The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-09-26
II / T OF +
Mineral Resources and Reduc-
ton Facilities OF Summit
Valley District.

Valley District.
Points For The Distinguished
Journalists Now Visiting
The City.
In forming their Impressions OF
Butte. our journalistic visitors should
bear in mind that they have diverged
in their route from the charmed circle
of Northern Pacific "boom towns"
and that all they see here is sub
stantial, permanent, and the natural
growth of legitimate mining pur-
suits. Butte has never had a ''boom"
and all attempts to organize Fictitious
excitements have teen uniformly
frowned down by her substantial
business men, from the time rich
placer diggings were discovered at
the foot of the incline, upon which
the city is built in 1864 up to
the present. Previous to
1915 Butte was but a struggling
mining camp of less than 500 inhab-
itants, her mines ~undeveloped and
without machinery or facilities for
the extraction and reduction of her
ores; but about that time the near
approach of the Utah & Northern
Railroad, bringing with it cheaper
transportation rates and an extraor-
binary influx of capital, caused an
impetus to the mining interests of
Summit Valley which has resulted
in building up at Butte City the
greatest mining center of the North
west. Quartz mills and COPPER
smelters have been erected. and new
mines opened in every direction, In
til the City of Butte has emerged al
most at a single stride from the
uncertainties of an undeveloped min
ing camp, with an unsettled and
turbulent population and possessed of
but few of the modern appliances of
civilization, into the dignity of a city
populated by 5000 citizens, who have
here built their homes and invested
their capital; a city built of solid ma
sonry upon foundations of enduring
stone; the mines, counting houses
and places of business in instantane-
GUS communication through the me-
dunn of the telephone; the sales
rooms, banking houses and immense
reduction works lighted by electrici-
ty, and the private residences served
with pure mountain water by extern
sive water works. AS an evidence of
the increase of wealth it may be
cited, that for the year 1881 the tota
assessment list for Silver Bow
county, four-tifths of which may be
credited to Butte city, amounted to
81, 424, GAO. For the year 1882 taxes
were levied upon property valued at
IS, 767 ,O3O, showing an increased val.
uation during the first year of the
county's existence of ST, 342, 800; and
at the close Of 1882 the county was
ont of debt, with a balance of $50, 600
in its treasury. During the past year
brick buildings have been erected in
the city valued at 1926, 900, and frame
structures valued at $175, 900. The
merchants report an increased vol
ume Of business, averaging so per
cent. over the sales of 1881; and
transactions over the counters of the
three banking houses, Donnell,
Clark & L arabic; Hoge, Brownlee &
Co.; and First National, amounted
to $lo7, 500, 900 against s37, 400, 600 in
the previous year.
In the immediate vicinity of the
city nearly POO gold, copper and sill.
Yer bearing mines are operated. upon
over forty of which are well equipped
hosting works. Tne ore from
these mines is reduced by nine
mills, dropping 240 stamps,
and four smelters Of large capacity.
These mines and reduction works
employ over $500 laborers Of all
and disburse in the neighbour
hood of half a million dollars per
month on pay roll and expense &C.
This is the money that
goes into circulation every month in
not taking into account the
and building operations
the city proper, or the pay rolls of
nur banks, stores, hotels and con.
Fra"tors. Under these circumstances
are not likely to be very dull
n Butte and it is doubtful if any
:ther city Of the same size in the
whole country can make such a
showing of financial prosperity.
THE MINES.
In thu entire district over two hum
1red mines have been opened up suf-
ic;ently to show the trend, dip. char
acter and extent of the lodges. A
arge number of them are worked by
vindlass or whjm, and forty-eight
ire equipped with steam hosting
Among the latter the fol-
owing are the most important, and
ire developed with levels, drifts and
,ross-cuts to the depth indicated:
Alice, 800: Anaconda, 700: Lexing-
on, SOD; Moulto&, 500; Magma Charta
Gagnon, 500; La Plata, 32O; Belle
If Butte, 26O; Coiusa, 26O; Star West,
80; Original, 300; Belle, 500; Grey ,
Rock $50; st Lawrence, 800; Mount
200; Shonbar, 300; Liquida- J
or, 800; Modoc, 200; Mountain View,
Mountain Boy, 800. Iseie, 200: {
Original Butte, 400. ]
The Alice has the most extensive -,
silver mining works in the district, =,
ne Alice. Magma Charta and VALDEZ ,