named not only prove deleterious ~ the IN.
terests Of those who have invested. bat also
tend to depreciate the value Of quartz stock
Those who are on the ground can readily see
where the fault lies. while those who are al
distance, aud perhaps desiring TO invest il
results are satisfactory, only attribute th'
failure TO the inferior quality Of the ore. ".
are gratified that less ieyerish spirit Of spec.
ulatiOn Is giving place 70 more deliberate
consideration Of securing machinery better
adapted 70 the reducing aud separating pro
ccsses. The Midas Mining Company, super
intended by Prof. Ward, located at Sterling
il the FIRST TO adopt thorough and full ordei
Of California machinery. As the mill bai
been in operation but few days satisfactory
tests have not been made TO prove the extern
Of its adaptability over those previously il
use. Many arc watching the results in orde
to avail themselves Of any advantage tina
may be gained By adopting similar order
Taking into consideration the large number
Of quartz leads, the size or width of vein
and the rich quality Of the ore. we feel justi
fable in predicting for Montana a high ranl
among the leading mining sections Of tn
globe. Every facility is great. Water powe
is available in almost every section woot
for fuel is bountifnl. with few exceptions
and coal Of good quality has been latel,
found in different localities. With larg
extent Of agricultural lands, we have com
bincd pasturage for stock superior to whicl
no portion Of the earth can boast, for quaint
ty or quality. And to desire more health
full climate would be to wish that humanit,
was not at all subject TO the ills of disease
No good reason can be assigned why quart
mill in Montana, with good machinery prop
erly superintended, should fail to make tn
owners thereof wealthy in very few years
True, every expense here is greater than il
Colorado or California, but what of the ex
penses when the income is proportionatel,
large? We to-day have leads by the score
and believe could safely say by the hun
dreds--lying idle waiting for capital, tha
will produce yield Of twenty, thirty ant
forty dollars per ton. To make a safe calcu
latiOn we will call the average twenty dollar
per ton. A l5-stamp mill will crush thirt
tons in twenty. four hours. That gives
gross yield of six hundred dollars per day
which in one year, or 300 days-leaving ou
65 for Sabbaths and stoppage from othe
causes--gives net profit of 100000
With the improvements that are now bein
made in machinery for reducing ore and sep
arating the metals, we regard the certaint
of success for those holding large quartz in
terests in Montana, only question of time
L. B. STATELER.
QUE-AH VALLEY.-Mr Huntington
gives an interesting description of the re