Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-01-16
BUTTE CITY.
THE GREAT MINING CAMP OF
THE COAST.


TO the Ideas Formed by "a sen
tineI" Reporter After "a shor,
survey Of the Situation-Eureka
People Who are There, and whal
They are Doing.
BUTTE CRY, Montana, Jan. IL, 1885.
EDITOR SENTINEL: As a great many
people in your section of the country ar,
interested in the development. Of new miu
ing camps, a short description OF this, thu
greatest in Montana, may not prove un
interesting, although my s%ojourn at thii
place has been of brief duration, and at Q
time Of year not as advantageous for full
inspection as other seasons might offer.
Butte City, the metropolis OF Montana
is situated in Silver Bow county, "a
county recently created from portion Of
Deer LODGE and, according to a recenI
city directory, it has a population OF u, 220,
This Is based on the low estimate Of two
and a half TO each name in the directory,
there being 4,S88 names. A great many
places, in figuring their population, counl
three for each name, which, if adopted in
the case Of Butte, would make the popula.
ton nearly $4,000. Another evidence OF
the number Of men in the place, is the fact
that fully 5000 votes were cast in Butte
precinct and those Of Walkerville, Center
vile and Meaderville (which places are
really suburbs OF Butte at the recent cleo
ton.
The place is lighted by electricity, there
being sixty or seventy lights in use, which
illuminate the business streets in an ele.
CANT manner. Those from the dome OF the
Courthouse are particularly fine, throwing
out a brilliant light for blocks around.
Business generally appears to be good.
All classes are well represented, and there
are no available locations to be had.
Rents are very high both for business
aud dwelling-houses-about the same, !
should judge, as they we're in Eureka in the
flush times. One thing in particular that
l like about this place is, that it is not a
one-mine or a two-mine camp, there being
at the present time eight or ten big COM
panies working on a paying basis, to say
nothing Of the hundreds Of smaller mines,
which are being developed, and may ulti-
ma,ely take rank With the Anaconda, Alice,
Moulton, Lexington, Parrot and other
| great mines OF this district. An idea of the
magnitude OF the mining operations in
this district can be imagined when oDe
learns that the daily output of the mines
10 and around this place averaged l,50o
tons OF ore per day. All Of this ore is re-
duced here, except that from the Anaconda
| mine, which is hauled to the town of Ana
| coads, 70 miles distant, where they have
| heir own reduction works on a mammoth
scaie-said TO be the second largest smelling
| plant in the woodland with a capacity OF
| 900 tons per day, if worked to their full
| limit. This ore is hauled from Butte &c
| Anaconda for so cents per ton by the Utah
and Northern railroad. and If, as / under
stand. an average Of 500 tons per day, II
| giesy the railroad an income Of $3.50, 900 pei
| year from this source alone.
A rather strange feature Of this district
is, that there are two characters OF ore
found here and within a short distance Of
each other-the one free milling, the other
smelling. But whether free milling OF
smelling, they find it in enormous guam
titles, and there is no complaint these
times IS to the scarcity OF ore.
The only particularly bad feature which
may cast a temporary shade over thi'
place is the existing depression in the cop
per market, owing, no doubt. to over-pro
| duction in the various copper regions o.
he world, which, should the price fal
much lower, will cause q suspension o
| operations for u time-that is, OF tEt
smelters only.
lam unable to learn what the aggregate
bullion output Of this camp amounts to
but it must run at the present fully 81 900,
coo per month. The shipments by express
from the mills average $780, 900 per month
which does not include anything from thu
smelters.
During the past year q great number O
permanent and lasting improvements have
been made, among which are an elegan
| Courthouse-a credit to any country il
the West, which cost, including grounds
$50. 600, and an Opera House, now nearly
completed, which will cost about $4,000
There have also been q number OF new
brick business houses erected and a larg'
number Of dwellings, and the indications
are that there will be considerable activ
ity in the building line as soon as spring
opens. Speaking OF improvements, L nn1
here an immense roller skating rink Dnii
OF brick, and you might say exclusively
for this business, which cost some sSo'U0o
and which is extensively ~patronized. III
roller.sksting business has been IN opera
ton here now over two years, and still tint
p%eople seem to have g craze in that line
On Saturday evening last there we're Az
persons on the floor skating. The busi
ness is run in iirst-class style. A band o
music, of MIN pieces, is in astendanc
afternoon and evening. An Ice ska'int
rink was also started a few weeks ago, ant
n ia now in operation, but 10 not as ex
tensiyely patronized as the roller rink
md Il ia a little doubtful whether it vii
be made to pay.
Az IA the weather, there is no doubt bu
that II is somewhat seyerer thar IN ne
vada. and there are days when 1t would D
uncomfortable to be out all day. stiii
Gnd the climate more agreeable than
anticipated. hora-
THE MINER AND INTER-MoUNTAIN'
Each of which appear to be in a flourish
ing condition, aud are well ~patronized. !
IA renorted that a new paper, to be calie'
The Morning Call, will be issued about W.
o0,b inst. upder the management OF Mc
Io,yra x HAYES. Mcintyre formerly live'
a. Phoebe, but has been connected Tor SON,
,,me until recently with the Miner. o
tha Mace will be pretty well represen'e'
with newspapers. oo, cen