The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-10-20
From the Daily Of Thutsdsy.
BUTTE ABROAD.
It's Bonanzas-1ts Output OF
Wealth and Its Great
Future.

It's Bonanzas-Its Output OF
Wealth and Its Great
Future.
Among the journalists of the Vii.
lard party who visited Butte some
time ago al General Boyntou OF
the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
In a letter to that journal the Gen.
eral sums up what he saw and
learned while here of which the fol
lowing is an extract. The few errors
in his figures may be pardoned in
one who was here scarcely twenty.
four hours and who obtained his
statistics secondhand. His conclu'
sions, however, concerning the future
of this great mining center is cor
rect:
A very short ride served to bring
out silent points of the remarkable
industries of the 'camp." We rode
to the top of the hills which rose
about a thousand feet above the
town, and were partially out of the
smoke. On all sides on the summit
and on the slopes were buildings,
some small, some covering acres, and
all with their tramways leading ou,
to their dumping grounds. These
great dumps were like high railway
entertainments projecting into the
valley, and the whole suggested the
working shafts of a tunnel. But
these immense dumps were rich ore,
not refuse, and when we were told
that the first dump we passed con-
tanned quite a million dollars worth
Of ore awaiting the completion of a
smelter, we began to take in the sur
rounding vastness." The Anaconda
copper mine is one of the largest, if
not the largest, in the world. The
vein was found on the surface, and
has been folio wed to a depth of sew
eral hundred feet, and drifts have
been carried in on several different
levels. Thus tue copper ledge has
been stripped for 1,4OO feet. On the
four hundred foot level the
vein is fourteen feet wide.
1t has $4,000 tons of ore on its
dump, and a large proportion OF it's
ore is so rich AS to justify expectation
to Swansea, England, for smelling.
1t is sixty per cent. copper, and con-
tains from thirty to fifty ounces of
silver per ton, or enough to pay
freight charges. The works are real
ly not run to their capacity, as the
owners are awaiting the completion
of a smelter capable of reducing 500
tons a day. AS showing what is ex-
pected when the mine is fully devel-
oped, it may be noted that the hoist
ing apparatus provided has a capaci-
ty Of ! ,OM tons daily.
Near the Anaconda is the Colusa
mine-also copper. 1t runs its are
directly into smelling works of its
own. For the year ending Sept. /,
it had shipped 500 tons for export,
which averaged IS per cent. copper,
and SIS ounces of silver per ton.
Within five minutes ride of the Ana
conda are the Lexington, Alice,
and Mculton, all silver mines. The
first named, after yielding ST. 800, 900
to its owners, was sold to a French
for 81, 0OO, 600. It runs 80
Its works cover several acres.
Its monthly production of silver bull
lion now averages $3.50, 0OO-abeut
half profit, Tue Alice mine produces
$1,000 monthly; the Moulton, $685.
the Silver Bow Company, $685.
OO0-and so on through a long list Of
smaller properties until the mind is
bewildered, and millions begin to
seem the unit of coun; ling. The
shipments of gold and silver bnllion,
the latter, average about
$500, 600 per month. Three weekly
Of copper ore and matte
as the product after smelling is called
1OS carloads, o. about
1000 tons per month. There are
forty mines equipped with steam
hosting machinery, and over a hum
dred smaller mines, all worked at a
good nrofit.
While individuals, by prospecting,
have made valuable discoveries, and
attained a moderate competency, the
great results mentioned above are
only possible where enormous CAPT.
tai can be commanded for the devel-
opment. Most of these great mines
sold by their first discoveries for
200 aud less. Then capital
stepped in and began its work.
One of those above mentioned
81, zoo, 900 in prepare
ton. One paid S95 1000 on the ma
chinery and material for is build
The silver ore, in it's reduction,
requires a ton of salt to each ten tons
Of ore. The salt costs $50 per ton.
Each "pan" of three thousand pounds
of the ore prepared for the action of
quicksilver requires 800 pounds of the
latter article every hour. Wood costs
S6.5 0 a cord. The Alice, Lexington
and Moulton burn $500 cords per
month. One mine returned 500, 900
to the assessor as the value of its
wood on hand. The Colorado and
smelters consume each 49,
500 cords per year. Coke is brought
from Pennsylvania for the shelters,
and coal from Utah. The mines and
works employ $500 work
men and their monthly payroll is
about bali a million dollars.
Such are some Of the figures of one
mining camp" In another year
they will exceed those Of any other in
the territory, if not of any in the
country. The great mines have not
reached their capacity. The copper
are hardly more than uncov-
cred. The opening of the railroad
through the place, the cheapening of
freights, and the facilities OF inter-
course must increase production at
rate.