The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-09-28
THE MINING OUTLOOK.
"A Of Prosperity Assured
FOR Butte.
sumo or the New Enterprises that are
Under Headway.

IL present outlook for the mines of the
summit Valley Mining district is particularly
satisfactory. From an intimate ACQUAINTANCE
Win all the mine owners and a careful in
spectlon OF the numerous properties of the
camp We are enabled console ntlouslv to state
'l'a' every reasonable indication points to
contihueo improvement IN the value, extern:
ana productive capacity of the mines now in
process OF development. We say continued
improvement advisedly, for 10 one will DENY
hat during the past spring and summer all
our mining enterprises, with rare exceptions.
nave resulted equal to the expectations of our
most hopeful operators.
The officers of the New York Come, Co..
VINO visited the camp last spring, were SO
encouraged by the promising appearance
OF their several mines that they left
orders with their superintendent to give them
The benefit of thorough development and to
push the smelter to an early completion. "he
result has been that extensive hosting ma
chlnery has been purchased, and a main shaft
started which will be sunk to d depth of 600
1eet, with the necessary crosscuts and drifts.
as fast as men ard money can perform the
work. Ihe smel,er, under the experienced
management of Mr.. A. Wortenweiler, has
oeen IN active process of construction, and by
the list proximo will be fired up. Concern
ing the capacity of the company's mines to
Keen the WnrEc ct1nnlinl rith ~,1 tl,o,o .-.
be no doubt whatever. They have already
yielded 5000 tons, besides the 1900 tons
which have been shipped during the past sea-
son. This 5000 tons, now composing the
dumps of the Colusa and Mountain miues,
added TO. a dump Of three thousand
tons purchased from the Gagnon Company,
makes a total of $4,000 tons of copper ore
available for immediate reduction, and as the
Colusa is producing many tons daily, it is
plain to see that some time will elapse before
any scarcity of ore will be felt even though
the mines belonging to the concern should
cease operations, which of course they will
not do. If, as is more than likely, the smelt.
ing facilities of the company be still
further increased, as The capacity of the new
works will not exceed so tons daily, there is
every likelihood of a new market being Gre
ated for base ores, and many comparatively
low grade mines will be started up again with
renewed energy. There is every reason to
belieye, therefore, that the operations of the
Montana Copper Company, besides returning
heavy profits to its stockholders, will aid vely
materially in keeping Butte on the full tide
of its present prosperity.
The present business like aspect of affairs at
Walkerville is another encouraging sign.
of the necessary machinery have somewhat
retarded the building of the sixty-stamp mill,
the certainty of its early completion is emf
nently satisfactory to all who desire to see
the camp maintain its lead in the matter of
bullion production. The present twenty
stamp mill is almost ridiculously inadequate
to the task of treating the ore product of the
Alice mine, and it is by 10 means certain
creditibIe showing when the vast reserves ofthe
lower levels are attacked by the miners pick.
But however this may be, it is assured that
an increased force of men will be employed,
tina a great deal of money will be disbursed,
and that the success of the %company's opera
tions will induce the investment of more cap
ital III similarly heavy operations.
At the Lexington mine it is equally evident
TO the observer that the owner is confident of
the value of his property and proposes That
other people shall see what he already be-
lieves relative to the permanence and richness
of the vein below the present workings.
Judge Davis has already opened up on the
first level a body of pay ore 1000 feet long
This level has already yielded 100000 in
hard cash, and contains an exposed reserve o!
10000 tons, as nearly as can be estimated.
Encouraged by the very flattering results OF
the past three years work, the owner is now
sinking a 300 foot shaft, intended to tap the
ledge at a sufficient depth to prove the con-
tinuity of the ledge below water level, after
which, if the results are satisfactory, it viii
be continued to the deep. In mining we are
aware it is never safe to count Unmatched
chickens, but the Lexington vein is so large.
so regular and so rich to the water level that
it is most unreasonable to doubt that it Will
prove even more productive andvaluable beio"
the line, as did its neighboring mine, the Alice
In this event. if the Lexington improves Will
depth below the water mark as tt did above
it, it will be but a few months ere the camI
can boast another property equalled by nc
other silver mine on the coast, save the Onta'
rio. The result of successful development
will be the erection of a new mill, Will
rooster attachment, and our already large
bullion product will be again increased.
On the Grey Rock, another big shaft is be-
ing sunk, and the wisdom of the enterprise
Ill, ,,,l,rs,n.l nv tl,Sa who hovn pv-