The Butte daily miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1885-18??, 1886-01-01

Com missioners OF Silver Bow County, was
the first Mayor.
The yield OF gold from Alder Gulch was
enormous, and when the mining season
closed in "a, it was estimated that over
thirty millions OF dollars had been taken
from its bedrock. This sum has been in.
creased by subsequent workings until the
most modest computers OF the amount
that has been saved from the placers Of the
gulch aver that it's product has exceeded
double that sum. while some Of the more
sarguine claim that the yield has been fully
seventy-five millions Of dollars. The
greater portion Of this vast sum was taken
out before the close Of the season Of 1866,
and SINCE that time the claims have been
worked with greater economy, and with o
corresponding reduction in the yield OF
gold dust. But few claims have been
worked in sevcralty since 1875. the ground
having fallen into the hands 81 mining COM
panies. During the season just closed, nine
fumes have been in operation. MIR. ID. II.
Beck has begun the building OF another,
below Adobctown, and this will be added
to the number at work next season. The
present annual yield Of gold dust from
these sources is from $275, 900 to $500, 600.
OF course, during all the excitement at
tendant upon the discovery and working Of
the rich placers, the quartz mines OF the
neighborhood were not suffered to lie UNI
needed, and as early as 1864 attracted
considerable attention. Several com.
panies were formed, and expensive
mills were erected. While the ore
in the mines remained free milling" as
most OF it was near the surface, splendid
results were obtained; but when any con.
siderable depth was reached, and it became
refractory, the mills which had been inn
ported at enormous expense proved une-
quail to the work required OF them, the
companies became involved in heavy liza
bilities, the splendidly equipped works
were left, and the costly buildings which
contained them only remain as magnificent
monuments Vi misplaced confidence. The
extravagant and dishonest management OF
most u these concerns also contributed
largely to create distrust, and destroy in
the minds Of mining investors whatever 81
confidence they had hitherto had in the
value OF Alder Gulch quartz, or the FEAST
bility OF working it at q profit. The nat
ural result was the abandonment OF the
mines as well as the mills. and for fifteen
years the quartz mining industry in Alder
Gulch was alternating, as it were. tits safe
to say that, were it not for her placer mines,
Virginia City would long ago have gone the
way Of hundreds Of mining towns. In this
branch OF mining. however, it il not likely
there will be any material diminution for
many years to come.
But new era in quartz mining seems to
be dawnitg. For three or four years past
the owners Of lodes have been engaged in
their development, and as result there
are now q goodly number Of these proper
ties well opened, and many others are in
fairly advanced stage. A very knotty
problem with many has been to find out
what sort Of works would give the best re-
suits, or most successfully manipulate the
base ores Of the district. Some two or
three years ago the citizens Of Virginia met
in solemn conclave, discussed the mat
ter from all its standpoints, appointed a
committee to investigate the relative mer-
its Of various modes OF treatment, and
finally, organized the Virginia City Reduc.
ton Company, duly incorporated the con-
Germ under the laws OF Montana, purchased
concentrator and tivestamp battery,
erected mill building and set up the ma
chinery, and in due time was ready Tor
business. The works had not been
in operation ten days before it
was discovered that the peculiar kind
OF ore which this peculiar kind Of concen-
traitor was intended to reduce was not
to be found in the neighborhood, and that
for all practical purposes, the concentration
might as well have been in Gehenna as in
Virginia City. Thus another disastrous
failure was added to the list. The "iigs"
were then sold, and a Triumph" vanner
was added to the plant. This worked more
satisfactorily, but did not yet meet the re-
quirements; and, il it had, it's capacity was
not sufficiently large to admit Of running
the works at q profit. or even without
heavy loss. So the project was allowed to
sleep the sleep Of the just, and it reposed
peacefully until the advent Of the New York
and Montana Mining Company, a corpora
ton Of New York capitalists who already
owned some lodes in Baritone Gulch, u few
miles distant. Last summer, Mr.. j. H. Ram.
sey, one Of the principals OF this company,
came to Virginia City, made d thorough
examination Of several of the best devel-
oped mines, and finally bought OF Messrs.