The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-01-06

A brilliant Future For the Camp Assured.
II is a long time since Butte was visited
by two authorities so eminent, competent
and reliable as Professors Clayton and Blake,
who are now conducting an examination of
the Alice mine with a view to its being
stocked and placed on the market. Great in
terest and Importance therefore attach to the
opinions Of either of these gentlemen, and in
the following report of a conversation which
occurred under some difficulties yesterday
between Professor Clayton and a MINER
scribe, may be found some reasons why Butte
has succeeded in earning the reputation of
being the most promising camp Oh the Coast.
The first question p%ropounded by the Fable"
shower was as follows:
What is the object of your visit to Butte
City?
"I came with Prof. W. p. Blake and S. S.
Walker. Esq. to examine and report upon the
Alice mine. 1 came here three years ago last
September with S. S. and J. II. Walker, and
Captain Marcus DAILY to examine the Summit
Valley Mining district with the view of Sc
lecting some mining prospects for future
operations. At that time no deep mining
had been attempted, and the general impress
sion was that the ores did not hold to the
deep. This was owing to the fact that in
every attempt to sink down on the lodes, the
ore gradually became poor as the water line
was approached hence the owners of claims
would stop the work of sinking, and in many
cases fill the bottom of the shaft with waste to
conceal the barren or poor zone near the
water-line. After a careful study of the lodes,
and the ores contained in them l concluded
that the impoverishment of the ores near the
water-line was due in most instances to oxy-
dation of the sulphides of silver and teaching
out by surface waters and the rise and fall of
the water in the vein assures during dry and
wet seasons. l therefore sought to select a
prospect OH some strong, well-deined assure
that carried good milling ore in the outcrop,
feeling confident that good ore would also be
found below water-level. Mr.. DAILY and my
self fixed upon the Alice claim on the Rain
bow lode as filling the re luirements sought,
and after an exhaustive examination of the
groupings in company with S. S. and J. R.
Walker, (both of whom are good judges of
mining property, they decided to purchase
the Alice claim, and proceed at once to prore
its value by sinking below the water and set
tie the doubt of continuity Of good ore below
water. Mr.. DAILY remained to carry out
that object. The splendid results of his work
you know, and l will here state that to his
foresight and the business energy OF the
Walker Brothers the present prosperity of
your mining camp is largely due.
Why are the ores near the water-line in
this district impoverished, while veins found
formations do not usually present such
changes?
"Bccause Summit Valley Mining District is
a granite country rock that contains little or
no chlorine, hence the silver sulphurets, when
they became oXydized to sulphates, were sol
to precipitate the silver as an insoluble chlor-
ide, the sulphates leached out or settled down
in the vein assure and re-deposited the metal
as sulphide, or in some cases, native silver,
Veins that traverse the secondary or marine
rocks, invariably carry chloride ores above
water and sometimes below water level. but
the general rule is that all silver lodes carry
their ores below water as sulphides, and the
various combinations with anthony, arsenic
and other base minerals. Native silver III
quantity iscxceptional in all mining coun.
tries"
What arc It,Jt i'm t,rpSSinDS nf Huftn nc q
mining camp?
"My impressions are most favorable. | pre-.
dicted three years ago, at the time of my first
visit, that Summit Valley Mining District
would eventually be one of the great mining
centers of the Rocky mountains. That as
soon as tie railroads reached within easy dis
lance mining men would appreciate its
position and great mineral wealth, and make
Butte the queen city of Montana. The rail,
roads are rapidly approaching from the south
and east, and the leading lines must pass
within sight of Butte. You have the most
beautiful mountain country within the Uni
ted States, well timbered and splendidly wa.
tered, a great grazing country, and YOU
mountains rich in mines of gold, silver, cop.
per- anu lead. Montana, as a whole, has a
great future. and Butte need not be envious
of its neighbors. Its prosperous future is as
sured.'
Is the Colorado boom consequent upor
the real merit of her mines, or upon newspa.
per "blowing?"
"Newspapers, in one respec ct are not unlike
the kings of the barnyard-they are apt tc
blow or crow a good deal over and about theil
own premises. Colorado has been aided a
great deal by the intelligence and enterprise
of her newspaper men. But her great pros