The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-02-23


: Philipsburg indicate that silver mining ha
become firmly established. Trapper, Silve
Lake and Vipond districts (silver) are ad
vancing with rapid strides, while in the vi
cinity of Helena the Red Mountain ant
Scratch gravel silver veins are receiving at
tsntion, and are likely to prove permanent
=. ly valuable .-.-.e- .-....-.,+
Lead mining promises to become one o.
. the foremost of Montana industries. Ir
boulder and Colorado districts immense
deposits of galena and oxidized lead ores
occur, and already five large mines are
opened to depth Of 100 feet and over.
Ihs ore, however,is generally too low grade
In silver (25 to rs ozs.5 to stand the ex-
pense Of shipping, and proper smelling
works in the vicinity Of the mines is urgent
~ nesded Fully $4,000 tons Of ore suita-
Die Tor concentration now lie unused in the
dumps Of the Rumley, Comet, Argenta, and
gregory, and the development done ,tpoa
the properties mentioned show plainly that
many times as much exists under the sur
race. In the country bordering on Clark's
| Forks eastern Montana) it is reliably
stated that even larger deposits of argentif.
erous lead ores exist, and this year will
probably witness some very important dis
coveries in that section. @ Ii. ~.
At Butte copper ores in the form of the
oxides and glance are very abundant, and
| several other large discoveries have been
made along the western slope of the range
to the northward, indicating very extern
slye belt of these minerals. On several
lodes considerable depth has been gained.
ana as no indication of a change to pyrites
has been found, it may be assumed that
these are true copper deposits, and not veins
of auriferous pyrites, oxidized on the sur
face. 4 ---,--
1t is not impossible that tin will at no
distant day be produced to some extent in
Montana. Stream tin has been found to |
considerable extent in the beds Of Ten-Mile
and seven-Mile Creeks, north of Helena.
though no extensive or systematic search |
has been made either for the float ore or the |
original deposit From the quantity found |
there would seem to be unreasonable doubt |
that veins of the metal occur in these parts
ofthe range cut by those creeks - /
Many are disposed to regard the placer
deposits as exhausted, and no longer to be
depended on. A greater mistake could
hardly be made. 1t is wholly safe to say
that the millions that have been taken from
the surface digglngs will be duplicated as
soon as attention is drawn to extensive and
deep hydraulic work. Montana has moth
ing to compare to the deep gravel banks of
California, but from some observations
made by the writer, combined with relia-
BILE information, it appears probable that
several ancient channels, exceedingly rich
in auriferous gravel, course through the
Upper. Missouri valley, which, when once
tapped, are likely to yield many time as
much gold as has heretofore been taken
from the surface. Portions of this ancient
channel have been recognized at the heads
of Confederate and Alder gulches, and the
mouth of Last Chance; and though it is {
quite impossible from the present meagre J
on the snb5eet to define the /
course and extent of this old water course,
yet enough is known to warrant extensive 9
explorations, with promise of more than ,
he usual ratio of success. aEr II
Aside from this new ground, however,
here is an enormous amount Of surface 9
gravel capable Of being made productive if ,
worked on large scale and with due re-
,ard to economy. To do this, claims must j.,
oe consolidated, and water supplied in
olenty-in other words, moderate capital
S all that is required in hundreds of the
abandoned gulehes, of the early day, to
make them once more as productive as
hen. -- -7t- -''.7-- -%0..
Montana offers very many excellent op- -.
,ortunities for the investment of capital in
mining, milling, and smelling works. The :.
comparative lowness Of the range in this
Territory makes the average altitude of the
and far below that of the central or south j
rn tier of the Western States, so the win
ers at the mines do not conn pare in severi 9
y with those Of Colorado or Utah. Again, '
Montana gulches are broad and bordered s
,p gently sloping hills, instead OF perpen- {
licular cliffs, as in the south, and the mines 1
re easily reached by wagon roads. Every i
nine of any size in Montana is supplied I
With good grade to its dump, while in t
Utah and Colorado companies are frequent $
= forced to lay air tramways or to use pack a
rails. Against the advantages is of course
he distance to supplies, and the long weary
Quincy to the rest of the world but Mon
ana cannot remain untouched by rail muck
onger. Already her exports exceed her
IMPORTS, as witnessed by the fact that it is
,ften difficult to find transportation for ores !
o Salt Lake or the east, even when the .
ummer is good Que, and river communi-
ation to Benton at it's best. 2G g. II
The amount of ore pow shipped out of
be Territory for reduction shows that
entrally located smelling works would q
meet with encouragement and success. We =
hall have more to say on tins subject in =
uture article, -4sl .s....S.5s<f s;a4s.N n
T. !.