Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1880-04-08
Helena, Montana, Thursday, April 8, 1880
MINERAL WEALTH of MONTANA,
What the Territory has Produced of the
Precious Metals During Eighteen
Years.
New York Herald, March 24.l


Precious Metals During Eighteen
Years.
New York Herald, March 24l
We regret that want OF space prevents our
giving in full the very interesting address de-
llvered las night before the Bullion Club by
MIR. r. b. Harrison, of the United States AS
say Office at Helena, Montana. His subject
Was Montana and its mineral resources. At
ter speaking of the great agricultural resour-
ces of the country and its climatic advantages,
he entered into q detailed account of the min
ing industries, brief review of which we
give. Montana stands third, in the total
to California in the amount of gold. The
first gold was obtained by means of placer
mining, and the results from some of the
"gulches' were almost fabulous. Alder
Gulch alone is said by good judges to have
produced to date since its discovery in May,
1868, over $40, 00O, 900, and is now producing
from $500, 900 to $500, 900 every year. From
one pan in Confederate Gulch the yield from
the gravel was 81 ZOO gold. Montana has
about five hundred producing gulches
which have all been successfully worked
since their discovery, and have added mil
lions of dollars in wealth to the worlds treas
uary. The total amount of gold and silver
produced in the territory from 1862 to 1880
was $159, ,017,00O The receipts of gold at
the Assay Office at Helena for 1879 were
$511, 1874. "a, the larger part being from gold
dust, and only about one-quarter of the pro-
duction was handled at the Assay Office. A
nugget worth $4,000 was picked up in trib-
utary of Snow-Shoe Gulch, and one worth
$2,073 in Nelson Gulch. Quartz mining has
not been prosecuted with the same diligence,
but some of the mines that have been faith
f,11, "a Tho
lode has turned out since its discovery in 1864
Brick, valued at $54, 262. SO, was the result of
thirty days run of the Penobscot Mine in
1878, and from the shaft of this mine, only
sixty feet deep, $125, 600 in gold was taken
out in less than elk months. Silver quartz
veins were discovered at Phillipsburg, Deer
Lodge county, in 1855, and silver quartz min
ing has now taken prominent place. The
Hecla Consolidated Mining Company is now
producing annually about $500, 600 of silver
lead and silver-copper bullion. and the pro-
pertv of the company has just been sold for
81. 500, 600. In the present year the silver
bullion product of the Territory will exceed
the gold bullion product.
Mr.. Harrison had fine collection of ore
samples, and among them q nugget of gold
from Dead Mans Gulch worth over 5000.
New York Mining News.l.
Professor Harrison spoke or important
gulches, giving many valuable and interest
ing statistics, and stating that Montana has
within its boundaries about 500 gold produc-
ing gulches. In speaking Of the quartz min
ing of the Territory, he said that in Septem-
Der, 1854, the famous Union lode, near Union
vile, was discovered. This was about the
first important quartz property developed,
and it proved to be a very rich vein, produc-
ing paying gold quartz for distance of 1900
feet along the surface, and it has been work
ed to depth of from 500 to 800 feet on the
dip of the vein. Several mills have been
erected on this lode, and the yield of the
mine since its discovery has been about $3,-
000, 600, and nearly as much has been obtained
from other veins lying in the vicinity of Un-
ionville and the Park. AmOng the mines
which have been very successful in this Sec
ton are the Penobscot, Snowdrift, Belmont.
Blue Bird, Black Hawk, and many others.
Veins of gold have been discovered at many
points on the main and other ranges of the
Rocky Mountains as we'll as on the foot hills.
Many of these veins are now being worked in
q small way, and it is thought that the yield
of gold from present indications for the year
of 1880 will be double that of 1879.
veins OF silver quartz were ulsCOFeIeu III
the Territory nearly as early as gold veins.
Phillipsburg, in Deer Lodge County, is the
Oldest silver camp in the Territory, and the
first attempt at reduction of the ore was
made at Argenta, in Beverhead county, in
1885, In Butte, Walker Brothers, owners,
are producing yearly, with 20-stamp mill,
about $3.50, 900, and many mines in the vicin-
ity are doing nearly as we'll. Arrangements
are being perfected in many sections for the
of mill power and mining facili-
tiles, and during the year 1880 the silver pro-
duct of Montana will exceed that of gold for
the first time in the history of the Territory.
What is greatly needed in Montana is cheap
and when this is obtained the
mining interests will be greatly increased.
The professor, in conclusion, said that he
thought Montana had many advantages for
investment and labor not possessed by any
other of the Territories.
++<9l>t - sss---
Not 100 miles below Nashville is curious
spectacle known as the ''Sun and Moon" 1t
consists OF q painting upon an immense rock
ia of hrn