The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-04-20
ALTA MINES.
Extended Developments and VnIuabI
Properties.
Editor Butte MINER

Editor Butte MINER
In writing up a mining enterprise it is gem
orally required by those who take an interest
in such matters, for the writer to begin with
the beginning and give the successes and fail
ures from the start up to the present time.
The road TO success of the company l am
now going to speak of has been a rough one.
Organized several years ago, during the time
of big prices for fl eighters, wages and supplies,
the Montana Company began operations I'M
der many disadvantages. Of the failures
this company have met with nearly every one
conversant with mining and the reduction of
ores in Montana knows, therefore it is not
necessary for me to go into details. Suffice
it to say that past experience, bought at great
price, has shown the Alta Montana Company
where the great trouble lies and how to rem
edy the defect and make their enterprise a
grand success. In two weeks spent in exam
lining their extensive mines l am satisfied they
have the material TO work upon.
The "Alta" mine, situated on the noun
tain of that uame, has three tunnels driven
in on the vein, aggregating nearly 1900 feet
in length. The ore in these different tunnels
and the shafts and wines connecting them,
averages from 3 feet to - feet in width, while
in one place IN the mine the ore vein has the
extraordinary width O. 30 feet. The company
also own a number Of other locations, e1ten-
sions of the Alta
The next We come to in crossing the Alta
hill, that is developed to any extent, is the
" Custer" a recent purchase by the company.
There are several locations between the
6 Custer" and " Alta" but at the time of my
visit the openings were filled with snow, pre-
venting a thorough examination, but the
dumps show ore. The Custer " has several
openings by shafts and tunnels, each and
every one in ore from six inches to five feet
Donate of lead. Several hundred tons of ore
are mined both here and at the " Alta " ant
waiting transportation to the smelter.
The "North Pacific " is the next mine O
the company on the same vein. Two tunnel:
penetrate the vein several hundred feet. Thi
I" Argentu1n,' and from o. 81, pc produced
$135 900 at q total expense OF 50, 100. Her
as at the other mines, a quantity of ore !
mined awaiting transportation to the works
All these mines carry argentiferous galen
and average from $50 to 500 in silver and iron
% to So per cent. lead. Surely the quantit
and quality are here, aud as the entire prop
erty (5,7O0 linear feet) can be worked b
I tunnels driven on the vein, the expense {
S mining will be small. The tunnels are all i
I excellent shape for future mining, provide
J with cars and tracks with good ore house
. and blacksmith FORCES.
Lyman Rowley, a miner Of many year
= experience, has charge of the mines as supe
. intendent, which insures all work being fir
class. This company also owns the 'Comet
mine whose history and wealth are familit
to every Montanian and to many in the ou
side. have not yet visited the Comet"
will not say any more about it until l ha,
had ocular proof of its value.
If Transporting the ore from the differe,
openings to the reduction works costs fro
" so to G2a cents perton the YEAR round. Goo
lc natural roads reach all points.
y The Alta Montana Company are also wor
a. ing the "Rocky Bar" under a two years leas
" l did not visit this mine, either, thereto
at know nothing Of it.
n. A 1900-foot tramway runs from the midt
tunnel on the "Alta " nearly to the foot