New-York tribune., 1879-10-25

lrapper District Covered tramways leading up
the mountain slde shaft houses that to0k a. though
they were In momentary danger of falling off from
the side of the mountain and tumbling down to it's
base, 700 or 500 feet, and ore houses and bins at
the foot of the main incline, here wagons were
loading with sacks of ore. were the outward ev-
dences OF the cOmpanys extensive mining opera
tiOns here.
White Lion Mountain Is an enormous mass of
Limestone. Its foundations are very hard blue
limestone winch looks Ike slate. and crops out Of
the slope at the foot Of the mountain. The cap OF
the hill l. carboniferous limestone Neither of
these formations contains any deposits OF ore Be-
tween them there Is enormous belt of white lime
stone or dolOmfe from 500 20 900 feet thick, which
Is honcycombed with pockets and chambers Of ore
In some places the veins or deposits crop out on the
sloe ot the mountain, but when tntY are followed
In they are found 70 be very irregular, leading OF
INTO cavcrus IN all directions sometimes reduced TO
few inches in width OF disappearing altogether
and again opening ont into great chambers from
which thousands of tons Of ore may be taken.
spent about three hours In the mines on this noun
TAM passing through constant succession of these
chamneis. sometimes narrow passage would lead
up FROM to another and out of the latter
would open % the right or left succession of cham
befs leading around hundreds OF feet nearly 10 the
point of starting. Then again all traces of ore
would disappear and an incline or a tunnel would
be driven for long distance through the barren
limestone until ii broke into some new chamber or
succession of chambers. Although II II impossible
TO tell IN advance Aow far any body OF ore in such
mines these extends, for the may give out IN
the most unexpected places, leaving nothing TO
guide the miner to new deposits. the extent of the
belt is So great and the chambers of ore have thus
far been found numerous AMI close together that
the mines appear to be neXhaustIbe.
The bulk of the ore IN the mines of the TTapper
District is decomposed, earthly and easily mined
with pick and spade. Ii consists of silver, copper,
sulphur. lead, arsenic, antimOny, aluminium and
silica. In some places undeconip0sed gaeBa is
found in small fragments. mixed with the more
friable ores and these are separated by means Nt
screen and put up Ia separate sacks In reduction,
from different parts ot the mines are mixed to-
getheT, and IN this way the melting of very little
waste matter simply for a flux Is avoided. The
Yields. average, from so t0 100 ounces
of silver to ton and Is shipped in the form OF base
bullion.
The reduction works Of the Hecla Company, az I
have already said. are situated here IN Glendale.
At present the smeter consists of only one stack,
with capacity OF sixty tons OF ore day. y hre
which destroyed the reduction works last Summer
caused temporary SUSPENSION but the company l.
now chipping from ITS single stack from ten 10
twelve tons of base bullion day, worth about
1000 and when its additional seventy-ivc ton
stack is in place tins product will be increased 10
from twenty 10 twenty five tons day. In addition
10 the base bullion, each pot of Stag which Is drawn
from the furnace contains on Its bottom twenty
10 forty pounds of copper matte carrying from
$500 10 800 worth Of SILVER To a ton.
The Glendale enterprise mas been one Of the most
successful OF all in Montana. The mines were dis
covered about four years ago by Mr. Armstrong. or
by persons from whom he purchased, and the COM
pany was organized three wears ago, with a capital
stock of $500 600 divided into shares OF 500 each
These sold for 43 per cent Of their face value
and u agreed that $50, 600 should Ice placed ~
the treasury Of the company as "a working capital
ms was never Nonr. anu except NtO,UiV
which was contributed a wear toward the
purchase of mine which cost $1,000. every
dollar expended the purchase of property the de
vcOpment OF nlue> the building of roads the cree
fion of reduction works. etc. has been paid from
money earned 10y the mines. The stock has now
been increased 10 $3.50 600 ard has the owners
only about SO share. Ga this there was paid
dividend OUT of the net earnings ln August of -
share. and in September of - 30 share. The
property was recently bonded 20 some gentlemen IN
NeyvYork for $500 600. ut as they have concluded
not To take lt. important Improvement are now
being made.
have already mentioned the new furnace which
will soon double the daily product of the mines. In
addition to that. q tramway beng built from the
mines 10 the sneiter distance Of nlue miles, two
miles # which VIII be completed this Fall. The
present cost of moving the ore from the mines 10
the reduction works - - ton. \ portion OF
th. ORES cannot be reduced the furnaces used by
the company. and concentrating works VIII there
fore he erected and the concentrates. which viii be
OF high grade, viii be shipped ont of the Territory.
believe IL Is the policy of the Hecla COMPANY 10
own or control all of the good mines n the lTapper
District. Theirs are the only mines Vet developed
there. If they continue the policy of PURCHASING
every promising mine thar is discovered IN the dis
trict there Will be very little opportunity for the
investment of capital IN new enterprises here. Be-
sides. the Iiecla Company has the water and thr
best SIZES for reduction works. No can tell
What the future of miues ike those of Irapper viii
be: but a. I have already SAID. they seem 70 be
practically inexhaustible. Glendale Is already sec
0nd IN importance among the silvcr-prcdncing
camps of the Territory, and Its product Will. tAl-k
De steadily increased for some time 10 come.
1.