Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-25
Ph|L|PSbUR6.
A Lively Town Growing to . Large
Prosperous City-The Sur.
rounding Mines.
Properties Of St. Louis Parties-The
Great Granite Mine and Its
Development.
The West Granite Mlne-Its Brilliant
OutlOok-Butteites In Philips.
burg.

Editorial Correspondence.
PHIIIPsBURG, MONT., August 1S, 1885,
The daily arrival OF three and four coach
es icon Anaconda and one or two from
i Dr6mmond, all Of thaaaea Naeomiort~bly
/ filled, indicates that the fame OF Philips.
burg has gone abroad. The hotels are
crowded to their utmost capacity, and
many private residences are entertaining
the overflow. The town of Philipsbure ID
almost as lively at night as it il by day,
and 10 assuming metropolitan airs. Gran
ite, four miles away, up in the blue clouds,
whsse the great bonapzas are located,
is a perfect hive OF busy people and has all
the ear-marks Of booming mining camp.
The signs OF prosperity are everywhere ap-
parent. The business men are making
money and drones are not tolerated. No
| man need be idle here, save from choice.
| ALL THIS BUsTIE.
exci ement and business activity is not
based upon hope or faith, but upon much
more substantial foundation-the vast
mineral riches that have been laid bare in
beautiful and orderly little burg on every
side. The future growth-and it is a very
rapid growth-nf the city is assured. That
here will speedily grow up large and a
prosperous city is as certain as any human
affairs can be made certain.
Just now q large number OF st. Louis
people are in the city attending the election
OF the Bi-Metallic Company, (the owners
of the James G. Blaine lode,) the annual
! meeting OF the Granite Mountain Campany
and generally looking after their vast in
| terests here. The St. Louis people have
taken strong hold upon the mineralprop-
critics Of the camp and they have heen very
successful. They own or control the
Granite, probably the richest mine in the
world; they also control the Hope prop
erty, with it's mill, and have recently or
ganized the B-Metallic Company, through
the instrumentality OF which they are de-
velowiug the wellknown Blaine lode. The
annual meeting of the Bi-Metallic Company
was held yesterday and among the direc-
tors elected is Josiah NJ. Merrill, of Butte,
who was subsequently elected general man
ager also.
The Bi-Metallic property adjoins 4ixty.
feet fraction of the West Granite, which
lies between the Granite and the Bi-Me-
tallic. The property is now being devel-
down 100 feet. At 200 feet station will
be cut when they will cross.cut to the
north, with the hope OF cutting the vein OF
the Granite mine. Much water has beeu
encountered. but so far no indication OF
ore. It is estimated that the vein which
they are seeking will be encountered eighty
feet north of the 200 feet station.
About $50 feet west of the present work
iags tke company has = shaft fifty fset deep,
being the original discovery shaft OF the
Blaine lode. In this shaft some very rich
ore has been found, but the vein ia narrow.
The GraEite is unquestionably the richest
mine in Montana, if not in the world.
With its thi' ty stamp mill it manages to
declare 100000 month in dividends-a
grand total OF 81 100000 q year of net
earnings. The company is now erecting
forty additional stamps, which will double
the present output and one-third more.
So we may reasonably expect that the net
earnings will soon exceed $500, 900 a
month.
The mine is now developed by five tun-
nels, and level under tunr el No. 5, known
as Noe. These workings have thoroughly
exposed the richness Of the mine and the
area OF the deposit. 1t is estimated by
competent persons who have inspected the
mine, that at least SIC, 6,OOO,0 is now in
scientifically developed under the direction
OF Capt. Piummer, the General Manager.
The Granite is a veritable bonanza.
It is in No. 6 where the richest ore 10 now
being found, and there they also have the
largest body; and it improves in size and
richness as development is pushed. The
richest ore taken out OF the mine-said TO
average nearly 81 ,O0Oa TOMS sacked and
shipped for reduction, being smelling ore.
The Hope Company has thoroughly pros
pected Old Hope hill, and established the
area and continuity OF the mineral depos-
itsupon which the company g mill is depend
ent. 1t is estimated that there is now ore
enough in sight to keep the mill busy for at
least three years-or more than has been
in sight at any time since the company was
organized. The ore is low grade, carrying
about 1G ounces, and free-milling. The
mine is exceedingly faulty" no less than
eight faults having been encountered last
year and four this year to date. The ore
is fonnd in pockets. The exceeding low
grade of the ore and the expensive charac
ter OF the mine has been overcome by
the present manager, G. H. BabcOck, in
immense reductions in the cost OF reducing
the ores. The mill consists of ten stamps.
1t crushes thirty-four tons Of ore day and
reduces ore at 1918 per ton-the best
work, probably, done by any mill in the
country. Mr.. Babcock hopes to reduce
this cost to So next month. The present
cost of extraction and reduction is $3.50.
The hope OF Philipsburg is the West
Granite mine. This is the property some
time since acquired by J. K. Pardee for |
himself and q syndicate of Helena cap |
italists. This property adjoins the great
Granite mine on the west and is be- !
lieved to contain the extension OF
that vein. Tunnels numbers and 6 |
of the Granite are onfyobetween 200 and |
300 feet from the side line and the trend of |
the bonanza vein certainly seems to be into !
the West Granite claim. There are many |
reasons for believing that the Plummer
vein of the Granite will be found in the
West Granite. But faith in the West Gran
ite is not based upon this theory solely.
A tunnel has been run $40 feet. At 400 |
feet from the tunIe mouth, the header was
DETECTED from q northeast to q course very |
nearly due east. At 100 feet from point OF
d. fle tion the vein was struck. Owing to |
the large amount Of water cont aimed in |
the " in the entire level was fill. Il with |
vein filling and broken quar z. Exumira.
ton showed that they had been parallel
ing the vein for 100 feet. The vein was
cross. s.cut thirty feet back OF the header, a
square set put in and the level again start
ed on Cne vein. Inc l0ClOhlQg rOcK was
found not to BE- disturbed. Sixteen inches
Of ore laid to the hanging wall, against
twelve-inch clay casing. Against this one
lay three feet of pink manganese. This
the vein. At thecross.cut west
OF the header-at the point of dfeection-l
twenty inches of very high grade rock was
found, the vein being about the same
width as at the head of the header. This
level is pushed west on the ore body. which
increases in size, Of q uniform rchn So.
This is the farthest west that ore has been
found in the camp and indicates that, as
in the Granite, the vein increases in rich
ness as it goes west. The ore now taken
out averages 400 ounces, though ore is
taken out that ruls 600 and 800 ounces. !
Mr. Thomas Cruise, the President 81 the |
company, Is now in the camp and exam
ined the property yesterday. He was
greatly pleased with the mine and says |
that the work OF development will be rap !
idly pushed. Mr.. Cruise and his Helena as
sociates being ready to put up all the
money that may he required. Engineer
Kellogg has surveyed a shaft for the COM
pany, and work on sinking it has begun.
It is the intention to sink 500 feet at once
and then prospect the property systemati- |
cally. The miners Of the camp and the
people generally have every confidence in
A.