The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-09-02
4 PAYING BUSINESS.
Digging in the Earth After
the Precious Metals.
GOING DOWNWARD.
Preparing to Sink the Moulton Shaft.
Grand Report from the Anaconda.
Mining News in General

The last statistics show that during the
past two years the United States sold to
foreign nations $3.50, 600, 600 less mer-
chandise than in the preceding two years.
That falling off makes the difference be-
tween flush and lard times. The reasons
are many, says the Salt Lake Tribune.
Germany and France legislated against our
products; the crops in the British Isles
have been more abundant; prices for raw
products have been greatly reduced; and,
finally, the hard times in Europe have re-
duced the capacity of that country to buy.
produce more food n cotton than the
world can purchase: by neglecting all the
laws which experience teaches other
nations, Dur foreign trade is not sufficient
to make a market for u Manufactured
goods, and SO depression is upon rs not
withstanding that the country groans
under a superabundance of food, OF goods
and money.
gency the rich men of the East would
turn to
WESTERN MINING
and other Western enterprises to find use
for their money. II they would they would
find plenty to encourage them. Surely,
mining in the West has never been more
full ofpromise. Not only are nearly all the
] great paying mines holding their own and
| yielding as well as ever, but in many Of the
old camps that had, in miners parlance. re-
ceived a black eye" or it is found that
only pluck. good Judgment and money were
| needed to show that the mines were as good
- ever. The daily shipments show only a
part of what is going on. In many places
the old crude ways have been abandoned,
and mines are being opened thoroughly
with the intention of developing them in
! such a way that when they begin again to
yield it will mean plenty Of business for a
term of years. This mode Of working is
beautifully illustrated in the erection of the
! new gallows frames and hoist at the Alice
mine. In farseeing, Superintendent Hall
has so constructed the new gallows frames
that when the Alice shaft is down 5000
feet the frames will be found adequate to
| permit Of a further sinking of 5000 feet
more, and the surface arrangements are
such that ample dumping space is provided
for hundreds of millions of tons of waste
rock that may be taken out in the work Of
prospecting the mine. This farseeing policy
is being pursued almost everywhere. In the
majority of cases this principle is conducted
and carried on solely on local pluck and
money.
The East not only holds aloof, but adds
to an imbecile scorn the threat chat the
silver dollar is soon to be expupged from
the treasury. The eastern maj delights
to tell how much some neighbor of his lost
in a mining speculation. He bought some
shares in the Timbuctoo or Will-o'-the
Wisp, and he lost his money. Yet question
such a NAH closely and he will confess that
another neighbor lost on railroad shares,
another in a corn corner. another in un-
productive city real estate, and he will, if
driven to the wall, admit that the beauti-
full waving grain does not promise to pay
for raising if a fair salary is paid to those
who titled the field and who will have to
harvest the crop. These reflections are
shaking the determination of men never to
again
ENGAGE IN MINING,
as they have not been shaken for five years
past. The wise ones declare that they al
ready sniff another mining boom in the air.
This ought to encourage men with good
prospects to hold on Ind to work, in order
to get their properties in as good condition
as possible. 1t requires very poor man.
agement Of a very poor mine not to get
from it more interest on MONEY than peo-
pie are glad to accept in the East. This
Eastern people will see after a while, and
when they do their money will begin to
come this way. In the meantime mining in
the West takes away the terror which is
upon dl Eastern COmLleFCldl ClFCIeS. 116Tc
labor for a certain number OF men and a
market for a certain amount OF supplies is
secured. There is no place in the Union
where people ought to be so well contented
as west of the Rocky mountains.
The money expended by capitalists in the
mines of this country has shown good re-
turns, and the people living here are all
contented Inc happy. All around us can
be seen evidences OF the faith of our people
in the %permanency of our mines. Even the
venerable old gentleman who edits our
evening contemporary, whose appearance
and actions indicate that he shouldh nave
been forgotten a hundred years ago. who
held up his hands in holy indignation when
a few weeks ago The MINER announced that
the mines of this district were getting richer
as depth was attained, now acknowledges
his ignorance OF mining matters-has en-
braced the truth; in fact, has been con-
verified to our religion and is now telling the
world of the wonderful, permanent mines of
this district. We welcome the ancient old
gentleman into the fold. He is a reed
plucked, as it were, from the burning. The
scriptures hold out great encouragement to
the bruised reed and the smoking fax.
We are glad to learn that during the past
week the managers of some of our principal
mines nave been making arrangements for
the further sinking OF their respective mines.
This is a move in the right direction and
will add materially to the value of our
camp. There is enough ore now in sight in
the mines OF this district to run the legion
OF mills and smelters now in operation here
for years to come. There is no doubt
that many of our lodges are richer and
wider as depth is attained. The experience
of
THE ANACONDA
people v~erifies this assertion. The ledge on
the SOO-foot level of the Anaconda mine is
nov over 80 feet wide, while the ore is far
richer than any ever before found in the
mine. The ore now being extracted from
the bottom level OF the Anaconda carries a
larger percentage of silver than heretofore
taken from the mine, and when the 1000
foot level is reached it may be found that
the Anaconda will be classed among the great
silver producing mines OF the country. The
main shaft has reached the 9OO-foot level. |
The station has been cut at that point and
the shaft is now about 10 feet below the
300. Sinking will be resumed until the L.
OOO-foot level is reached. when cross-cutting /
for the ledge on at both the 900 and ]. 900 /
foot levels. When the vein is uncovered at |
those points, and it is proved that at the
1,OOO-foot level immense bodies of ore are
found, who can conceive the Importance |
that will then be attached to our camp.
THE ALICE.
During the past few days work has been
suspended in the Alice mine for the pur- |
pose of making the necessary connections |
between the new gallows frame and the
splendid new hosting machinery. The
new ~gallows frames are in place, and is a |
splendid piece of work. The sheaves are
up fifty feet from the collar of the shaft,
while the hosting works will be seventy
feet high. In the construction OF the new
gallows frames, $4,000 feet of timber, |
weighing nearly seventy-hve, tons were
used. 1t also took three tons of iron to
secure the huge frames in place. The new
arrangement vas designed by the efficient
superintendent of the company, w. E. Hall, |
while G.. Philfoot, the mine carpenter, su-
perintended it's erection. The new hosting
machinery is a credit to our camp. It came
from the well-known manufacturers, Messrs.
Frazer & Chalmers of Chicago. 1t has a
sinking capacity of at least 1900 feet, while
the gallows frame is capable of service at a
depth of 5000 feet. The engine was put in
place by Thomas Stevenson, who did his
work in an admirable manner. The ma
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