The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-07-30
The Extensive Mining Region
Surrounding Butte an I'm
po-tant Factor in Its
Prosperity.
Our Mineral Value Guaged by
the Standard of Actual
Output.
Something New in Smelling
and Concentrating 0per-
ations.
Future Copper Shipments
Nearly Ingot Fine.
Mineral Blossoms.
Mineral Blossoms.


colossal size, with one point resting upon the
court house tower md tAe other describing the
line Of circumference at q distance of forty miles
would include within its limits the richest min
eral region of the same dimensions in the known
world. The Georgetown distric-, with its great
Iron mountain from which has been taken the
millions of gold produced by the famous Cable
mine; the less developed, though doubtless as
rich, group of properties, including the Southern
Cross. the Pyrenees and Amazon; the Silver
axe district with its great reef of rich silver
bearing ore; the Boulder district. and the metal
lined spurs of the Rockies in Jefferson county,
tee Little stony, and tn ,usand other mineral
belts. would be within the boundaries of the
aladinian circle. The mines of this mineral
region are more or less extensively worked. and
the section described already supports a large
mining population which is directly tributary
to Butte. which furnishes the provisions, sup
plies, machinery, and, in most cases. the capital
for the mining operations of the entire district.
The work of bringing these outlying districts
into rapid communication with Butte has been
commenced by the completion Of the Utah T.
Northern br nch railroad to Anaconda. 1t may
not be long before the rich quartz veins of sill
yer Lake comp the extension of the Anaconda
branch, fifteen miles, to that district AMI the
Custom mills and ore puIcha >ers of Butte may
handle the high grade suiphurets "f Silver Reef
Other branch roads will undoubtedly follow as
rapidly as the development off the various dis
trcts will warrant, and in the not distant future
We may expect to see system of narrow guage
brauch roads winding their sinuous paths
throu n the mountain gorges and connecting al
of these tributary districts with their natural as
we'll as iuan> ial and commercial center at
Butte
TaE TRUE STANDARD OF vA'UE.
in estimating the value of a mining district
the error is Often committed of measuring the
extent and value of mining operations by the
gigantic proportions of the enterprises prose
cuted, or ty the amount of dividends paid The
dead and tenantless mil and smelter buildings
and silent shaft houses of q hundred de-eried
mining camps will show the absurdity Of max
ing the amount Of capital invested criterion
by which to judge of the meri of any mining
property. while sing'e lllu,tr tion will exhibit
tn folly of relyi g upon the dividends paid As
u standard of value, viz Tue total amount Of
dividends paid in the,United tates duling the
present year to July 1st was only $4,225,4O0.
while the output of Butte mines alone was up
wards of s. 1000, !, 90 during the same period. The
true standard '.y which to guage the value of
any mining district is its actual
OUTPUT IN ORE AND BULLION,
and guaged by this standard Butte City now
makes showing which pl ces it iu the lead OF
the great mining camps OF the country. The
MINER recentl, estimated the shipments of ore
a,lt matte from Butte FIR the current year at
los 100000 pounds, the estimate ueing based
upon actu i sh pments over the Utah q Northern
railroad duIin, the first half of the year. The
elected some criticism from certain
journals which seemed averse to giving Butte
credit for the gigantic prolort Ons to whicn he
mining operations had attained, but it now
seems that the figures given were an under-es-
innate aud taat the matte and ore shipments
for the year viii approach an aggregate Of l5o,
and Matte m Ade at the office of the Utah l.
Northern railroad during the present month up
to the 26th inst. the volume of shipments has
inc eased more than fifty per cent. over the
average monthly shipments of the SIX preced-
lug months, the total shipments during July to
date being 500 car loads, agsregating 16,OOOOO
pounds. uf these shipments about 12.UO,Oo'
pounds were If ore averaging so per cent. and
1, 900 pounds was matte.
The bullion ship nents of the past week were
81 bars, valued ut s94 S:2, AMI consigned at the
,tfice of the Pacific kxpre company as follows
July Ill exilytOu Is bars valued ut 81 $50