The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-08-02
THE FUTURE OF T

ards by which either may be measured and
indicate with unerIing precision the ranI
that the one ,r the other should occupy in
the scale of importance. II we measure
Butte by these standards we have every
reason to be satisfied with the position in
which we find it to-day. Its phenomenal
growth and unexampled prosperity up to the
present time is more than satisfactory to its
warmest friends. But its leap from all al
most unknown town with a few struggling
cabins, of four or five years ago, to the posi-.
ton Thich it nov occupies as the ~liveliest,
wealthiest and most popn lous city in the
Territory, may be justly considered as only
a step upward toward that pinnacle of pros,
perity which it will ultimately reach aud
maintain. To prove that this is no idle
boast, and that Butte will, in the near future,
take rank as the first mining camp in the
New Northwest, it is only necessary to lay
bare facts and figures which cannot be gain
said. While we do this, it must he borne in
mind that Butte is of recent growth that
the mines, which at the present time though
not fully developed, have given it its present
prominence as a mining camp, were but a
short time ago mere prospect holes with spec.
ulative values, and that which intelligently d.
rected labor, backed by capital, has done for
them it will also do for many of those yet
undeveloped but as equally promising as far
as can be judged by present indications.
Withinthe mining district inwhich Butte is To-
catedthere are about $50 surveyed lode claims
upon which more or less labor has been per-
formed. Besides these there are a large num-
Der that have been located and recorded but
not surveyed. Taking Butte as a center near
ly all these lay within a radius of two miles
and a half, forming a network of mineral
wealth unsurpassed by any known mining
camp in the world. Contiguous to this district
and but a few miles east of the city is the
Fourth OF July district in which a large num-
her of promising lodes have been located and
upon some of which sufficient developments
have been made to prove them mines of great
value. Ten or twelve miles in a direct line
north Of Butte is The Cataract mining dis
trict. About four hundred claims are located
and recorded in this district. With but few
exceptions the ores are argeDtiferous, the ex-
ceptions being gold bearing lodes. Through
out this district the ore bodies are wide.
strong and well defined. All it needs to
bring it into prominence is capital and ma
chinery to work and treat its immense ore
deposits. From their location these districts
are boGnd to become tributary to Butte, and
when railroad facilities are added to its pres
ent advantages as a great mining center, they
will add largely to the enormous tonnage
the demands ofits trade and
will put in motion.
We have stated that what intelligently d.
rected labor and the expenditure of capital
have done for a few mines here NAV also be
done for many others. 1t is fair to presume
that upon the advent of railroads at our doors
capital, machinery and labor, the essential
factors of success in all mining enterprises,
will soon follow. When these shall be OBJ
the developments hat will be made
upon scores of promising lodes in this and
adjoining districts and the output of ore that
may be expected from them are not altogeth-
er matters of speculation, for we have before
us the evidence of what may be lone in what
has already been accomplished. To show
what has been accomplished we may
point to the fact that under
the operation of l4s stamps only, a city con-
nearly 5000 inhabitants has been
'uilt up and bids fair to contain five times
hat number within the next five wears.
About a dozen mines furnish the Gre for
'hese stamps. As the Alice mill alone en-
oloys 80 stamps of the number above named,
t can be seen that the other mines are not
being worked to any great extent as they
must rely upon IS stamps to reduce their
ores. 1t is well known that most any mine
II this district which is developed BY a shaft
1t a depth Of POO or even 100 feet with cor
responding length of levels can keep so
stamps running. Accepting this as a
we may arrive at a fair esti-
nate Of the number that will be
to treat the milling ores of
he district, when all its mines are developed.
There are, as we have stated, over $50 lode
ocations in the district. If we deduct so
Der cent. OF the number as worthless, we
nave 50 which may be classed as paying
mines. We will say that each mine will re-
lnire on an average 60 stamps to treat its ores
we find that it will take 5000 stamps to
meet the demands of the district. Assuming
his, he question now resolves into a simple
mathematical proposition which may be
hus stated: If 14s stamps will support
600 people, what number will 5000
lamps support? Now in the above
we may have under estimated the
lumber of lodes that will be developed into
'aying mines and may have possibly over es-
imatcd the number Of stamps that may be