Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-04
THE COPPER PROBLEM.
A Helena Man Volunteers His Opinion
Of Butte and Her Mines.


the Butte mines, which, together with the
general seesaw in what seems to be bat.
tie for supremacy OF the market through
seeming difficulties, is lively and interesting
that is, to those who have no copper
bottoms-says IT. D." writing from Helena
to a New York mining and financial ex-
change.
Your Butte correspondent. "Nick," who
claims to keep q paternal eye on the cop
per mines OF that annoying camp, takes
Il comical part in the play. True to the
instincts Of a foster-parent, he occasionally
takes his 'kids' to task, aud tells them
thoy have no metal and can't fight. But
when an outsider threatens the family
with annihlation he rises in his dignity
like loyal guardian, and tells the Offend
ers that his family is all metal, and chal-
lenyes the onslaught. mick" is q brick.
He seems to be set in cement against the
reserves the Parrot Company has, but do
know that the ore goes down to the works
in steady stream, and the matte flows
away as freely.
The Colusa, which cannot be frozen out,
says Mick, with copper at 8 cents, is the
only concern that can be called a company
that is now imperative in Butte. This,
however, may be, as your correspondent
says, owing Ito the circumstances that the
controlling interest is in the hands OF cop
per dealers" I attach no blame to the
company for suspension under the present
condition OF things. Certainly no harm
can befall it for so doing. The mine, in
point OF quantity and quality of ore, is
equal in all probability to most of them.
Whether it is, as many people think, the
motive of the Calumet and Hecla Company
to force copper down to a very low figure
and maintain it there, for the purpose OF
pressing the Butte mines to close no one,
perhaps, outside OF the Boston office can
tell. II it is true, their success is an open
question, as mick says. There is pro.
digious reserve Of ore in Butte that is not
usually calculated upon. / refer to the
Mountain View and Shannon claims. To-
gether they cover the entire ground between
the Anaconda and the Celusa-2, 200 feet
Immediately along the line OF the great cop
per artery, including it's branch-veins within
the lines of those claims. Had the Ana.
conda Company this ground to draw from.
with its extensive reduction works. the
monarch OF the Lake region, we think,
might be forced to concede point or ride
a horse not quite SO high. This is prop
erty that, besides having few spots from
200 feet to 400 feet in length, and from 20
to 80 feet in width-2O feet in some places,
which connection, however, is claimed with
the Calumet on the east or the Granite
Mountain on the west. though it points
toward both.
Whatever company controls this pro-
perty will in the future control the copper
interest OF Butte; that is, if either of the
present companies operating there should
control it in connection with what it now
has, or possibly if held alone. 1t seems to
an onlooker that. if all the capital expended
in the purchase of property on the branch
veins from this great lode, including de-
velopments, cost.o machinery, etc., were
concentrated in the purchase OF Mountain
View, the result would be more satisfactory
The Anaconda Company especially has
invested considerable capital on a great
number of undeveloped properties-oH-
shoots from both the great Rainbow (sil-
ver) aud copper lodes of the camp. These
may all be good investments. 1t is hoped
they will be but usually these veins in dis
tance from the parent stock thin out, and
become sterile. A better policy for great
concern would seem to be to stay on the
great arteries. This, however, is only the
view OF an outsider watching the moves
made or lost by the players.
A good move was made by the resident |
OF the Colusa, Mr.. Raunheim.
when he sold one of the side branch mines,
and invested in the Liquidator.
Many OF the veins that 1 designate |
branches or offshoots are very profita BILE |
Tor considerable distances from the point |
of departure from the great lodes. But |
with distance, capriciousness, thinness and |
strr;lity become more and more pro-
These are better operated by |
su'ai con pan;es. or groups ri ',as.holderr |
than ty extensive Operators: wilen certain !
Listarces are attained.
1t cannot e contended that G.. per cent. |
copper ore will pay in Butte at the now |
ruling price CT copper. But the fact of the |
ma tier is. no ore of such grade is worked |
except it is a copper-silver ore. Many old |
dumps OF ore that have lain for years use.
less, containing ) or 6 per cent. copper and |
from 10 to 30 ounces silver. have OF late
been sold to the new smelter and worked. |
The silver is the secret of Butte. and |
through it this is a hard camp to down.
1t may be possible for the Calumet to close
the mines, but she must remain a confirmed
invalid to keep them closed. Their palmy
days OF extraordinary yield will pass, but
the decline in this respect will be the signal
y